Sorbet
This Was Paradise
Irish producer Chris W Ryan (Just Mustard, NewDad and his own Robocobra Quartet) began releasing music under the moniker SORBET in 2020 with the express intention to cleanse the palate; both for the listener and himself. Spending much of his time in the studio with other artists, Chris took inspiration from producer-led al-bums like Brian Eno's Another Green World: "I love the way you can hear the playful interaction be-tween friends on an album like that -- there are none of the constraints or rules that you might have when you're trying to represent the sound of a live band or artist". Exploring freely across genre bounds, the world of SORBET is informed by electronic music just as much as classical and alt-pop, with nods to artists like Laurie Anderson, Arthur Russell, Kate Bush and David Byrne. Inspired by this freedom of creativity, the debut SORBET album This Was Paradise features a host of collaborators orbiting around Chris' nucleus, in which he flexes his ability as a composer and technician in equal measure: "It's all the same to me: producing beats, writing lyrics, drawing up sheet music for classical musicians, EQ'ing snare drums - I'm just using everything I can to create something exciting to listen to". These collaborations include vocal features from Maija Sofia, Mark McCambridge (Arborist) and Micheal Keating (Bleeding Heart Pigeons) as well as powerful instrumental performances from musicians working in the jazz and classical world poached by Chris. "There are so many great musicians on this record, some of which I've been friends with years and others that I've been admiring for a while and itching to work with like jazz saxophonist Lara Jones and upright bass player Jack Kelly".