“I don’t write music, music writes me.” – Ryan Sullivan, Johannesburg 2003.

Ryan Sullivan was born in Johannesburg, South Africa, in 1982 and from his earliest moments displayed an affinity for music, even creating a double tape deck contraption that allowed him to do some rudimentary mixing before he turned thirteen. By the time he reached his teens proper his musical tastes had outgrown the pop sensibilities of his peers and he went searching for a style of music that suited his quest for music with intelligence, complexity and soul. He soon found solace in the beats and rhythms of electronic dance music, especially left of centre genres like D ‘n B, Jungle, Techno and Acid House.

At the tender age of 15 Ryan had already decided that his future lay within the music industry and he began DJing at friend’s house parties and intimate club venues. However, Ryan found the style of music he was expected to play left him unfulfilled and his attention began to move away from what he terms ‘quick fix music for the masses’ and his quest to find a genre that matched his musical ideals began. He found the answer he was looking for in progressive dance music, “For me, progressive music has emotion and comes from the heart,” said Ryan. “The driving force is 100% pure passion and it’s not based on a quest for money or fame. It was a natural home for me.”

Realising progressive dance music demands more skill and subtlety than can be attained from just raw talent and burning desire Ryan began formally studying audio engineering. He quickly showed an aptitude above and beyond that of his peers and found himself managing Hedgehog Studios before the course was even finished. Ryan grabbed the opportunity this presented with both hands and he recorded and co-produced up ‘n coming bands and artists such as Pyramid Tongue, Even Flow, Head Up (now 16th Stitch) and Adrian Ziller. But, Ryan wasn’t satisfied using his skills in the rock genre and his desire to get himself involved in the local progressive dance music scene saw him resign and move to Glo-Tech Africa, South Africa’s leading exponents of progressive dance music. It was an inspired move as Ryan was able to utilize his DJ, production and remix skills across a broad range of projects.

On the DJing front, Ryan found himself finally in a position to play the type of music he wanted, without interference from venue music policies and dancefloor politics. Ryan's sets are best described as a merging of tribal rhythms, minimal grooves and emotional melodies aimed at bringing forth a hypnotic, trancelike feel to his energetic, moving and passionate sets. His unique ear for a tune made him a favourite amongst the progressive fans who flocked to Afri-Ground and the Tempos Chillout Sessions.
This exposure quickly created a demand for Ryan’s mixing services and he played at numerous club-based events and outdoor festivals around Johannesburg. “I love the fresh air, the atmosphere and the festive feeling of outdoor events,” Ryan confirms. “But I also enjoy the intimacy and personal interaction that you get between yourself and the crowd at indoor parties.”

Following on the success he enjoyed behind the decks and the studio console Ryan started looking for a way to help promote progressive music. He realized that up and coming progressive dance music producers had very few, if any, outlets for their material, especially at the event level where they could get instant feedback on their work. This lead to Ryan teaming up with Andre Supra, to create and host ‘Togetherness’, a progressive dance event which showcases South African artists and their original musical works. ‘Togetherness’ allows up and coming local talent to get some richly deserved exposure and creates a rallying point for the DJs and producers of the fragmented South African progressive scene. “We lack unity in this scene,” declared Ryan. “Hence the name ‘Togetherness’, which will hopefully help unify and develop the progressive scene. Ultimately, I hope to take Togetherness to different venues across the country to expose people to our music and hopefully instill a taste for it.”

Ryan was approached by Chris Palmer, the legendary local mastering engineer, in 2003 to join him at Layered Studios. Working with someone of Chris’s stature was a dream come true for Ryan and it helped polish his production skills to a point where he was able, through Layered Studio projects, to work with some of the top artists in South Africa.

Ryan recently left Layered Studios to focus on his solo music career reckoning that it was time to take the experience he had gained from working with some of the greatest names in South African music and apply the lessons learnt to his own aural journey. He still assists Glo-Tech Africa by contributing to the label as an artist and passing on his knowledge and experience to other artists in the Glo-Tech Africa stable. As with most dance music producers Ryan works under various names to allow him to delve into different genres and this has resulted in him releasing music as John Smiles, Ashes, Wholesome Goodness and, of course, Ryan Sullivan.


Pure Substance Records Releases :

PSR 006 - V-Sag & Andrew K - Fossil (Ryan Sullivan Remix)
PSD 008 - Ryan Sullivan - Monday Music

Official Website: www.ryansullivan.co.za