Into The Deep
Ry Eden, artist and producer known as RY X, is an internationally acclaimed musician hailing from Angourie, Northern NSW. Growing up by the sea and being deeply connected to nature has been the foundation for his acoustic atmospheric melodies. His debut EP Berlin released in 2013 sent ripples through the music world. Highly visual and driven by a deeply intrinsic creative process, Ry has gathered unwavering momentum with sell-out shows all over the world. His work is deeply personal – intimacy fuels sensual lyrics and captivating vocals. He currently resides in Topanga Canyon, LA, where he finds connectivity and beauty in all the details.
Words and Photography by:
Leana Rack @leana.josie
Kacie Tomita @kacie_tomita
“[The word mirage] conjures the concept of the dreamlike state that sits in the place between concept and tangible reality for me.”
Where was the passion for music born for you?
From a young age, I think we have inherent loves and leanings in each of us. The things that spark our spirit and make us want to dig deeper inside ourselves. Music was always this for me. I grew up in a home where there was always music and instruments laying in places that I could touch and hold. I gravitated to it all so strongly, as I still do now.
I wanted to ask, where does the X come from? What meaning does it hold in your artist name RY X?
I was living in Berlin, in a more underground club scene, and I thought the freedom of collaboration as an artist was a beautiful thing. The ‘X’ was originally there as a moniker for working with other artists. Then, my predominant collaborations, like my bands The Acid and Howling took on their own names and I was left alone with the ‘X’.
You have a strong connection to the ocean and being by the ocean. How do you recharge when you are touring?
I do. I love her (the sea) so much. A place of peace, of joy, of reflection. Growing up as a surfer and person of the sea is one of the deepest foundations I have. I feel most at home in my heart when I am close to the salt. Always. I’m in the water everyday. Except when I’m on tour and that has been challenging to navigate at times. I’ll lean more into yoga and meditation, to bring aspects of that groundedness and balance into my life. I move my body, immerse in nature. I use all the tools I have to stay present and in gratitude for what is around me in those regular jaunts of landlocked Europe. Then, when I can get a few days off, I always try to fly down to the Mediterranean Sea and immerse my body in the waters there.
Growing up locally, do you ever miss the “ Aussie” small coastal town feeling?
Yes. The stretch of coast between Angourie in Yamba and Byron Bay is what home has always been. It still calls to me deeply. It rests deeply in my heart. I do miss it. It is a big part of my being and my spirit. I do my best to recreate aspects of that life here, too. Living in Topanga Canyon and driving my old truck barefoot down the hill, with logs in the back to surf most mornings, I carry that essence of small town with me wherever I go.
You performed with the London Symphony Orchestra at the Royal Albert Hall, was this a dream come true? What was it like performing with them?
It was so many things to feel all at once. Beautiful and truly over whelming in all the right ways. Performing there was a culmination of years of building. To be able to play in this kind of venue and to have some of the best orchestral players in the world by my side, to be immersed in a sea of light and projection of video art created over years with artists and friends, as well as having my band and crew with me, I struggled to stay composed, which is something I never really feel walking onto stage! It all washed over me the moment I walked onto the stage. The room fell completely silent and then the most intimate and powerful feeling held the room for the hours to come. It was more than special. Five thousand people poured their energy toward us as the orchestra began to play one of the ambient pieces to commence the show. It was so humbling to stand in the middle of the stage to a sell-out show at this incredible venue. And, to have my dear mum there who had never seen a bona fide RY X show, or ever been to Europe – so I put her in box seats next to the Queen’s Box.
Your latest album is Unfurl, I love the meaning of this word “Unfurl; make or become spread out from a rolled or folded state, especially in order to be open to the wind”. Tell us about the makings of this album.
Yes, it was an analogy for how I was feeling at the time. As a person and also as an artist. Unfurling and exploring new scapes of sound and ideas. It felt like a deep conscious state of broadening in that moment, so I took it and ran with it to represent the album.
Your belief in the need for change is illustrated through your words “Can we reconstruct and action a society, a culture, that is inclusive, that is loving ...”
I wrote this piece amid the Black Lives Matter movement here in the US. A lot of my friends and community are deeply engaged in cultural movements here and we talk a lot about what would need to shift fundamentally to bring about real change on a foundational level. I was reflecting on the systems we have in place, not just in the US, but around the world. Government, finance, structural makeups of what we learn our understanding of ‘society’ to be ... and the reality is, so many of these institutions are outdated, and were never built with true integrity at the core. At times it seems impossible to shift these institutions and a sense of helplessness or apathy can take hold. I think it becomes imperative that we remember how much change we can create on an individual level and how gathering these individual changes into that of communities and expanding outward from that place becomes a powerful movement for real change. We have a choice every day in how we hold ourselves, how we mirror others, how we act and in which direction we want to grow and expand. If we plant these seeds now, they grow and bear fruit not only for us, but for those around us.
How or where does a song or composition start? What is the initial flame of inspiration?
The human experience is the initial flame of inspiration for me. It pours into everything I make. Love, death, beauty, desire, grief, pain, spiritual and existential explorations. The fabric of these experiences, in both feelings and thoughts in my body, guides me a lot when I am creating. Extracting this from within, to a place where people can understand and relate to it, that’s the part that takes time and requires discipline in the artistic process. As well as maintaining an openness to the channel of creativity, which isn’t always a linear or tangible thing, but comes when you show up to the process of making art each day. The commitment and continuation of pouring in experiences and maintaining an openness to the work is the work itself – regardless of the result.
You have collaborated with Petecia Le Fawnhawk, a stunning visual storyteller, please tell us about this creative partnership and your personal passion for art.
I love art. All mediums. I love collaborating with my friends and community. Petecia became a close friend of mine soon after meeting her when I first moved to LA. We had the gift of witnessing each other grow and unfold into the artists we are today and, as the people we are now. It is a truly beautiful thing to live alongside people you love and respect. When I approached her about working together in the visual realm, she jumped right in and I am so thankful for all the time we have spent creating together.
The theme for this issue is Mirage. What does this invoke for you?
It conjures the concept of the dreamlike state that sits in the place between concept and tangible reality for me. Though in my heart, I like to imagine that with our will and our love of whatever we truly seek, we can turn that coveted mirage into our life’s purpose and work.
What’s next for RY X? Is there any possibility we might see you on Australian shores soon?
I’d love to come home, be in Byron Bay, and on the empty beaches of my home south. To surf and eat mangoes and never put shoes on. Soon enough, it will happen. For now, I’m pouring myself into new albums for RY X from here in Topanga, and finishing a record with my band The Acid that I’m feeling creatively excited about. There are collaborations and art projects I’m leaning into – film scores and more. All nestled in between time in the sea, and time here in my community and with my family I’m right where I should be.
