- Techno with childlike energy made for a grown-up dance floor.
- There's a playful side to Anetha's label Mama Told Ya, from the name to the visuals—instead of slick artist press shots for each new release, you get a photograph of the latest signee as a child. Ryan James Ford seems to gel with this vibe on his five-track EP, Rules Are Meant To Be Broken. After contributing a '90s-tinged techno cut to the L'eau repousse les faux agressifs compilation last year, the Canadian-born producer channels a sometimes childlike quality on this latest EP, but still gears it towards a ready-to-rave audience.
"Laugh Now Cry Later" is a perfect example of the slightly naive aesthetic here, with a slow-burning, synth-led melody that conveys a Disney feel. ("Pink Elephants On Parade" from Dumbo comes to mind.) "Ketamax-50 (LGL76)" amps up the whimsical mood with an enchanting, trance-flecked melody woven between stomping drums. "Intro To Life Drawing (2004 Mix)" is even more vibrant, with uplifting piano notes and delicate percussion that sparkles over a chunky low-end. The atmosphere in "Off White" is a little goofier, with stabby synth lines and jackin' drums—it wouldn't go amiss in PC Music's back catalogue.
"Crepe Suzette" is the most dance-floor-at-3-AM-driven of the lot. Here Ford teams up with Anetha for a jaw-grinding techno workout with propulsive drums and distorted vocal clips—it's fiery and foreboding, breaking out from the lighter template of the rst of the EP. Still, this track, like the rest on Rules Are Meant To Be Broken, is a masterclass in balancing blistering textures with bewitching sounds, a style that has Ryan James Ford's name all over it.
Tracklist01. Ryan James Ford - Laugh Now Cry Later
02. Ryan James Ford - Ketamax-50 (LGL76)
03. Ryan James Ford & Anetha - Crêpes
04. Ryan James Ford - Intro To Life Drawing
05. Ryan James Ford - Off White