His 33-track mix Spectral Sound Vol. 1 released half-way through last year is a dark brooding monster waking up the states to the new techno sound that has been so prevalent in Europe last year. Together with friend and label-mate Matthew Dear, Ryan has been carving out a new niche for deep and twisted sounds, linking the likes of Hieroglyphic Being and James T. Cotton.

Ryan caught up with RA about his imminent sonic outing...

How many times have you been to Sonar?
This year will be my second time. I went in 2004 when Matthew Dear (my DJ partner-in-crime) played live at Sonar Club and Dabrye and Geoff White (fellow Ghostly artists) did a showcase at Sonar by Day.

Do you have a favourite festival memory?
Just the whole Sonar experience. As I've said, 2004 was my first time going. I was constantly surprised at the quality of the entire event. Until that time, I had not been to a festival that paid that much attention to detail on that big of a scale.

For many Europeans Sonar is the start of summer, does the warmer weather affect your sound at all?
Of course it does. But "warm" doesn't necessarily mean "house" or "less edgy". It means things smell different, people look different, and your mind thinks different.

"This music is very global, and its always interesting to see how people from different places make different puzzles out of mostly the same pieces."

For people not used to a Spanish lifestyle, a siesta is not part of their usual day. How do you approach the afternoon break?
I personally think it's a great concept. A quick nap in the afternoon does wonders for your energy level. "Disco naps" will be essential at Sonar, how else are we all going to stay up until 3 in the afternoon!

Sonar is very interested in new frontiers, not just technology but art, music and social trends as well. What do you think have been some of the biggest developments of the last year?
Musically, all of our genres keep feeding from one another more and more. This can only be a good thing. Socially, it's a time when change seems to be accelerating faster than ever - good and bad. We all need to make sure that we are making our own decisions, and thinking about issues without pre conceived notions.

Is there a particular tune you are looking forward to playing at sonar?
G-Man / Quo Vadis is going to send the roof straight off the Sonar Pub. This song has supernatural effects on people.

The Sonar programme is always quite diverse and innovative. Who are you looking forward to seeing?
By Day, I'm looking forward to Barbara Preisinger, Pole, and Eliot Lipp. By night, I'm very interested in catching Isolee, Hawtin & Villalobos, and the rest of my Spectral crew (Audion and Bodycode).

You are based in the States, but are quite involved with the minimal techno scene, which is often seen as quite a European thing. Can you tell us what it is like from an American perspective?
In the US we have pockets where minimal has a healthy scene. Detroit and New York, along with Chicago, LA, St. Louis - just to name a few. I really enjoy coming to Europe to play. As an artist it always inspires me to push harder - that's what I get. What I give is a fresh perspective on minimal music, because I'm not usually in the European scene. This music is very global, and its always interesting to see how people from different places make different puzzles out of mostly the same pieces.

Do you have anything planned for the rest of summer?
Lots of touring this summer, including my first trips to Ibiza and Japan!

Ryan Elliott plays the SonarPub for Sonar by Night on Saturday June 17 at 03.00am.

Sonar 2006 Prologues

Sonar 2006 Prologues with Miss Kittin
Sonar 2006 Prologues with Isolee
Sonar 2006 Prologues with Jimmy Edgar
Sonar 2006 Prologues with Diplo
Sonar 2006 Prologues with CHIC
Sonar 2006 Prologues with Hot Chip
Sonar 2006 Prologues with Ryan Elliott
Sonar 2006 Prologues with Modeselektor
Sonar 2006 Prologues with The MFA
Sonar 2006 Prologues with Uffie