The folks at the Violitionist Sessions dropped a new installment yesterday, and it should be a real treat for any ambient music buffs or for fans of Jeff Ryan's work. Ryan is a true veteran of North Texas music, having played drums in bands throughout the area for various acts over the past two decades, including touring with St. Vincent and Sarah Jaffe, as well as forming one-half of stellar Dallas act the Baptist Generals.
For the latest Violitionist Session, Ryan performed with his long-time bedroom-project-turned-full-on-band, Myopic.
The Violitionist Sessions is a recurring series based in Denton that features both local artists and ones passing through on tour. The series is helmed by Michael Briggs, who shoots the video, and Brent Frishman, who conducts the adjoining interviews. They're shot at the Civil Recording studio, which is part of the Macaroni Island concert venue, where Briggs also works.
In the interview, Ryan gives some interesting perspective on his time in the Dallas music community and how it's changed over the years. He also explains how Myopic grew from a solo, between-tours project into a full-fledged band; the group's debut album, We Were Here, has even been played on BBC's Radio 6.
Of course, the best part of the session is just watching the band at work, which includes members of Pleasant Grove, Baboon, and Crushed Stars. The three songs, each in the five to 10 minute range, unfurl into beautiful, building sound collages.
Here's "Toner," the first of three songs the band played for the Violitionist:
Watch the full session here and also read Frishman's interview with Ryan.
