Reiyo the Giant, the ten-foot genie from the Bronx, spellbinds their listeners with a tone like honey, and melodies full of the blues. The unapologetically Black and Queer storyteller, Reiyo, uses their soulful voice and unbridled passion to sing tales of love and desperation. Drawing inspiration from Nina Simone, Sade, Erykah Badu, and Billie Holiday, Reiyo’s sound is deeply rooted in the spirit of Black womanhood. Self-produced, Reiyo fluidly weaves a patchwork of sonic and artistic influences into an inventive palette that masterfully toes the line between electronic and organic. Reiyo's EP "ROMEO" is a testament to their uncompromising vision, telling a relationship story through evocative, smoky musical vignettes that give us just a taste of what this massive talent has in store.
Sarah Belle Reid is a performer-composer who plays trumpet, modular synthesizer, and an ever-growing collection of handcrafted electronic instruments. Her unique musical voice explores the intersections between contemporary classical music, experimental and interactive electronics, visual arts, noise music, and improvisation. Often praised for her ability to transport audience members through vivid sonic adventures, Reid's sonic palette has been described as ranging from "graceful" and "danceable" all the way to "silk-falling-through-space," and a "pit-full-of-centipedes" (San Francisco Classical Voice). Sarah is also a rising thought leader in modular synthesis, and cultivates a growing online community of engaged supporters and colleagues eager to hear what she will do next.
Swedish singer/songwriter Skott performs sophisticated progressive pop focused on ethereal atmospherics and expressive lyrics. Born Pauline Skott, the artist grew up in a small community in Vikarbyn, Sweden, known for its traditional customs and own language. Since most of the village comprised folk musicians, Skott learned to play violin at a very young age. As an avid gamer, she also delved into video game music, composing imaginary soundtracks to favorites like Final Fantasy and Zelda. Skott made her debut in 2016 with the single "Porcelain" b/w "Wolf." She quickly followed with "Amelia" and "Lack of Emotion" before year's end. In 2017, she issued "Glitter & Gloss," "Mermaid," and "Remain," touring with artists like MØ and Phantogram.
Skott's EP "A Letter from the Universe" is a collaborative co-release between Safari Riot (US) and Cosmos Records (Sweden).
Akira Evans was born and raised in Studio City, Los Angeles. Typically, a prodigious talent like Akira would show an interest in music at a young age, but his passion for music didn’t start until he was in middle school. When we asked him why, he remarked, “Music sucked until 2008.” Akira's inventive electronic music formula fuses elements of West Coast boom bap with French House and sound choices more often heard late night in the deepest Berlin warehouses. Akira has served as A&R for Mad Decent Records, DJ'd at the world’s biggest festivals, and has opened for some of the most relevant DJs of our generation. FANG is his first refined artist project, and the world is ready to rage.
Hailing from Stockholm, Sweden, Kevin Breton (Äril) is a composer, producer, remixer, and multi-instrumentalist. Äril explores intriguing sounds and uses them in a musical context. Instead of relying on notes or rhythm he focuses on using texture to create a feeling. Before cultivating his sound, Äril produced dance records and composed for indie game scores. Somewhere along the way an inspiration arose for his own signature sound palette. In the mist between found sound design, musique concrete, and film score - Äril carves out a unique space he can call his own.
Sanctuary is a composer and visual art collective based in Los Angeles. Crystalline, emotional orchestrals and choral elements blend with intriguing foley and the occasional guest vocalist. Sometimes intimate, sometimes epic, Sanctuary caresses dark themes with intense, haunting, widescreen music. The debut self-titled album is led by two-time Emmy winning composer Jose Parody. The inspiration for the project stemmed from an audiovisual collaboration between the Safari Riot team and creative director Elena Flores (Kanye West, Travis Scott). The resulting short film premiers this spring.
Sanctuary Vol. 2 and 3 highlight producer-composer Leviticus Penner, whose upbringing amidst the northern rain forest of British Columbia inspires his experimentation of thoughtful, organic, ambient sounds in his music. Together, the two EP’s craft a musical narrative that traverses both sweeping, cinematic spaces and intimate, contemplative ambiences.
Kit is a virtual avatar artist created by an anonymous developer. She traverses internet culture and digital social spaces, shifting form and resolution, but always carrying with her a strong, recognizable voice and identity wherever she materializes. Her alternative pop music is vulnerable yet impenetrable, unhinged yet confident. While Kit disarms her listeners with relatable, nostalgic themes like teenage heartbreak and fear of fitting in, we’re aware of the implicit irony, and we can’t help but love her for it.