Ritual (electronic band)

Ritual was formed by producers Tommy Baxter and Adam Gross in the London music scene where Baxter was a touring guitarist, while Gross created hip-hop beats for independent UK artists{{citation needed|date=October 2018}}. They met Gerard O'Connnell,{{cite web |title=Ritual |url=https://www.allmusic.com/artist/ritual-mn0001807059/biography |website=allmusic.com |accessdate=10 October 2018}} who was writing songs with the Xenomania production house for the likes of Kylie Minogue.{{cite web |title=Gerard O'Connell Songwriting Tutor |url=https://www.icmp.ac.uk/about-icmp/tutors/gerard-oconnell |website=Institute of Contemporary Music Performance |accessdate=10 October 2018}} As a trio, they wrote songs for other artists and released their own EPs beginning December 2014 with their debut, The Fall.{{cite news |last1=Gardner |first1=Constant |title=Premiere: R I T U A L – "Blood Flow" |url=https://pigeonsandplanes.com/music/2014/11/premiere-r-i-t-u-a-l-blood-flow |accessdate=10 October 2018 |work=Pigeons And Planes |date=12 November 2014}}

Ritual were signed to Island, who picked up their debut, and released their second EP, From the City to the Wilderness, in March 2015.{{cite news |last1=McMillan |first1=Louisa |title=Ritual-From The City To The Wilderness |url=https://essentiallypop.com/epop/2015/11/ritual-from-the-city-to-the-wilderness/ |accessdate=10 October 2018 |work=Essentially Pop |date=17 November 2015}} "Josephine" was the lead single from the EP described as "a marvelously down tempo tune, all plaintive piano chords, guitars, shuffling beats and a dreamy exchange between the Ritual front man and Lisa Hannigan (a solo singer and frequent, early-years Damien Rice collaborator)."{{cite news |last1=Bennett |first1=Kim Taylor |title=Ritual's "Josephine" Is Wintry Wonderful |url=https://noisey.vice.com/en_us/article/rzezae/ritual-josephine-premiere |accessdate=11 October 2018 |work=Vice |date=4 August 2015}} The second single released off From City to the Wilderness was "Low Season".{{cite news |last1=O'Brien |first1=George |title=R I T U A L unveil a sparse, pulsating new track "Low Season" from their forthcoming EP |url=https://www.thelineofbestfit.com/new-music/discovery/r-i-t-u-a-l-unveils-a-sparse-pulsating-new-track-low-season-from-their-fort |accessdate=11 October 2018 |work=The Line of Best Fit |date=5 June 2015}}

A hip hop remix version of the EP called From the Wilderness to the City was released shortly after in June 2015. "Low Season," with added vocals from Raye, was the first track released from the remix EP.{{cite news |last1=Roden |first1=Tom |title=It takes guts to remix your killer R&B track. But it takes talent to make it just as dope. |url=https://freshbeats365.com/2015/12/11/ritual-low-season-remix/ |accessdate=1 November 2018 |work=Fresh Beats 365 |date=12 November 2015}}

In 2015, the three participated in writing sessions for R&B artist Mononoke, (real name Katie Taylor) and she became the featured guest vocalist on the second single called "Bottle Tops" from Ritual's third EP entitled Every Night Another But Not You.{{cite news |last1=Checketts |first1=Joly |title=RITUAL release long-awaited third EP 'Every Night Another But Not You' |url=http://charmfactory.co.uk/ritual-release-long-awaited-new-ep-every-night-another-but-not-you/ |accessdate=6 November 2018 |work=Charm Factory |date=31 October 2016}} From there, Ritual then went on to feature Mononoke's vocals on the full No Escape Out of Time project.

In September 2017, Ritual released a 10-song audio visual project entitled No Escape Out of Time, where every song had a video accompaniment directed by Jackson Ducasse.{{cite news |last1=O'Connor |first1=Roisin |title=RITUAL shares video for 'Wouldn't Be Love' – premiere |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/features/ritual-wouldnt-be-love-song-video-premiere-watch-tour-dates-tickets-a7744096.html |accessdate=11 October 2018 |work=Independent |date=September 2017}} No Escape Out of Time ties together the previous music videos for "Drown the Lovers" and "Wouldn't Be Love" with a final installment for "Better By Now," making a full story line about love and loss.{{cite news |last1=Roundtree |first1=Rachel |title=R I T U A L "No Escape Out Of Time" Review |url=https://www.charmmag.com/home/2017/10/7/r-i-t-u-a-l-no-escape-out-of-time-review |accessdate=11 October 2018 |work=Charm Magazine |date=7 October 2017}}

For the remix of "Drown the Lovers," Ritual recruited 6lack to rap a verse on the track. Zane Lowe premiered the remix as a World Record on Beats 1 radio.{{cite news |last1=Carillo |first1=Valentina |title=RITUAL's "Drown The Lovers" Remix feat. 6LACK Gets Us Deep in Our Feelings |url=http://www.onestowatch.com/blog/rituals-drown-the-lovers-remix-feat-6lack-gets |accessdate=11 October 2018 |work=Ones to Watch |date=28 September 2017}}{{cite news |last1=Williams |first1=Aaron |title=Electronic Duo Ritual Add 6lack To Their Chilly 'Drown The Lovers' Remix |url=https://uproxx.com/hiphop/ritual-6lack-drown-the-lovers-remix/ |accessdate=11 October 2018 |work=Uproxx |date=26 September 2017}} For another song off the EP, Denzel Curry contributes a verse to "Real Feels."{{cite news |last1=CM |first1=Emmanuel |title=DENZEL CURRY JOINS RITUAL FOR NEW SONG "REAL FEELS" |url=http://www.xxlmag.com/rap-music/new-music/2017/04/denzel-curry-joins-ritual-for-new-song-real-feels/ |accessdate=11 October 2018 |work=XXL Magazine |date=7 April 2017}}

