#ynys

Helô pawb, 'chi'n iawn? Hanging in there? I've got some great music to help tide you over if not. Back with another Welsh music Wednesday, and this week it's all about the harmonies: I'm featuring Ynys!

Dylan Hughes is a keyboardist, guitarist, musician and songwriter from Aberystwyth, and has previously been in bands like the psychedelic indie rockers Race Horses, going as far back as 2009. (They were kinda folky too, they had a harpist!) After the band split, Dylan was living in Cardiff for a spell and wasn't really outwardly involved with music for the decade, but there were ideas accumulating in his mind, little melodies and such. He never thought he would release them, until friends (and former Race Horses) started encouraging him to put it down on record.

That's where Dylan's (good) problem began: he never wrote these songs with the intention of a band playing them, and so to record them, he needed a band. Friends stepped in, and a few former band members pitched in, and so Ynys was born. Dylan began realising in hindsight that a lot of his lyrics seemed to be about adjusting to the city in Cardiff, longing for Aberystwyth his hometown and the seaside.

Ynys' debut album Ynys (2021) is a psychedelic, delightful indie rock record, in turns brooding and delightfully poppy, with lush strings, melodies and harmonies, drawing from some of Dylan's own favourite albums and artists (the song Caneuon specifically refers to listening to the song Gegin Nos, from Gorky's Zygotic Mynci 1994 album Tatay). Here's album opener Môr Du (Black Sea), performed on Lŵp.

The follow up album, recorded during lockdown when Dylan was home in Aberystwyth, is one of the catchiest indie pop albums of last year. Dosbarth Nos (Night Class) is a must-listen album.

Ces i gyfle i gyfweld Dylan cyn yr albwn yn rhyddau'r llynedd. Guy hyfryd I've gotta say! A cherddor ardderchog. Anyway, if you like their music, check out their Bandcamp and support them independently. Dylan's particular about making sure their lyric booklets and Bandcamp have their lyrics and an artistically satisfactory English translation, as transliteration hardly ever really conveys exactly what the original lyrics do. So a good recommendation for my fellow dyswyr too.

NEWS: YNYS New Album 'Dosbarth Nos' Out Now Via Libertino

ALBWM NEWYDD YNYS: 'DOSBARTH NOS' Cyn rhyddhau eu hail albwm ‘Dosbarth Nos’ ddydd Gwener 12fed o Orffennaf, mae Ynys yn rhannu eu sengl newydd sbon, ‘Shindig’ – allan heddiw 10fed o Orffennaf. Dros y ddeufis diwethaf, mae’r grŵp wedi rhannu dwy sengl Gymraeg, ‘Aros Amdanat Ti’ a ‘Gyda Ni’ gan ennill cefnogaeth gan Craig Charles a Huw Stephens ar BBC Radio 6 Music, NME a Bandcamp.   Mae 'Dosbarth Nos', yn dilyn albwm cyntaf y band a gafodd ei enwebu ar gyfer Y Wobr Gerddoriaeth Gymreig 2023. Wedi’i recordio’n fyw dros gyfnod o bedwar diwrnod yn Stiwdio Mwnci yng Ngorllewin Cymru, mae’r albwm yn amlygu esblygiad cerddorol Ynys – gan gofleidio palet sain llawer mwy egnïol ac anturus gyda threfniannau deinamig, diddorol.   Mae sengl newydd Ynys - 'Shindig' - yr olaf cyn i'r albwm ddilyn ddydd Gwener, allan nawr ar Libertino.

YNYS SET TO RELEASE SECOND ALBUM: 'DOSBARTH NOS' Ahead of the release of new album 'Dosbarth Nos' this Friday 12th July, Ynys share new single, ‘Shindig’, out now via Libertino Records. Over the last two months, the group have shared two Welsh language singles, ‘Aros Amdanat Ti' (Waiting For You) and ‘Gyda Ni' (With Us), earning early support from the likes of BBC Radio 6 Music’s Craig Charles and Huw Stephens, NME and Bandcamp.   'Dosbarth Nos', follows the release of their 2023 Welsh Music Prize shortlisted debut album. Recorded live over a period of four days at the picturesque Mwnci Studios in West Wales, the album showcases Ynys' musical evolution - embracing a more energetic and adventurous sound palette with its extraordinary dynamic arrangements, and capturing the essence of the band's live performances.  'Dosbarth Nos' embodies the culmination of Ynys' creative journey, marking a significant milestone in the project's evolution. Hughes' meticulous approach to songwriting, coupled with the band's collaborative energy, has resulted in an album brimming with intention and newfound confidence. New single, 'Shindig', is out now on all streaming platforms.

