Ryan Murgatroyd first made a global impact in 2007 when his single Funk Country gained huge support from BBC Radio 1’s underground music tastemaker Pete Tong. Shortly after this first success, Music Makes Me Feel was released on Mark Knight’s label Toolroom Trax. Ryan has been trailblazing the underground music scene ever since, creating impressive ripple effects in more ways than one.
After making his entrance on the global music scene, Ryan sealed the deal with collaborations which gained incredible momentum, of which one of the most notable partnerships was with Konstantinos Karatamgalou, who together became known as the duo Crazy White Boy. In addition to this, he helped develop and was featured on the first edition of Africa Gets Physical, which is now an annual compilation series with a strong global following.
His career is always moving and transcending, Ryan knows how to keep his fans engaged and on the edge of their seats. Having grown up in a country that still to this day undergoes a lot of change, and in the heart of the hustle and bustle of Johannesburg no less, Ryan has a natural ability to keep things evolving and welcomes change. Beyond his solo music career Ryan has also indulged in other projects, including become an educator. He has also played an instrumental role in developing the Soul Candi Institute of Music, designed to help people develop their music talent into a lucrative business. He regularly creates inspirational content for music curriculums in colleges around South Africa. Ryan has a strong desire for spreading his passion for music through his own musical creations and through inspiring and motivating the younger generations to find their voice through the noise of their home country like he once did.
What made him stand out was his daring and risk-taking music making tendencies. Right from the get-go Ryan established himself as his own voice by defying the protocols written by his peers in the music industry. He borrows the shapes, colours and sounds from the vibrant atmosphere of the city he grew up in. He then seamlessly blends these traditional elements of African culture with cutting-edge production to create a striking balance between rhythm and beat that you can’t resist moving your feet to. His music is infectiously upbeat, propulsive and smooth. His African-inspire house tracks are ground-breaking and have essentially made way for a new side of house music to prevail.
Now relocated to Cape Town, Ryan travels the world gaining exposure with his full live performances through the likes of Watergate, Boiler Room, Hi Ibiza. And boasts a bright future building a library of work with reputable names including Lane 8, John Monkman, Jonas Rathsman and others. He is one to watch and he continues to elude and rewrite the conventions of the underground music industry.