Plutonic Lab
Leigh Ryan, better known by the stage name Plutonic Lab or sometimes as Pluto, is an Australian music producer, drummer and DJ. He is best known for being part of the hip hop group and 2008 ARIA Nominee Muph & Plutonic, as well as his production work on albums and EPs for Australian and international artists.
Plutonic Lab | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Leigh Ryan |
| Also known as | Plutonic Lab |
| Origin | Melbourne, Australia |
| Genres | Hip hop, soul, electronic |
| Occupation(s) | Producer |
| Years active | 1995 –present |
| Labels | Obese |
| Associated acts | Muph & Plutonic, Pegz, Dialectrix, Milk Bar Stars, Macronauts, Madlock, Hilltop Hoods |
| Website | www |
He produced two singles on Speech Debelle's album Speech Therapy, which won a 2009 Mercury Prize, and is a solo artist and tour drummer for Australian hip hop group Hilltop Hoods.
Early life and career
Plutonic Lab began drumming at the age of 10 and performing shows at 14. He obtained an honours degree in Sound Design/Media Arts from RMIT University, studying under Australian film composer/artist Philip Brophy and sound artist Phillip Samartzis.
In 1995 he produced the album "Mystery Shkool" for his group Macronauts on CD and Cassette & two beat tapes, Tri Chromes and M.O.S., in 1998 under his own label, Plutonic Lovely. In 2001, he released his first solo album, Give Me Sabotage Shell, followed by Collision of Days in 2004, both released on Nuff Said Records. His third solo album, Codes Over Colours, was released in 2005 on Obese Records.
His most recent solo release, a remix EP titled Midnight on Pluto, was released in 2006.
Muph & Plutonic and Milk Bar Stars
Plutonic Lab provided production on More Than Music, the second album by Dan Young (better known by the stage name Muphin) released in 2003. As a result of their collaboration on the album, the duo formed the partnership Muph & Plutonic in 2004.[1] Muph & Plutonic have released three albums to date: Hunger Pains (2004), Silence the Sirens (2006) and And Then Tomorrow Came (2008).
Plutonic Lab and Muph also toured nationally in 2005, together with DJ Bonez and Obese Records boss Pegz, under the collective name Milk Bar Stars.[2]
Plutonic and G-Love
Plutonic Lab collaborated with G-Love to produce the album Moonshine Lemonade, released in February 2011, under the name Plutonic and G-Love.[3]
G-Love said, of the collaboration:
"I've been making and mashing hip hop and blues for the last 20 years. With Moonshine Lemonade, I finally feel like I got it right. Pluto bought it out of me and that's that. I know people are gonna dig this cause I've been rocking it non-stop on my tour bus every freakin' night."[3][4]
Plutonic Lab said:
""I enjoyed all these recording methods, but what was most interesting though would be how an idea would be transformed by building each layer step by step and in a sense became a truly collaborative effort. We didn’t need to be in the same room. We were playing email ping pong, but In a way it’s like knowing how the movie is gonna end."[5]
Production
Plutonic Lab has produced albums and EPs for many Australian hip hop artists on labels including Nuffsaid Records (collaborating over a number of years with Australian MC/producer Prowla) and Obese Records (including the label CEO Pegz).[6]
He has also produced beats on releases from Shawn Lov (USA), MC Tumi (South Africa), Karma and Esoteric (USA), Eternia (Canada) and Taskforce (UK).
He has performed shows in Australia, North America, Europe and Asia. Opening for The Pharcyde, People Under The Stairs, Ozomatli, Mad Professor, Lee Scratch Perry, MC Supernatural, DJ Shadow, Money Mark, Hilltop Hoods, The Next Men, Mr Lif, Cage, Swollen Members, Braintax & Mystro, Lupe Fiasco, El-P, Tricky, The Streets and events including Cockatoo Island Festival, Obese Block Party, Pyramid Rock Festival, Falls Festival, Big Day Out, Groovin' the Moo, Golden Plains Festival, Splendour in the Grass and Good Vibrations Festival.
Plutonic Lab was voted 'Best Producer' three years running (2004, 2005, 2006) on Australian Hip- Hop community site ozhiphop.com.
All three Muph & Plutonic Albums & Pegz "Axis" LP obtained 'Feature Album' status on Australian national broadcaster Triple J.
His third LP "Codes Over Colours" was a featured album on Melbourne's 3RRR radio, and on other independent radio programs nationally.
In 2008 The Album "And Then Tomorrow Came" was nominated for an ARIA. The album also landed two songs in Triple J Hottest 100, 2009.
Speech Debelle's "Speech Therapy" LP won UK's Mercury Prize in 2009,[7] for which Plutonic Lab produced two singles.
His music has also been featured in film and television including HBO's series Girls, TNT's series Franklin & Bash, and the feature films X, Noel Clarke's 4.3.2.1 and Chronicle.
