‘Catherine’ is the latest single from Rival Consoles (aka Ryan Lee West), taken from his upcoming album Landscape from Memory, due out July 4th on Erased Tapes. Built around a skippy rhythmic groove and minimal melodic fragments, the track steadily evolves into a haunted, introspective piece of club-leaning electronica.
West’s approach on ‘Catherine’ is direct and exposed — what he refers to as a “naked melody on drums.” It’s this stripped-back clarity that gives the track its emotional weight, underpinned by a subtle tension between rhythm and texture. The production features delicate synth flourishes and carefully placed percussive accents, creating a forward momentum that remains understated yet propulsive.
Dedicated to his partner, the track was initially formed from one of many audio sketches that West returned to while assembling the album — a process that involved revisiting old ideas and reshaping them with fresh perspective. ‘Catherine’ became a foundational piece in that process, and according to West, helped reignite his connection to making music following a creative lull.
Best known for his emotionally nuanced approach to electronic composition, West has long navigated the line between experimental and accessible. Landscape from Memory continues this exploration, built from sonic fragments collected across different places and times. On ‘Catherine’, these ideas come together in a way that feels immediate and unfiltered — melodic ideas gently massaged into form, grounded by West’s instinct for sonic clarity.
‘Catherine’ stands as an evocative preview of what’s to come from Landscape from Memory — a body of work shaped as much by travel and technology as it is by introspection and memory.
