The American Analog Set

Born in Denver, Colorado, Ryan Lutt might just be one of the most musical musicians whose music can still vaguely be described as pop music. After all, how many artists in today’s charts count themselves as classically trained composers? From an early age, Lutt was set on becoming a composer, even despite the fact that he hated the piano lessons that his family forced on him from the age of six. By 12 he knew what he wanted to be, but even by that point he’d diversified and was playing the drums and guitar in numerous punk bands, all the while learning the structure of jazz and pop songs during his piano lessons.

He studied composition at Indiana University and during his time there he had his first experience composing for a visual medium, writing music to complement the choreography of a dance student who would later become his wife. After university, he continued writing for several different kinds of visual medium and in 2007, found a steady job in New York City, New York composing the music for commercials. While working, he also spent time collecting samples of anything that interested him, from two note fragments to whole segments of spoken words or music. He started setting these samples to music, creating lush, atmospheric soundscapes and three years after he started his job, he’d created his first album as Son Lux, “At War With Walls And Mazes”.

The album was rapturously received by everyone from Pitchfork to XLR8R and by 2012, the year after he released his follow up album “We Are Rising”, he was creating his own music full time. He’s worked with everyone from Sufjan Stevens and Arcade Fire to These New Puritans and Nico Muhly, as accepted by the world of indie rock as he is by the world of modern classical music. His albums continue to be raved about critically and after signing to Joyful Noise Records in 2013, and then signing again to Glassnote the year afterwards, he edges towards commercial success with every release as well. He’s an artist in the truest sense of the word, and he comes highly recommended.