RF Interno

[Odd-Shaped Case; 2002]

Styles: post-rock, ambient drone & subtle electronics
Others: The Wind-Up Bird, Howard Hello, Tortoise, Stereolab


Q: Who or what is RF? A: R & F are the initials of a Mr. Ryan Francesconi. Q: Who is Ryan Francesconi? A: Ryan Francesconi is an uber-talented multimedia artist from Berkely, CA, who has received just as much press in technology publications as he has musical ones. While most other musicians of his kind take on a slew of outrageously pretentious monikers, Ryan keeps it minimal by using his initials to name a beautifully crafted electro-organic musical experience. The sound is fully representative of various elements of experimental, avant garde, electronic, and post-rock natures.

Ryan is equally as ambitious in pursing other avenues of creativity such as software engineering and ownership of a highly original and unique record label. In fact, he wrote the software Spongefork 2.0, which he uses to perform with in live circumstances. He remains generous as well, willing to give something back to the art community. His highly unique software is available for free to download on his website for ambitious musicians worldwide.

RF is in an entirely new category of indie rock that in my opinion still contains an aura of innocence around it, a breath of fresh air if you will. His desires are clear and simple: to make beautiful music that is unable to be pigeonholed or classified into any given category. To my knowledge he is not associated with any particular music scene or style; in essence, you are left with a purity of music that flows with the same subtle grace as a butterfly flaps its wings.

Interno is a virtual fieldtrip into foreign lands; it shifts between gentle lulls and stimulating glitch based electronic edges. All 14 tracks are quite diverse and mostly incorporate highly unique instrumentation as well (i.e. musical saw, clarinet, dobro, pvc, suling) in addition to standard instruments. The songs presented on the record are gorgeous soundscapes with highly original melodic/harmonic ideas. Standout tracks like “Americana,” “Idlelow,” and the brilliant “Sunspot” take the listener into a new realm of viewing the outside world around them.  Like any well conceived piece of artwork, RF contains a myriad of emotions that remind us once again what it is to be human being. Interno, is a truly moving experience that I feel accurately captures a brilliant simplicity of music that is planted with delicacy, grown to new lengths, harvested into existence, and cherished with beauty unsurpassed.

1. Idlelow
2. Sunday Park
3. Sunspot
4. Down
5. Difference
6. Internal Notes 1
7. Fluff
8. Americana
9. Internal Notes 4
10. Drizzle
11. Becoming
12. Internal Notes 3
13. Lavender
14. Internal Notes 1