‘Howl’ is the new album by Rival Consoles, London-based electronic producer Ryan Lee West. Foremost a guitarist, growing up listening to rock rather than club music, West continues to strive towards finding a more personal balance between music for home listening and larger spaces. The album explores a wide range of emotions; from the dissonance eruptions and primal rhythms in ‘Howl’, to the mournful improvisations of ‘3 Laments.
“Howl deserves nothing less than total immersion” 8/10 Loud & Quiet
“‘Howl’ is a delight from start to finish” 8/10 Louder Than War
“Rival Consoles’ finest release to date” 8/10 The 405
‘The hiss of guitar pedals and tape delay add extra nostalgic, emotional depth over subtle drum machine programming; all of the elements of this LP ebb and flow in synchronicity with each other from start to finish.’ 8/10 DJ Mag
“This humanised take on techno provides both individuality as it does innovation” 7/10 Crack
“Heady and transcendent, but not clinical. It’ll grab you by the lapels and drag you into a world rife with life” The Line Of Best Fit
“It is the sharpness, leanness, and absorption in detail found on Howl that combine to make it a success” Music OMH
“Physically embodying why electronic music can be so stimulating when done well” Inverted Audio
“Howl is an album you could always relate to at the end of the night; a chime for night owls and travellers, a cradle song for tired youth” Echoes & Dust
Guest Mix : BBC 6 Music Tom Ravenscroft
Found Sound : Dummy
Q&A : Truants
LP Shoot : Vinyl Factory
Studio Feature : XLR8R
Form Over Function : Data Transmission
8 Tracks I Really Love : Ransom Note
AfterDark Mix : The Selector
Interview : Amazing Radio (Dani Charlton)
BBC radio play from Gideon Coe, Mary Anne Hobbs, Lauren Laverne, Nemone, Tom Ravenscroft, Tom Robinson.