Illum Sphere

Although born in London, Illum Sphere—Ryan Hunn—only began attracting listeners after relocating to Manchester and launching the Hoya:Hoya club night in 2008. Partnering with local DJ Jonny Dub, he gradually turned the occasional gathering into a weekly event, which soon prompted a run of singles on the Fat City imprint, among them a contribution to the label’s Producer series that appeared on the reverse of a split 7" shared with California artist Mono/Poly. A 2010 EP followed on Dutch producer Martyn’s 3024 label, after which Hunn realized a long-held ambition by establishing his own imprint. Its inaugural release, a November 2010 12", led with the track “Sweat the Descent.” Another milestone arrived the next summer when Radiohead commissioned his remix of the King of Limbs cut “Codex.”

Earlier productions had leaned toward off-kilter, playful rhythms, yet the 2012 Young Turks EP Birthday shifted focus directly toward the dancefloor. In late 2013 a rework of “Bluebell Fields,” an album track by Manchester-based, Verve-inspired indie act MONEY, surfaced online shortly before Illum Sphere’s signing to Ninja Tune was announced. The single “Sleeprunner” appeared that December, preceding the February 2014 arrival of the atmospheric debut album Ghosts of Then & Now. Later the same year he compiled a Fabric mix drawn from his Hoya:Hoya sets and also contributed to the Dekmantel podcast series, though subsequent activity diminished while he honed his approach. The Spectre Vex and Second Sight singles previewed the austere yet expansive sound of his sophomore album Glass, issued by Ninja Tune in late 2016.