Official video ‘Bamboo’:
https://youtu.be/w-baVbObvu4?si=2mf4CLDV2yrY9HBt
Cork City based producer Ruairi Lynch, aka Bantum is delighted to share his new self-titled album, ‘Bantum’ out now (Thursday 3rd October, 2024). His third album after Legion (2012) and Move (2016) marks a return to his electronic roots while incorporating a diverse range of influences across multiple genres.
Known for collaborating with and producing artists across the country spanning multiple genres, Bantum has decided to go solo with this 8-track instrumental record.
Blending elements of electronic dance beats, old school funk bass and electric guitars, driving house rhythms and hip-hop samples, each track offers a unique sonic take while blending seamlessly with the other. Known for his innovative approach to electronic music, Bantum continues to push boundaries here, blending genres and styles to create a distinctive and immersive mix.
Speaking about the new release, Bantum expressed his excitement, stating, “Having consistently released music every year since I began producing, I really was not expecting to have an album’s worth of material for this year. I made a conscious decision to return to where I started in terms of instrumental music, and once I set myself the challenge everything came together naturally.
I gathered a ton of ideas and gradually started to mold them together into a cohesive set of songs, almost like a mixtape. A common thread throughout is guitar, bass and piano effects used on previous releases and funk beats/samples gathered over years of work. Bringing these elements together was probably the most fun I’ve had on a release in years. Each track represents a piece of the musical journey I’ve been on over the past year and I can’t wait for people to hear it. Though this is a solo album I took direct influence and inspiration from working with Daithi (Daithi/Houseplants) and Mark O’Brien (Royal Yellow/Enemies) in West Clare alongside working with my friends Jack O’Rourke, Suil Amhain and Callas in Cork. I’ve never pinned myself down to one genre here, and I think that contributes directly to my own sound in a way. As always, I have collaborated with Shane O’Driscoll for the artwork which references J Dilla’s Donuts album cover alongside a number of French house influences like DJ Mehdi and Cassius in particular.”
The album’s artwork as designed by Cork artist Shane O’Driscoll; “Taking references from Ruairi’s own musical influences was the brief for the album artwork. There is a nod to a favourite music video and album covers in there.It can be a challenge to find images that are clear indicators, that evoke a connection and for it all to work together within the style we have established over the last few releases, but we always get there and it’s always interesting to learn about the influences in each new release.”
Bantum. by Bantum is out now (Thursday 3rd October, 2024), on all major streaming platforms.
Bantum website: bantumsound.com
Bantum on Instagram: instagram.com/bantumruairi/
Bantum on Twitter: twitter.com/RuairiLBantum
Bantum on YouTube: youtube.com/user/BantumMusic