The song, "The Only One" was featured on the soundtrack to the Jaden Smith-starring film, "Skate Kitchen". The album, on Darkroom/Interscope Records, came out September 2018 following the August release of the film.{{cite news |last1=Allah |first1=Sha Be |title='SKATE KITCHEN' SOUNDTRACK OUT NOW ON DARKROOM/INTERSCOPE RECORDS |url=http://thesource.com/2018/09/28/skate-kitchen-soundtrack-out-now-on-darkroom-interscope-records/ |accessdate=13 October 2018 |work=The Source |date=28 September 2018}}

In January 2019, Ritual released the first single from their new album, Dreamers Never Learn, which features the band and numerous female artists in a series of 21st Century love songs. The single, "Love Me Back", was co-written by Grammy-nominated Emily Warren{{cite news |last1=Lerner |first1=Rebecca |title=How Grammy-Winning Songwriter Emily Warren Is Forging Her Own Path |url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/rebeccalerner/2018/10/05/how-grammy-winning-songwriter-emily-warren-made-her-own-path/#78b3fcaf42d7 |accessdate=3 April 2019 |work=Forbes |date=5 October 2018}} and features the vocals of Swedish pop singer, Tove Styrke.{{cite news |last1=Howard |first1=Lindsay |title=RITUAL & Tove Styrke team up for glowing 'Love Me Back' |url=https://variancemagazine.com/sights/10004-ritual-tove-styrke-love-me-back |accessdate=3 April 2019 |work=Variance |date=24 January 2019}} Of "Love Me Back", Mother Jones magazine wrote: "In this single, all of its beats—the melody, the lyrics, the rhythm, and the delivery—hit all the points from start to finish."{{cite news |last1=Van Pykeren |first1=Sam |title=For Algorithmic Perfection, All You Need Is Tove Styrke and Ritual's New Single |url=https://www.motherjones.com/media/2019/01/for-algorithmic-perfection-all-you-need-is-tove-styrke-and-rituals-new-single/ |accessdate=3 April 2019 |work=Mother Jones |date=25 January 2019}}

Ritual have written songs for other artists, including Dua Lipa, Bishop Briggs,{{cite news |last1=Manders |first1=Hayden |title=RITUAL Is Making Music For The Longing Soul |url=https://nylon.com/articles/ritual-interview-every-night-another-but-never-you-ep |accessdate=11 October 2018 |work=Nylon Magazine |date=5 December 2016}} Avicii,{{cite web |title=Avicii Touch Me |url=https://www.allmusic.com/song/touch-me-mt0052414915 |website=Allmusic.com |accessdate=12 October 2018}} Little Mix,{{cite web |title=Little Mix – Glory Days |url=https://www.discogs.com/Little-Mix-Glory-Days/release/9379346 |website=Discogs.com}} among others.

For the UK indie pop singer, Frances, they produced and contributed guest vocals on the track, "When It Comes to Us," for her debut EP, Grow, in July 2015. The song was the second single from the album.{{cite news |last1=Kameir |title=Opposites Attract On Frances And RITUAL's "When It Comes To Us" |url=https://www.thefader.com/2015/07/06/frances-ritual-when-it-comes-to-us |accessdate=11 October 2018 |work=The Fader |date=6 July 2015}}

The group wrote the gold-selling UK single "Hotter Than Hell" for Dua Lipa, which was included on her self-titled debut album, both released in 2016.{{cite news |title='new rules' is dua lipa's third platinum single in the uk |url=https://www.mtv.co.uk/news/n50p3i/new-rules-is-dua-lipas-third-platinum-single-in-the-uk |access-date=11 October 2018 |work=MTV UK |date=13 October 2017}} In Rolling Stone, Lipa credits working with Ritual as the time when she found her songwriting style.{{cite magazine |last1=Weiner |first1=Jonah |title=Dua Lipa: Pop's Warrior of Love |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-features/dua-lipa-pops-warrior-of-love-202696/ |accessdate=11 October 2018 |magazine=Rolling Stone |date=23 February 2018}}

In October 2016, Ritual wrote and were featured on "You Remain," a song from French DJ and record producer Kungs on his Layers album released a month later.{{cite news |title="You Remain" : Kungs enchaîne avec un tube chill et ensoleillé |url=http://www.chartsinfrance.net/Kungs/news-103680.html |work=Charts In France |date=19 February 2017}}

Their 2019 album, Dreamers Never Learn features the vocals of Tove Styrke, and other female singers.

LANY (2017){{cite web |title=RITUAL |url=https://www.songkick.com/artists/9329864-r-i-t-u-a-l/gigography |website=songkick.com |accessdate=1 November 2018}}

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Category:Universal Records artists

Category:English electronic music groups