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; after previewing this on Bluetooth, via phone & automobile, we’ve already sketched out several tracks for the play-list of an upcoming podcast.

Nice job, J.D.!

Officially releases tomorrow, July 30th.
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The debut album from Vermont synthesist/bassist JD Ryan (Thorny), Mostly Gray is a decidedly gray ambient album inspired by the gradients we encounter in life, as well as some ruminations on the pandemic, aging, and the wonderment of cloudy mountaintops. Composed and performed on synthesizers and processed bass guitar by JD Ryan at Shabby Road Studio, Plainfield, VT.

Track list:

  1. Waiting for What Never Comes
  2. Nebraska
  3. Surface Fractures
  4. The End of Before
  5. Top of the Fog
  6. Malformations

Label: Witherwillow Sounds
Available at: https://witherwillow.bandcamp.com/album/thorny-mostly-gray
Contact: jryan@witherwillow.com
Release date: out now, available on streaming services 7/30/22
Genre: Ambient

Gear used:
Cliff Bordwell 6-string bass
Stambaugh 5-string fretless bass
various pedals
Waldorf Iridium
Moog Subsequent 37
Waldorf Iridium
Roland TR-8S
ASM Hydrasynth
& a few random softsynths



Video for track “Top of the Fog”
https://youtu.be/Aghc1tPL_o8