What's so good about Ryan Lewis?

In 2013, Macklemore and Ryan Lewis burst on to the scene with their hit single Thrift Shop - it was the first time since 1994 that a song reached number one on the Hot 100 chart without the support of a major record label.

Taking into consideration the fast paced music industry of today, the fact would stir one’s curiosity as to how the pair managed to peak at number one. They also reached the Top Two on the US Billboard 200 chart with their debut album The Heist, and won four awards at the 56th Annual Grammy Awards including: Best New Artist, Best Rap Album, Best Rap Song and Best Rap Performance.

There is an undeniable connection between the two that has no doubt impacted their success but with Macklemore busy conquering the lyrical field, we shift our attention to Ryan Lewis, the recently dubbed number producer of the year by Billboard. We spoke to local producer talent Olly Wood from Hollaphonic and renowned Radio 1 DJ Dany Neville to find out why they will be in the front row at the du Arena on April 25.

How would you describe the sound Ryan Lewis is creating?
-DN: His sound is uplifting; it’s the ever popular formula of aggressive flow matched with beautiful sounding melodies on the hook. That coupled with a great message, means you can't go wrong.
-OW: It’s hip-hop in its purest form. The genre's always been known for sampling tracks and drawing inspiration from a wide variety of music and channeling it into new beats. Ryan Lewis samples everyone from The Killers to Arcade Fire, Shirley Brown to Christina Aguilera.

What is different about his music?
-DN: His music is not necessarily different; he delivers it in a way that is unique to him, it is always refreshing to hear artists execute music in a way that reflects their personality, especially in an industry with way to many "try-hards".
-OW: I think its crossing over boundaries between genre specific listeners; because of this, even house heads, R&B lovers and classical musicians can find a part of their sound that they like.

Is he using any specific techniques, formulas or technology to create his sound?
-DN: His technique is just being true to his surroundings. When it comes to subject matter, production wise, he has formed a great synergy between him and Macklemore, it is always good when an artists has a producer that understands his sound inside out.
-OW: I definitely think time and pressure were a major factor in what they have produced, I have immense respect for them being an independent outfit and enjoying as much success as they have.

What can aspiring producers learn from him?
-DN: Up and coming producers need to pay attention to how open minded he is with his sounds; there is no formula to any genre of music, if it feels and sounds good, it works.
-OW: Don't imitate, don't copy and recreate other people’s vibe, channel it into your own and do what come naturally to you. Aspire to move people and get your message across: whether it is love, joy, sadness or suffering, pipe every emotion into what you do and wait... 'they' will be moved. I'm sure Ryan Lewis & Macklemore’s sentiment would apply to that.

After wowing audience across the world, the UAE is set to get the live Macklemore and Ryan Lewis experience as they take their first shot at a Middle East crowd off the back of one of the biggest international tours of 2013, covering over 445,000 kilometers.

Tickets start from AED 395. For more information, visit ThinkFlash.ae.