Ryoga are (Faron Smith, Matthew Blyth, Duncan Allan, Neil Lewis and Ben Alldred) an experimental five-piece hailing from Sunderland in the north of England. They often defy genre but have often been described as electro-post-rock. The sound began on four track demos by the two founding members Faron Smith and Matt Blyth, following no set style. next to join the group were electronic artist Neil Lewis and multi-instrumentalist Duncan Allan. As a four piece they developed a bold live style and sound that set them apart from their peers. Owing to the bands versatility and that they remain hard to classify in one camp or the other, has seen them play bills on both sides of the electronic/organic music spectrum, appearing alongside such diverse artists as Orbital, Errors, These Monsters, BLK JKS, Maybeshewill, Mammal Club, Grammatics, Vessels and The Longcut. The band recently enlisted the percussive talents of ex Dawn of Chaos drummer Ben Alldred, adding a visceral edge to the sound. The band continue with various side-projects including Fulcrum4, Telemikus, Wheat-a-Beat, The Glint and Foxymoron. They have also been garnering respect as remixers, recently finishing a quintet of remixes for geordie super-band Maximo Park. www.myspace.com/ryogapower Review: NARC Magazine Words: Rob Sampson RYOGA (EP) By no means one of the leading lights in the north east, but why not?? Theyre really good. This contains plenty of brilliant ideas and influences scattered throughout. Imagine mixing up some retro electronica with a bit of prog-rock and you'll be near the sound. It's a very good effort which deserves your attention. It's moody, atmospheric, glorious and challenging. I cant stop dancing around to Ricky Got A Girlfriend, which places me somewhere between Air, Stakka Bo and a big fat Floyd guitar line. There's just so much going on here, so many different things to discover every time you listen. From the shimmering ethereal beauty of I Dont Know What I Did Last Summer, to the Daft Punk-esque stomp of the addictive Delorian Daze, there's something here for everyone. Absolutely Fantastic.