Press/Media
Ryan creates a sonic interpretation of the long, slow disappearance of the sun — the retreat of warmth and light and the onset of the darkest night. As blips of synths play against the seemingly interminable chord progression, they conjure fires going out and a landscape passing into shadow.
While there are no lyrics spit from between clenched teeth or huge dynamic swings to articulate rage, the track is a surprisingly effective way to interact with political unrest. Ryan's composition summons the feeling of being a patient witness, a lone observer on a hill watching the world change before one's eyes.
-Seven Days, Vermont's arts week;y
“The instrumentation in ‘A Long Dusk’ evolves with the sort of minimalism that would leave people with a short attention span squeamish and begging for mercy, but I’m here to tell you that it’s an intriguingly beautiful space that Thorny has created and is worthwhile coming along for the ride with its deeply atmospheric layers of suspense and intrigue.”
- The Relay Station
"This is a wonderful debut album: at once deliciously droney and glitchy with surges of dark caustitcity (which precisely fits my mixological wheelhouse!). Very much at home with artists such as Numina, Steve Roach & vidnaObmana, Mr. Ryan utilizes some wonderful ambient bass & synth work as he weaves an overcast atmosphere that envelops the listener."
"Ryan's latest record upholds those hallmarks and uses ambience to close around the listener rather than open up. See No Sky doubles as a sonic instructional manual for slowing down the mind and leaning into introspection. Veering between hypnagogic passages of barely audible waves of synthesizer and ascending, dreamlike stacks of sound, the album feels at times like an elongated mantra."
-Review of See No Sky, Seven Days, Burlington VT’s arts weekly
Press for Flood
Voted #90 in the Top 200 Albums of 2024 by Cyclical Magazine.
"The ambient project of Plainfield musician JD Ryan, Thorny is a fascinating study in musical reaction to environmental stimuli....
Throughout the record, Ryan uses synthesizers and bass guitar to represent the horror and tranquility of the water, the despair over natural destruction, and the hope of reconstruction.
- Seven Days (Vermont's arts weekly)
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“Thorny constructs powerful compositions which demonstrate the intensity and frequency of nature and reveal real-life undercurrents.”
-Ambient Landscape Podcast/Blog
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“Each track is thoughtfully arranged, blending muted white noise, the ebbing and flowing of oscillating drones, expansive soundscapes with spacious instrumentation, and a generous wash of ambient reverb. You can almost feel the empathy woven throughout, telling the story of those that endured.”
-Stolace/Relay Station Podcast
"Flood is a wholly original work and one where he has created his own unique and moving sonic vocabulary. Never one to miss the opportunity for a pun, I dare say the floodgates are open on Thorny's unique musical vocabulary. Fans of Steve Roach’s more earthy soundscapes and VidnaObmana’s early works will truly enjoy Flood." - Ambient Soundbath
Interview in Cyclical Magazine
