RITUAL

London-based group RITUAL write sparse, lovelorn R&B songs with subtle folk and hip-hop influences. They have helped write and produce songs by Avicii, Aquilo, Dua Lipa, and many others. They were formed by producers Adam Gross and Tommy Baxter, and were soon joined by singer Gerard O'Connell, with vocalist Mononoke eventually completing the lineup. The band have collaborated with guest vocalists such as Denzel Curry, 6LACK, and Skizzy Mars on releases such as 2017′s No Escape Out of Time. RITUAL debuted in 2014 with the self-released EP The Fall. After building up interest from blogs, the band signed to Island and released second EP From the City to the Wilderness in 2015. The remix EP From the Wilderness to the City, which emphasized the group’s hip-hop influences, followed shortly after. In 2016, RITUAL released the “Cinnamon” single, which preceded their Every Night Another But Not You EP. Later in the year, they released “Bottle Tops,” which featured guest vocalist Mononoke (Katie Taylor), who subsequently became the band’s fourth member. The full-length No Escape Out of Time, featuring the singles “Exit” and “Drown the Lovers,” appeared in 2017. In 2019, RITUAL launched their rolling Dreamers Never Learn project with the single “Love Me Back,” featuring Tove Styrke. ~ Paul Simpson