Altitudes by Ryan Davis

Berlin-based producer Ryan Davis says his new album ‘Through The Mirror Glass’ has existed in idea-form for a very long time – most of his life, in fact. The album is inspired by the movies he grew up watching with soundtracks by James Horner, Thomas Newman and Jóhann Jóhannsson, and the tropes and rhythms of electronic music. Davis has wanted to connect the two ever since he started producing, so this 12-track album is his first full-length foray into cinematic electronic music.

Davis teamed up with Anjunadeep for the first time in 2012 with a remix of Andrew Bayer’s catalogue classic ‘Gaff’s Eulogy’. This led to a series of EPs with the label showcasing the melodic, down-tempo side to his artistry. He’d long wanted to create a full-length project for Anjuna, so when Above & Beyond launched Reflections in 2022, Davis knew he’d found the perfect home for his next album.

“With electronic music I have access to a never-ending palette of sounds,” Davis says. “This album has been inside me for ages, but the technology just wasn’t there yet. I couldn’t re-create an orchestra without hiring one, but now Spitfire Audio has built these incredible samples and I have BBC One’s orchestra at my fingertips.”

And he makes full use of it on the first single ‘Altitudes’. “With ‘Altitudes’ I programmed different rhythmic patterns to create these moving electronic dots and connect them with the liveliness of the piano and orchestra. I used an electronic kick drum layered with a drum used in classical arrangements to connect old and new, and that’s really the essence of the album - it merges my musical past and links it with the future.”

Ultimately, Ryan Davis hopes ‘Through The Mirror Glass’ will act as a sonic space to reflect and hold fragile memories. The mirror glass is a way to look at yourself, and simultaneously look behind you, at what’s brought you to this point.

‘Through The Mirror Glass’ is out 5th December on Reflections. The first single ‘Altitudes’ is out now.

ryandavis.de