Howling

Howling is a musical duo comprising singer/producer RY X (Ry Cuming) and producer/electronic artist Frank Wiedemann. Their collaboration brings together disparate backgrounds: RY X with a folk-pop sensibility emphasizing nature and simplicity, and Wiedemann, half of Âme, known for layered electronic productions with a 4/4 structure. Ry Cuming was raised on a small Australian island, Angourie, engaging in a bohemian upbringing that involved sustainable farming and surfing. He later moved to Los Angeles to pursue a solo music career. Frank Wiedemann, from Karlsruhe, Germany, was introduced to House music by a record store owner, Kristian Beyer, leading to the formation of Âme and widespread recognition for tracks like their 2006 hit ‘Rej’. These contrasting origins converge in Howling, creating a sound that defies simple categorization.

The duo’s first collaboration, the track ‘Howling’, began as a casual guitar/vocal sketch from Ry to Frank. Frank carefully added a drumbeat and tested it in live sets, where it garnered enthusiastic reception. Following Dixon’s use of the track in his 2012 Boiler Room set, viral demand led to its official release through Innervisions, Frank and Dixon’s label, establishing it as an underground anthem. This initial success laid the groundwork for their evolving partnership. Their debut album, ‘Sacred Ground’, released in May 2015 on Monkeytown & Counter Records, stemmed from improvised sessions during early live performances at a Berlin radio station and Watergate. These recordings formed the basis of a larger body of work, marking a significant milestone in their collaborative journey.

Howling released their second album, ‘Colure’, five years after their debut, a project cultivated through late-night recording sessions in Ibiza and Los Angeles, with parts exchanged between their respective studios. This album aimed to refine their core sound. Frank Wiedemann emphasized their goal for ‘Colure’ was for listeners to recognize it distinctly as a ‘Howling track’. Notable songs on the album include the bass-driven ‘Bind’, the piano-infused ‘The Water’, and the euphoric ‘Phases’. The album title ‘Colure’, an astronomical term for the alignment of celestial poles, symbolizes their partnership, highlighting how two distinct individuals, like different planets, align to create music. Both artists frequently describe their creative process and live performances as “magic,” pointing to the serendipitous and symbiotic nature of their work.