Right around this time of the year, Scotland is gradually turning nippier as the mercury drops down. Somewhere in Glasgow, Ryan Alexander doesn’t let the colder climate shake his passion for warm and summery music that thaws the soul as he works on new tunes. The young and up-and-coming talent has made a strong debut on the scene as an indie artist; a promising face amidst many others, he has shown a recognizable dexterity in composing music fleshed out with radio-ready hooks. One of his latest releases, ‘Me & You’ has him diversify and take on other genres, right in the vicinity of soulful dance music.
Stepping into the scene in 2024, Ryan has diligently taken up the task of consistently building up his musical catalog, having already been supported by BBC Introducing and local radio stations. His composing skills burgeoned from the experience of playing the decks as a DJ, soon learning the ropes of the trade by performing in various clubs around Glasgow. Thereafter, he was tempted to craft his material for the dancefloor: the debut single ‘Can You Feel It’ taps into the halcyon days of house music inspired by the 90s rave era, as uplifting riffs of filtered dance pianos strut over a percussive beat and pulsating bassline. Fast-forwarding to newer endeavors such as ‘Stay The Night’, the Scottish alias gets in a funky mood with zesty guitar licks and nu-disco temperament, as the main chorus has an analogous setup reminiscent of hits like ‘Uptown Funk’ from Bruno Mars and Mark Ronson.
‘Me & You’ came right after the inaugural tune we just talked about, and it takes a more relaxed (but ear-candy nevertheless) attitude: the listener is welcomed by tropical and Afro-pop style arrangements (one can almost sketch the vivid scenery of a sun-kissed beach), buoyant synths backing the enthusiastic RnB vocals wanting to spark a romance. It remains entertaining even without a whole lot ongoing, letting the vibrant singing and off-beat, lighthearted melodies do their magic. A finishing detail puts more icing on this tune with ethnic tribal percussions, casting a groovy finale for the song.
Listen to ‘Me & You’ on Spotify here and YouTube here, and stay tuned with Ryan Alexander and his music on Instagram.
