Ryan Lee West has always possessed an uncanny ability to transform electronic materials into something that feels alive, breathing with the rhythm of natural forces.
On ‘Jupiter‘, from his ninth studio album ‘Landscape from Memory’, the UK producer demonstrates once again why Rival Consoles remains one of our most consistently innovative electronic artists. Built around a call-and-response structure where the main idea evolves whilst the response remains constant—a musical metaphor for life’s cyclical nature—the track unfolds like sunlight hitting glass and metal, creating those shimmering, colourful shards West envisioned during its creation. The minute-long synth-heavy build-up gives way to a four-on-the-floor energy that feels both cosmic and terrestrial, connecting to earlier works like ‘Helios‘ and ‘Voyager‘ in its exploration of humanity’s place within the universe.
What makes this track particularly compelling is how West channels his creative renaissance after a frustrating fallow period, transforming discarded audio snippets into something that pulses with renewed purpose. Having stepped away from his habitual Hackney studio environment, he’s found inspiration in movement and unfamiliarity, creating music that sounds both meticulously crafted and organically discovered. ‘Jupiter’ exemplifies his singular ability to make synthesizers sound human, conjuring hope, melancholy, and euphoria simultaneously whilst telling stories that transcend the need for words. For those of us at Podcart who’ve long championed West’s work, this feels like a triumphant return to form from one of electronic music’s most emotionally intelligent voices.
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