If there’s anything more magical than the idea of RY X performing his new album, Dawn, in a neo-gothic church nestled in the backstreets of Brighton, it’s RY X actually performing his new album, Dawn, in a neo-gothic church nestled in the backstreets of Brighton. And that’s exactly what happened last Tuesday night. Embarking on the first leg of his European/Australian tour, and having performed in Manchester the previous evening, the singer-songwriter was preparing to play London before travelling France, Germany, Belgium, and a host of smaller, less-known cities, with the aim of “playing for the real people”.
Abound with repetitive electronic synth patterns and airy vocals, Josin set an electrifying tone for the evening’s performance, the echoing acoustics working to her advantage as her enchanting voice sent shivers down the spines of the audience. Songs such as ‘Ocean’s Wait’ and ‘Midnight Sun’ paired pure piano and layered vocals, merging into entrancing synth and transporting the listener to an underwater hideaway, ignorant of the stresses and dangers of the outside world. Furthermore, the organ-like sounds and intricate composure of Josin’s closing track reflected the setting perfectly, creating a calm and collected mood in anticipation of the main attraction.
Lit solely by candles and minimal subtle back lighting, the atmosphere was electric as RY X took to the stage, a cloud of smoke floating mysteriously around him and his instrumentalists as they emerged quietly from behind the scenes. Opening with ‘Shortline’, originally a track from 2013 EP Berlin, the eerie organ-like intro chords appeared extremely fitting for the scene, RY X’s smooth vocals almost choral as the harmonies of his band mates were introduced at the chorus. Merging into Bon Iver-esque ballad ‘Salt’, the acoustics of the church, possibly the tallest of it’s kind in the UK, emphasized the simple perfection of the guitar chords and lyrics, “we let love be like water to wine // we let love be the higher desire”, that coincidentally further reflected the religious location.
Similarly acoustic tune ‘Sweat’ echoed exquisitely throughout St Bartholomew’s, the golden tinged tapestries and figurines glinting in the light, the alter magnificently framing the stage situated towards the front of it. Long instrumentals were interwoven throughout the set, demonstrating the groups musical ability as RY X repeatedly shifted from acoustic guitar to electric guitar to keyboard. The sultry vocals of popular ‘Berlin’ emerged surprisingly halfway through the performance, a song that perhaps conventionally would have been saved for last.
‘Deliverance’ introduced understated electronic vibes, a theme continued by an exclusive preview of a new track, of which the audience are yet to learn the name of. Another long instrumental ensued before breaking into ‘Howling’, a song full of bassy, metallic guitar strums and low-key vocals. Singing “God I swam into your spell // on the rite of God we fell” the lyrics further connoted religious undertones and mirrored RY X’s repetitive mentions of “peace and love”.
Deceiving the audience into believing it was the final song of the evening, the collective played ‘Lean’, the last song on the album, full of bittersweet, hallucinatory synth chords and mellow, distorted vocals. Returning for the encore, RY X delicately wandered through ‘Only’, before reiterating his sincere thanks, and leaving the entranced audience to brave the world outside once more.
Words by Kate Eldridge, feature image by Ethan Weatherby