Sometimes the best things come to those that wait. It’s a sentiment wide-eyed, sonic adventurer John Bryden would certainly recognise – if not necessarily have chosen of course. Aged 37, and having spent the best part of two decades ploughing away in a succession of bands, Bryden could have been forgiven for thinking his shot at musical fame had passed him by.

However, he’d be wrong. For while operating in his previous outfits became a lesson in diplomacy rather than musical innovation, Bryden was beavering away in the background making music shorn of filter and compromise. And the results are staggering. Released under his nom de guerre Eyes of Others, this is the sound of an imaginative artist working at the peak of his powers.

To try and list all Eyes of Others’ musical touchpoints would be a thankless task but nestled playfully – and seductively – in his sonic palette are an abundance of carefree electronics, hypnotic dub, wry folk rock, twitchy psychedelia and buoyant acid techno. In other words, pure musical freedom. If it wasn’t for the fact that Eyes of Others began as a side hustle, you’d be praising the ambition of such a mesmerising pop art collage. But then maybe such creativity and experimentation is the result of approaching the music in a pressure-free environment. Bryden certainly thinks so.

“It's almost like when I stopped trying to find success, it kind of…” he hesitates, not wanting to get ahead of himself. “I’m not saying there’s success, the album’s not even out yet, but it’s been a… I think it’s a slow burn. I’m not in a hurry.”
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