Ynys announce new album and share new single

Welsh group Ynys have announced their second album and released new single ‘Aros Amdanat Ti’. The new album, Dosbarth Nos, meaning ‘Night Class’, sees the Aberystwyth based band embracing a more energetic and adventurous sound palette and captures the essence of the band’s live performances.

New single ‘Aros Amdanat Ti’, meaning ‘Waiting For You’, is a song about friendship and feeling lost. The track showcases Ynys’ fondness for infectious melodies and dynamic arrangements.

Piano and keys are at the heart of this track, with an uplifting and almost Northern Soul sounding piano chord progression. There is a very vintage feel to the track, which has drawn comparisons to early Paul McCartney records. It’s bright and energetic, and you can’t help but dance, with a fuzz heavy guitar solo adding to this vintage feel.

The whole song is sung in Welsh, with tracks from their upcoming album a mixture of Welsh and English. The piano is an important part of the album, with most songs beginning as short piano experiments. Ynys is the brainchild of Race Horse / Radio Luxembourg’s Dylan Hughes who said: “It’s taken some time to develop the confidence to put something as upbeat and pop out there. I suppose lyrically the song reflects that.”

Dosbarth Nos embodies the culmination of Ynys’ creative journey, marking a significant milestone in the project’s evolution.

New single ‘Aros Amdanat Ti’ is out now.

https://song.link/gb/i/1741764385

New album Dosbarth Nos will be released on 12th July via Libertino Records.

I particularly loved how Meera cut her hair off in her grief, very symbolic. It's really sad that she has appeared to have given up on everything. i so hope she gets the help she needs, both mentally and physically. I really like the contrast between Theon's babying of Bran vs Meera's treatment. I can see Theon trying to assuage his guilt through his treatment of Bran.

I wonder if Theon will ever run into the woman he knocked up or if he could send someone to recover her. it's probably wishful thinking on my part, but who knows.

I was curious if Cersei's role in Prudence's teeth removal kind of echoes the Mountain's men and Pia's ruined teeth situation in the books. Pia was innocent and embraced her sexuality, Prudence is also innocent and a sex worker. In the books, Jaime has the head of one Pia's aggressors' removed which he presents to Pia. Now he is actively colluding with Cersei and Qyburn, both aggressors to Prudence and her teeth. (sorry if that didn't make sense, school has me feeling half asleep as i write this)...

Ynys/Hazel is definitely a... thing, yeah. No one is sure wtf is going on, and they're too scared to ask xD

God, poor Meera. Glad you picked up on the contrast of how Theon and Meera respond so differently to Bran's disability; it was a dynamic/bit of characterization I really liked.

As for whether Theon will follow up on Alla and their child, there was a wee hint in Bran I about that, if you go back and look at Theon's behavior 👀

The thing with Prudence versus Pia's teeth wasn't a deliberate parallel, but wow, yeah, that's a great comparison/contrast to canon, huh.

10/12/22.

Libertino Records (Wales) have been putting out great music for several years. At the beginning, there were no physical releases, but that is changing. First, just last month we mentioned the great Ynys LP. Before that, we mentioned Alex Dingley.

9/9/22.

This seems like the perfect time to remind us of the blog rules. The music must be on Bandcamp and there must be a physical release. While Ynys doesn't have any physical release on Bandcamp, Libertino Records (Wales) does have the self-titled album available both as an LP and CD.

Ynys appears to be the work of Dylan Hughes (Aberystwyth, Wales). I've got to say, Welsh pop has a distinct sound. Hughes immediately brought to mind the excellent work of Race Horses and Super Furry Animals.

https://soundcloud.com/djjvid/136-djj-mix

dJJ - January 2020 mix