Best known for the groundbreaking “beat couture” of her albums Avant Gold, Totem, and Alt Mode, New York City-based avant-pop singer, producer, and multi-instrumentalist RYAT is making a triumphant return with her new song “End of the Road.” The track and accompanying music video are part of her first solo project in over a decade.
“It was 3 a.m. at a jazz club when I hopped up on a grand piano and wrote this tune in one sitting,” RYAT tells Slant. “I was calling out to a higher power, trying to reclaim my desire to be a performer again. It was literally how I was feeling in the moment, every last word.” If the club’s owner hadn’t been recording her performance, “End of the Road” might have been lost forever.
“It’s been a long, long time since I’ve dabbled on the heartstrings of this dream,” RYAT sings on the track, accompanied by softly strummed acoustic guitar, ominous synths, and stuttering beats. “End of the Road” is the beginning of a larger audio/visual project that the artist—who’s also a single mom—describes as “an exhibition of my multimedia vomit processing in the wee hours when the kid was sleeping.”
Inspired in part by the works of Salvador Dalí, the surreal, self-directed video for “End of the Road” is an A.I.-infused fantasia featuring mounds of sequined fabric. “I started with creating 20-foot-long lingerie sleeves with my friend Amelian Kashiro and filming my dance improvs to them,” RYAT explains.
Watch “End of the Road” below:
Since 2001, we've brought you uncompromising, candid takes on the world of film, music, television, video games, theater, and more. Independently owned and operated publications like Slant have been hit hard in recent years, but we’re committed to keeping our content free and accessible—meaning no paywalls or fees.
If you like what we do, please consider subscribing to our Patreon or making a donation.