He also produced Neon Heartache, the debut album of Jess Harlen, who was named best female artist in The Age's EG Awards in 2010.[8]
Discography
Solo albums
| Album title | Release date | Label | Format |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tri Chromes (beat tape) | 1998 | Plutonic Lovely | Cassette |
| M.O.S. (beat tape) | 1998 | Plutonic Lovely | Cassette |
| Give Me Sabotage Shell | 2001 | Nuffsaid | CD/vinyl |
| Collision of Days | 2004 | Nuffsaid | CD/vinyl |
| Codes Over Colours | 2005 | Obese | CD/vinyl |
| Midnight on Pluto (remix EP) | 2006 | Obese | Vinyl |
| Give Me Sabotage Shell (Extended/Remastered) | 2007 | Shark Repellent | CD |
| Collision of Days (Extended/Remastered) | 2007 | Shark Repellent | CD |
| Submariner (7" EP) | 2013 | LWP | Vinyl |
| Deep Above The Noise (2x12" LP) | 2016 | Wax Museum Records | Vinyl |
Production
Albums
| Artist | Album title | Release date | Label |
|---|---|---|---|
| Macronauts | Mystery Shkool | 1995 | Plutonic Lovely |
| Prowla | Lonewolf | 2001 | Nuffsaid |
| Plutonic Lab | Give Me Sabotage Shell | 2001 | Nuffsaid |
| Muphin | More Than Music | 2003 | Obese |
| Pegz | Capricorn Cat | 2003 | Obese |
| Shawn Lov | The Blackout of 1977 | 2004 | Nuffsaid |
| Plutonic Lab | Collision of Days | 2004 | Nuffsaid |
| Muph & Plutonic | Hunger Pains | 2004 | Obese |
| Pegz | Axis | 2005 | Obese |
| Plutonic Lab | Codes Over Colours | 2005 | Obese |
| Omni | Batterie | 2006 | BLX |
| Muph & Plutonic | Silence the Sirens | 2006 | Obese |
| Ivens | Sounds to Expire to | 2007 | EcoTone |
| Lotek | Go | 2007 | 2–99 Records |
| Pegz | Burn City | 2007 | Obese |
| Bias B | Beestrumentals | 2007 | Obese |
| Muph & Plutonic | ...And Then Tomorrow Came | 2008 | Obese |
| Speech Debelle | Speech Therapy | 2009 | Big Dada |
| Gully Platoon | The Great Divide | 2009 | Obese |
| Jess Harlen | Neon Heartache | 2010 | Plethora |
| Dialectrix | Audio Projectile | 2010 | Obese |
| Plutonic & G Love | Moonshine Lemonade | 2011 | Inertia |
| Jess Harlen | Park Yard Slang | 2012 | Plethora |
| Dialectrix | The Cold Light of Day | 2013 | Obese |
| Plutonic Lab | Submariner | 2013 | LWP |
| Plutonic Lab | Fieldnotes - Hong Kong | 2016 | Fieldnotes Project |
| Plutonic Lab | Deep Above The Noise | 2016 | Wax Museum Records |
Singles and EPs
| Artist | Title | Release date | Label |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pegz (as Pegasus) | Pegasus (12") | 2001 | Obese |
| Prowla | The Great Rescue (EP) | 2002 | Nuffsaid |
| Tumi | A Dream Led To This (EP) | 2002 | Nuffsaid |
| Taskforce & Pegz | 12 Apostles (12") | 2002 | Obese |
| Karma | Top Shelf (12") | 2002 | Nuffsaid |
| Eternia & A-Love | Movin (12") | 2003 | Warner |
| Shawn Lov | Dewitt (12") | 2004 | Nuffsaid |
| Black Samurai | Kill Em All (EP) | 2004 | C Side (UK) |
| Muph & Plutonic | Heaps Good (12") | 2004 | Obese |
| Pegz | Chechen Gorilla (12") | 2005 | Obese |
| Pegz | Back Then (12") | 2005 | Obese |
| Plutonic Lab | The Waiting (12") | 2005 | Obese |
| Hilltop Hoods | The Hard Road (12") | 2006 | Obese |
| Ivens | The 9th Letter (12") | 2007 | EcoTone |
| Muph & Plutonic | The Day Off (7") | 2007 | Obese |
| Muph & Plutonic | "Size of the Soul" (Promo CD single) | 2008 | Obese |
| Muph & Plutonic | "Beautiful/Ugly" (Promo CD single) | 2008 | Obese |
| Speech Debelle | The Key (CD single) | 2009 | Big Dada |
| Speech Debelle | Better Days (CD single) | 2009 | Big Dada |
| Jess Harlen | Watch the Water (CD single) | 2010 | Plethora |
| Jess Harlen | I Go (CD single) | 2010 | Plethora |
| Dialectrix | New Generation (CD single) | 2012 | Obese |
| Dialectrix | Go (Digital single) | 2013 | Obese |
| Plutonic Lab | Look Alive ft. Dialectrix (7") | 2013 | Shark Repellent |
| Plutonic Lab | The Crib ft. Guilty Simpson (7") | 2016 | Wax Museum Records |
