Australian singer/songwriter and electronic producer RY X has teamed with Icelandic composer and producer Ólafur Arnalds to create the ethereal, beat-driven new track ‘Oceans’.
Using a sample from Ólafur’s original composition ypsilon as the basis of the new track, RY X has written original lyrics and layered his sensual vocals with percussion and synths to complement Ólafur’s signature piano sound.
Speaking of the track, Ólafur says: “I have been a fan of RY X for a long time and always felt like we might be kindred spirits. On a whim I decided to contact him to make a remix for my album, but after a few times back and forth we started moving further away from the original song that I asked Ry to remix and we eventually realised we had started a real collaboration. A deeply inspiring one that I don’t see ending anytime soon.”
RY X adds: “I have respected and deeply appreciated Ólafur’s sounds and compositions for years, so when he reached out about a possible collaboration I was honoured to lean in and let the creative process lead. We wanted to approach something a little differently than our audiences and communities might traditionally expect from our sonic worlds. To push boundaries of style and genre, and thus a more tempo driven song came to light between us.”
The music video is directed by up-and-coming Australian Matthew Thorne, who recently collaborated with Melbourne pianist and composer Luke Howard on the short film The Sand That Ate The Sea.
The power of intense, passionate music to pull audiences into an intimate space is something Australia-born, LA-based singer RY X excels at. After the break-out success of his minimalist EP ‘Berlin’, RY X went on to release two acclaimed LPs – 2016’s Dawn and 2019’s Unfurl – and sell out a string of shows across Europe, the US and Australia (including a sensational sold-out show at London’s iconic Royal Albert Hall).
Having recently wrapped up a 140+ date global tour in support of his latest album, re:member, Ólafur Arnalds has now released a special deluxe edition of re:member – including 4 LPs with brand new arrangements and live reworks – on Mercury KX.