Though 'Arcology' was conceived in a similar improvisational womb as Ryan McRyhew’s debut, the new album moves subtly from free-form footworkouts of 'Death After Life' with an expanded palette vibrating brightly with melodic deployment.
“Curaga” and “Exo-Memory” triumph over established 303 / 808 interplay with uplifting melodies - ear-worms from outer space; “Bronze” pumps dub-tectonics within a minimalist reduction of Death After Life's modus operandi. Lighter than most of McRyhew’s output, album interludes “Low-Life”, “VR-Urge” and the finale, “Xeno”, beam satellite ballads through alien atmospheres.
“Ryan is a rare breed of producer+thinker who is able to hallucinate worlds beyond his music that recursively influence his sound. His understanding of science fiction's speculative potential combined with a virtuosic ability to program hardware synthesizers make him a techno fantasist of the highest order.” - Dan Lopatin