Karina Rykman
Joyride Tour

Karina Rykman

Born and raised in New York City, Karina Rykman’s musical path began in her early teens playing in bands whenever she could while attending a veritable ton of live music as a fan. Her remarkable prowess on the bass guitar soon landed her a number of high-profile television gigs spanning America’s Got Talent to backing up pop star Julia Michaels on TODAY. By the end of her senior year at NYU, Rykman’s virtuoso talent and infectious spirit saw her invited to join pianist Marco Benevento’s band (as recommended by Ween bassist Dave Dreiwitz), with whom she performed countless shows including dates with Vulfpeck, Dispatch, The Claypool Lennon Delirium, Guster, and many more.

Rykman soon formed her own namesake band, accompanied by Adam November (guitar, loopers, effects) and Chris Corsico (drums). She quickly earned a reputation as a mesmerizing, unmissable live act, lighting up an array of international stages with headline sets, show-stealing festival performances (including Bonnaroo, Peach Music Festival, and Sweetwater 420 Fest), shows alongside Khruangbin, Guster, and The Disco Biscuits (among others), and recent appearances sitting in with the 8G Band on NBC’s Late Night with Seth Meyers.

That same spellbinding power was soon captured on a series of independent singles, including “Elevator” and the million-streaming “Plants,” both of which have now been newly enhanced for Rykman’s debut album, JOYRIDE. Written and recorded with childhood friend, producer Gabe Monro, the album serves as a vivid canvas for Rykman’s vibrant expression and chameleonic songcraft. JOYRIDE features Trey Anastasio as co-producer and featured musician, contributing guitar on five of the album’s nine tracks.

The collaboration is the outcome of a happenstance encounter when both artists performed at 2021’s Peach Music Festival in Scranton, PA. Anastasio took a profound interest in being a part of Rykman’s debut album, offering the use of Anastasio’s storied Vermont studio The Barn along with the suggestion to work with renowned mixer Bryce Goggin (Pavement, Swans, Ramones).

“Trey and I hadn’t seen each other since pre-pandemic,” says Rykman. “But at this music festival, he ran up to me and referred to each of my singles by name. I had no idea he knew what I was up to, musically speaking. I went to middle school with his daughters, and we’ve been ‘family friends’ for a long time, but it wasn’t until that moment in July 2021 that he really became a musical peer. The amount of selflessness and care he has shown in his mentorship toward me is awe-inspiring. I could never thank him enough for all he’s given me.”

“When I first heard the early demos, the first thing I said was more Karina,” says Anastasio. “Turn up the bass, sing more, and step out. What makes me most happy about the finished album now is that to my ears, it sounds like Karina unapologetically. It has her nature. It has her incredible joyous outlook that I know is real because I saw it in her when she was a kid.”

“You only get to make your first album once,” she says, “and I couldn’t be prouder of what we created with this one. It’s a moment in time – the first of what I hope to be a lifetime of making records and touring behind them. I don’t care about bells and whistles; I’m just addicted to playing.”

Cloudchord

Cloudchord (Derek VanScoten) is a producer, guitarist, and genre bending specialist that is augmenting musical possibility into reality with his remarkable technical skills. His refreshing takes on atmospheric dance music have solidified his place in the world of psychedelic chill hop beats.

VanScoten was inspired by pivotal live experiences leading him into jazz and classical guitar studies, while digging through the fertile left-of-center instrumental hip-hop. Born out of this
aesthetic convergence, Cloudchord has established himself in the burgeoning lo-fi chillhop scene with his own blissfully hypnotic sonic alchemy. He’s since racked up 100 million total streams and won an Emmy for scoring on the documentary In Football We Trust, all while building his reputation with engaging live performances and an overflowing catalog of tunes.

With Bloom Bap, Derek has put forth his greatest and most impossibly lush collection of tunes to date. We see him crystallizing his characteristic style with rolling grooves and dense thickets of melody, cementing Cloudchord as an exciting voice in the soundful electronic landscape. Featuring collaborations with Emancipator, Big Gigantic, Braxton Cook, ProbCause, Adam Deitch of Lettuce, and more, Bloom Bap projects tranquility but never quite sits still, always excitedly shifting its own structure as these 15 songs wind down fascinating paths—and you, the listener, are always along for the ride. “This is an encapsulation of me finding my identity in that world and taking all of the elements of the genre I love while branching out to an even larger audience.”