Working under the name Bearcubs, Jack Ritchie makes bittersweet, diaristic electronica that blends crisp breakbeats and celestial synths with introspective vocals that lift poignance from the mundanities of everyday existence.
Ritchie is one of a number of contemporary artists mining the UK’s rich musical history for nostalgic touchstones; breaks, stabs and wavering synth pads that recall ’90s rave and UK garage. What sets his music apart, though, is the way he pairs these hallmarks with modern production techniques and a deeply personal perspective exposed through his vulnerable lyricism.
We caught up with Ritchie to find out more about the analogue synths, effects plugins and production techniques that inspired his latest EP, Watching People Playing Tennis Out The Window.
When did you start making music, and how did you first get started?
“I’ve been fascinated with making sounds for as long as I can remember. There used to be a lot of instruments and bits of percussion and also an old tape recorder lying around in my parents’ house, so I would hit random objects and record them. I think the first ‘production’ I ever made was with one of my childhood friends, using software called Cakewalk, which could only have four tracks of MIDI
