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.

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

Production

Albums

Singles and EPs

Tracks on other albums

Battle vinyl

Soundtracks

References

External links

• Plutonic Lab official website
• Plutonic Lab artist profile at Obese Records