Ryan Hemsworth is like a lot of other up and coming producers unexpectedly birthed by the internet (think Baauer). He has an active SoundCloud page and numerous mentions on all the biggest music blogs as well as a few well received EPs and singles. But while other artists attempt to keep a low profile in an effort to be more intriguing, Hemsworth throws all subtlety out the window with his weird and hilarious social media presence.
Hemsworth’s attitude towards his modest success gives him the persona of being the kind-of famous guy you can actually be friends with. If you tweet at him with something clever or interesting to say, chances are he’ll reply or favorite you (“When I fav your tweet it is a little hug”). This translates to real life fan interactions as well, with constant retweets of selfies with fans (“I took like 7000 selfies with people in the club tonight oh Jesus”) or close ups of his sweatpants during shows (“this club with a strict dress code and I pull up looking like a phys ed teacher, bouncers like do I really have to let him in?”).
However, despite all these distractions, his online presence is still all about the music. Hemsworth posts about all the most recent things he’s found, from Blood Orange’s Chamakay to something as obscure as the slowed down piano piece that Drake mimicked for “Started from the Bottom” ( http://youtu.be/0WjVIYA2pas). His willingness to share his voracious appetite for anything that sounds good, whether it’s JPop, Rap or Rock, rewards fans with a look into his sample based creative process. The number of influences and obscurity of some of his posts are daunting and impressive.
Hemsworth’s playfulness and scope of influences factors into his releases as well. His obsession with Drake (“CAN'T WAIT TO PLAY DRAKE SONGS TONIGHT SO LOUD OMGGGG SQUEELING”) and hip hop in general find a strange balance with his more down-tempo style of production. The fantastic “Colour and Movement”, from his Last Words EP, pairs muted trap drums with an obscure sample of German band Notwist. He also frequently uses 8-bit video game sounds (not a week goes by on his Facebook without a selfie with his stuffed Pikachu) in his mixes and most prominently in his Still Awake EP. The song “Perfectly” from that release sounds like it could soundtrack a level of Donkey Kong, while in live sets it’s often paired up with the likes of Waka Flocka to create an unsettling combo. Hemsworth’s music is at the intersection of numerous genres and, like his online persona, he’s not afraid to show off all his influences, sometimes all at once.
Hemsworth has a brilliant new album called "Guilt Trips" that was recently released. While he’s not as big as some of his admirers (Diplo calls him “one of the baddest selectors and DJs in the game right now”), he hasn’t let the well-deserved praise affect his fan interaction. As a result, he’s also one of the coolest and most relatable guys in the game right now.
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