Electronic Producer Race Banyon returns with Deep House R&B-Tinged Single ‘we need it’
New Zealand electronic producer Race Banyon releases ‘we need it’, the first single to be lifted from his upcoming new EP, set for release on 7th July.
The new cut is the follow up to ‘Move With Us’ and EP 1, which saw support from the likes of Clash Magazine and DMC World, with Clash comparing its “experimental take on melody and structure” to the work of Jon Hopkins and James Holden.
Initially born as a deep acid-influenced house cut so he could play during his DJ sets, ‘we need it’ ended up being a more pop affair, somewhere “in that venn diagram where I’ve always wanted Race Banyon to be”, he explains. Talking about the writing process behind the EP, the intriguing producer reveals; “most of the tracks were inspired by personal frustration and creative block. A desire to create songs that were a little darker and hit a bit harder”, he adds, “and as always, by a desire to get out and dance”
Under his Race Banyon alias, Johnston has already garnered the attention of every music platform that counts; his collaboration with Ty Dolla $ign and DJ Dahi for Red Bull Sound Select has seen support from the likes of Complex, Dummy, The Fader, Hypebeast and Stereogum, with Red Bull calling him “New Zealand’s next big thing”. While his “tastefully minimalist production,” as defined by Dummy has led to him to sharing stages with the likes of Jamie XX, Rustie and Kaytranada, to name a few.
Cultivating a cult following online for the atmospheric pop songs he creates as Lontalius, which opened the doors to a collaboration with Ryan Hemsworth and prompt AnOther Magazine to list him their ‘New Zealand’s New Musical Revolution’ feature – Johnston was only 14 when started making music as Race Banyon – a project which he describes as “production focused and dance-oriented”.
Now aged 23, the multi-dimensional artist’s ambitions took him to perfect what he started with EP1, creating a body of work in which house and techno production perfectly blend with a pop sensibility.