| Plutonic Lab | Sliced Bread ft. Notes To Self BBRC (Digital Single) | 2016 | Wax Museum Records |
Tracks on other albums
| Album title | Artist | Track | Release date | Label |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Evolutionary Vibes 2 | Macronauts | "Atstrue" (remix) | 1997 | Creative Vibes |
| 4 Element Effect | Plutonic Lab | "Evidence" | 1998 | 183 |
| Rock Da City | Plutonic Lab | "Slipping into Darkness" | 1999 | Nuffsaid |
| Madlock | "Madlock" | |||
| Sounds Like Left | Plutonic Lab | "Mental Big Gun" (remix) | 2001 | Sony (Asia) |
| "Sunshine" | ||||
| 12 Apostles | Pegz & Task Force | "True to tha Art" (vocal) "True to tha Art" (instrumental) | 2001 | Obese |
| Stealth Issue 2 Vol 3 | Plutonic Lab | "Glory Days" | 2001 | Stealth |
| Top Fashion Dolphin (EP) | Plutonic Lab | "Mental Big Gun" | 2002 | C Side (UK) |
| Tumi | "The Inner View" | |||
| Culture of Kings Vol 2 | A-Love | "Petty" | 2002 | Obese |
| Obese City | Plutonic Lab | "Knowing Disintegration " | 2002 | Obese |
| Muphin | "Tape in a Green Case" | |||
| Other Worldly Fusions | Plutonic Lab & RuCL | "Runnin Hot" | 2002 | Hardware |
| Top Shelf | Karma featuring Esoteric | "Top Shelf" (vocal) "Top Shelf" (instrumental) |
2002 | Nuffsaid |
| Karma | "Art of War" (vocal) "Art of War" (instrumental) | |||
| Strait From The Art Vol 1 | Eternia & A-Love | "Movin" | 2003 | Warner |
| Diggin Deep | Muphin | "Smart Risk, Big Benefit" | 2003 | |
| Culture of Kings Vol 3 | Pegz | "Tins of Beans" | 2004 | Obese |
| Building With Bricks Volume 2 | Karma | "Art of War" | 2004 | Brick |
| Descore | Breakfast News (Main Title) 100 Forms of Happiness |
2004 | Sound Punch | |
| 15.OZ Vinyl | Muphin | "Smoke Stained" | 2004 | Crookneck |
| JJJ Hip Hop Show | Muph & Plutonic | "Heaps Good" | 2005 | |
| MC Que | "Waters Breakin" | |||
| Home And Hosed – Ripe and Ready | Muph & Plutonic | "Heaps Good" | 2005 | |
| Trampled: Remix (EP) (Elefant Traks) | Hermitude | "Nightfalls Messenger" (remix) | 2006 | Obese |
| Been There Done That | Bias B featuring Billy Bunks | "Bundle of Bees" | 2007 | Obese |
| The Signal | Urthboy | "We Get Around" (Plutonic remix) | 2007 | Elefant Tracks |
| More or Less | Resin Dogs featuring Mika 9, Aceyalone and Abstract Rude | "Coming With the Sound" (Plutonic Lab mix) | 2009 | Hydrofunk Records/MGM |
| Cover Up Motel | TZU | "Get Up" (Plutonic Lab remix) | 2009 | Liberation |
| Beatz International | Tor | "Pushin It" | 2009 | File Records (Japan)/UK Streetsounds (UK) |
Battle vinyl
| Artist | Title | Date | Details |
|---|---|---|---|
| DJ Perplex | DMC Battle Wax | 2008 | Various production beats and elements |
| DJ Perplex | DMC Battle Wax | 2009 | Various production beats and elements |
Soundtracks
| Title | Director | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Hot Wet Dot: 16mm Skate Film | Jo Harrison | www |
| Molotow Masters: Graffiti Series | Jo Harrison | www |
| Words in My Mouth Voices in My Head, No 1 Anna | Phillip Brophy | Screened at ACMI Melbourne, 2004 www |
| Burn | David Selvarajah Vadiveloo | Nominated for AFI Best Short Fiction Film award, 2009 www |
References
- Colman, Tim (6 October 2005). "Muph + Plutonic". The Age. Retrieved 31 March 2008.
- Colman, Tim (9 December 2005). "Milkbar Stars". Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 1 April 2008.
- JB Hi Fi listing for Plutonic and G-Love, "Moonshine Lemonade"
- All Aussie Hip Hop, Announcing Plutonic & G Love’s Moonshine Lemonade
- Moonshine Lemonade profile on Facebook
- "Muph & Plutonic". Digital Thugz. 9 February 2005. Retrieved 31 March 2008.
- https://www.theguardian.com/music/2009/sep/29/speech-debelle-mercury-prize
- "Aussie Music Heroes Celebrated At EG Awards" at Undercover
External links
- Plutonic Lab official website
- Plutonic Lab artist profile at Obese Records
Authority control  |
|---|