Irish producer Chris W Ryan (Just Mustard, NewDad and his own Robocobra Quartet) began releasing music under the moniker SORBET in 2020 with the express intention to cleanse the palate; both for the listener and himself. Spending much of his time in the studio with other artists, Chris took inspiration from producer-led albums like Brian Eno's Another Green World: "I love the way you can hear the playful interaction be-tween friends on an album like that -- there are none of the constraints or rules that you might have when you're trying to represent the sound of a live band or artist". Exploring freely across genre bounds, the world of SORBET is informed by electronic music just as much as classical and alt-pop, with nods to artists like Laurie Anderson, Arthur Russell, Kate Bush and David Byrne. Inspired by this freedom of creativity, the debut SORBET album This Was Paradise features a host of collaborators orbiting around Chris' nucleus, in which he flexes his ability as a composer and technician in equal measure: "It's all the same to me: producing beats, writing lyrics, drawing up sheet music for classical musicians, EQ'ing snare drums - I'm just using everything I can to create something exciting to listen to". These collaborations include vocal features from Maija Sofia, Mark McCambridge (Arborist) and M?che?l Keating (Bleeding Heart Pigeons) as well as powerful instrumental performances from musicians working in the jazz and classical world poached by Chris. "There are so many great musicians on this record, some of which I've been friends with years and others that I've been admiring for a while and itching to work with like jazz saxophonist Lara Jones and upright bass player Jack Kelly". These two musicians feature on lead single I Heard His Scythe, a song which slices through the despair with an Optimistic Nihilism that is central to the record. Featuring a musical backing that nods to Kate Bush's Watching You Without Me alongside Maija Sofia's airy refrain rebutting the grim reaper - "I heard his scythe whoosh past my ear / it gets a little louder every year". All of this sonic looseness is bound tightly by the concept behind This Was Paradise: A rumination on humanity's precarious position in a living Purgatory. "We're stuck between Paradise and Hell, always swinging between the two as a result of how we behave towards each other and our planet. For ex-ample, climate change is sliding us towards an almost literal Hell" This duality is represented in the binary use of electronic and acoustic instruments, especially in the case of album closer Hell - a recording split right down the middle between a string quartet and four synthesisers. "Aesthetically I wanted to hang in the balance of electronic and acoustic composition: between the natural world and humanity's imprint on it". Therein lies the central theme of This Was Paradise - an album littered with references to Milton's epic poem Paradise Lost which opens with Adam being expelled
Release date:
July 9, 2021
Label:
Install our app to receive notifications when new upcoming releases are added.

Recommended equipment and accessories
-
Denon DP-400
Featuring a high-precision, belt-driven mechanism and an adjustable tonearm that ensures optimal tracking and minimal resonance
-
Nagaoka MP-110H Cartridge
Features a high-quality elliptical stylus that provides excellent tracking and minimizes distortion, delivering a detailed sound reproduction with an output voltage of 5.0 mV
-
Vinyl Care - Top Picks
A selection of accesories to keep your turntable equipment & vinyl records in the best shape
-
Ortofon 2M Blue Premounted
Mounted on the SH-4 Black Headshell, this setup delivers exceptional clarity, dynamic range, and accurate sound reproduction.
-
Phono Preamps - Top Picks
A selection of the best phono preamps for your turntable setup
Featured Upcoming Vinyl
-
Paradise Lost Lost Paradise 35th Anniversary
Peaceville
July 18, 2025 -
Lord Huron The Cosmic Selector Vol. 1 (Red Swirl) [2xLP]
Mercury Records/Republic
July 18, 2025 -
Good Charlotte Motel Du Cap
Atlantic
August 8, 2025 -
Newton Faulkner OCTOPUS (White)
Cooking Vinyl
September 19, 2025 -
Marissa Nadler New Radiations (White)
Sacred Bones
August 15, 2025 -
Jethro Tull Still Living In The Past [2xLP]
Rhino / Parlophone
July 11, 2025 -
Bioscope GENTŌ [2xLP]
Earmusic
August 22, 2025 -
Ed Sheeran Play (Amazon Exclusive; Purple)
Atlantic
September 12, 2025 -
Orianthi Some Kind of Feeling
WOODWARD AVENUE RECORDS
September 19, 2025 -
Death Rattle The Moral Chokehold
M-Theory Audio
July 11, 2025 -
Firstborne Lucky
M-Theory Audio
August 8, 2025 -
Modern Nature The Heat Warps
Bella Union
August 29, 2025 -
Arjen Anthony Lucassen Songs No One Will Hear [2xLP]
Inside Out Music
September 12, 2025 -
Helloween Giants & Monsters [2xLP]
Reigning Phoenix Music America, LLC
August 29, 2025