INTERVIEW : Ryan Murgatroyd
Somewhere between old-school charm and cutting-edge futurism, Ryan Murgatroyd’s On My Mind marks the South African producer’s third collaboration with the vocalist Sobantwana. An exercise in tension-building, this new single creates an ominous mood with its entrancing drums and a labyrinthine acid lead. What could be perceived as a departure from Murgatroyd’s characteristic sound is actually a new take on the condensed textures of filter house and vintage French touch, two persistent influences for this electronic music pioneer. We had a chat with Ryan to talk about his favorite gear, his record label and his hate of piano rolls.
You just released your new single. Can you talk to us about the inspiration behind On My Mind?
Well, this record is part of a 3 track series on the label where I wanted to pay tribute to and take a foray into, the classic vocal house sound of the 90s. All those French filter house-y influences, the classic female vocals that are making a resurgence on labels like Defected, but adding a new twist to that sound.
This track marks a new collaboration between you and Sobantwana. How did this collaboration come about?
Well we are 3 tracks in right now, her first two on the label were more haunting, ethnic, and a lot more unusual (those being Wooma, and Khuzeka, out on Get physical in early July). This vocal is very straight up for her, and it's actually her first time ever singing in English, as opposed to her vernacular, so it was a really interesting experience for us both.
Your studio kit includes everything from a modular rack to a Prophet. Is there a production tool that has especially inspired you lately?
I think the modular rack led me to sequencers, which I've always had lying around, but which I never REALLY incorporated into my workflow. Because sequencing is so fundamental to the modular workflow, it has made me realize that I hate piano rolls and that from this moment forth, everything shall be sequenced, even the MIDI I use. So that's been quite a revolution, starting to incorporate sequencers on everything from the drums to the automation.
What’s your creative process when you make a new track?
I'm very melody and harmony orientated so I tend to write a lot of things at the piano. Some of my favourite works start like that but it can also be a trap of sorts, so lately I have a delicate balance between piano thinking, and more sequencer-orientated compositional techniques
Your new single is released via your own label, Swoon. What’s your mission with this endeavor? What have been the highlights of running your own label?
Mission 1 was to be able to just go off on whatever tangents I felt like, without having to deal with anyone interfering. Maybe I've had a bit too much freedom these past few years hahaha, because Swoon really has done a bit of everything - some house-y stuff, some downtempo cinematic electronica, big melodic techno vocal tracks like Wicked Eyes, and then some of the more clubby music from other artists on the label.
I think as we move into year two, we will maybe cut the fat and focus on what works for us, but it's been amazing to experiment.
Do you think your role as a label head has impacted your creative process in any way?
Definitely. As I said about cutting the fat, I think that's the number one thing I do for artists in my A&R work for the label. Just take away all the stuff that doesn't need to be there, and make the tracks more focused. So doing that for other artists, and having to consider strategies, playlists, branding, and artwork for each EP makes a huge difference. So, of course, I'm more aware of these things now in my own creative process.
What’s the best advice you’ve received concerning music production and performing live? Is there any tip you could share with young artists out there?
Woah, too many things. Probably Stephen Bodzin. He had a profound influence on my live show because I got to spend the day with him in Cape Town at SAE Institute, and he ran me through all the workflow he does for his show. Now our sounds are very different of course but I respect that man enormously.
He taught me a lot about life - the most essential point being that everything needs to be made, produced, and bounced at the tempo it's being played at. i.e. you can't make something at 121bpm and play it live at 124 bpm cos it will either be warping (bad for transients) or it will be out of tune (bad for everything else). That was a huge revelation, which I also kinda hate him for because now I have to do all of my tracks AGAIN for live, re-bouncing and re-editing every stem.
Is there an artist you’ve discovered recently that you could share with us?
Well if you wanna hear amazing harmonies and a true taste of African music meets modern electronica, check out Samthing Soweto.
What’s next for Ryan Murgatroyd?
A holiday!!! Hahaha I had 13 releases this year, so right now I'm on the road playing shows in our South African summer season. The label is putting on a series of shows around South Africa. On my mind is out now, followed by a track called Telomere which is a collab with two new artists on the label. Then I’ll regroup and put out a MONSTER single early Feb, and hopefully, the world will return to normal and I'll see you on a dance floor soon :)
Follow Ryan Murgatroyd
SoundCloud | Beatport | Facebook | Instagram | Resident Advisor