San Vito Ryder - 'I Am the King'
Having carved out their sound in the eerie confines of a disused church-turned-speakeasy in Harrow, San Vito Ryder’s origins are nothing short of a gothic fairy tale. Need to hear three minutes of unabashed, unhinged The Fall-esque joy, wallowing in its own filth? ‘I am the King’ is out on the 29th September.
There’s absolutely no filler here. Just grinding, echoey Martin Hannett inspired production with not a single drum beat or shrieking chord out of place, and a militancy that betrays the band’s seemingly unbothered sensibilities. While the instrumentation conjures up industrial landscapes, sticky floors and neon lights, the lyrics stand in high contrast. Viscous, lascivious and primal vocals drive home the opulent, grand message that: “I am the King, and I’ve got the diamonds wrapped around my neck.” Anyone who’s ever felt like they’ve finally “made it” against the odds can absolutely identify with the bloated message of swaggering self-regard.
Doom-laden and foreboding yet somehow inviting, ‘I am the King’ is a catchy track that takes you on a journey through its influences. From the captivating poetic gloom of The Stooges and Leonard Cohen to the debauched, sombre tones of Nick Cave and Fat White Family. Guitarist and lyricist San Vito even bears resemblance to Cave, and has inherited elements of the Aussie king of melancholy’s louche aesthetic. A self-styled “intoxicated, mafia, Catholic kind-of gigolo,” his music has shadows of religious imagery that jarringly clash with the music’s patent rebellion. As an audience member, you’re more than an onlooker — you’re a convert. You’ve accepted that there’s no place for tradition or superstition in the selection of power. And, if life is nothing more than a hedonistic fight for dominance, we must declare ourselves monarchs of our own existence and strut with the assured certainty of San Vito. If you’re weary of the mundane, and like scratching the surface to reveal reality’s chaotic truths, “I am the King” is for you.
There are twists and turns throughout, as playfully dark vocals flirt with distorted guitars, rolling drums, and squealing feedback. Intensity builds as quickly as it dissipates, forcing us through a litany of manic emotions and fleeting thoughts. Finishing up with a rowdy post-punk chorus of “shoobie do wa wa,” it’s a low down and dirty celebration of organized chaos. San Vito Ryder play London’s Helgi’s on October 14th and Sheffield’s Sidney and Matilda on October 22nd. The Taste My Charm EP is out in March of ‘24.
Words by Imogen Sharma
