Hello there!
 

My name is Ryan, and I am an independent artist, writer, animator, and musician who goes by the name, "The Mechanical Ruins". The name is not meant in a literal sense. More on that another time. I am thrilled to share my passion for strange, dark, and fun art and instrumental music with you! My love for music and movies began during my childhood in the 80s and 90s, where I was captivated by the scores of science fiction, fantasy, and horror movies. I was fortunate enough to have seen many classic 80s and 90s films in theatres during my formative years and grew up through the VHS boom without cable which heavily influenced my imagination and artistic creativity. 

I am a lifelong hard rock fan, and my love for music led me to join the school concert band in sixth grade, where I played the tuba. By then, composer Danny Elfman was my music hero, and I was obsessed with the musical scores of Tim Burton's films, such as "Beetlejuice," "Edward Scissorhands," and "Batman." Joining the concert band performing classical music was a significant milestone for me, and it provided a refuge from the bullies I encountered in school on a regular basis.

In 1992, at the age of fourteen, I received my very first real guitar, a blue Flying V with a small amp, which marked another huge step in my journey as a musician. I eventually saved up for a Boss MT-2 Metal Zone distortion pedal and also got the old classical acoustic guitar fixed up that I had under my bed for about three years by then. By this time, I was into heavy metal and obsessed with Black Sabbath, Ozzy Osbourne, Motorhead, AC/DC, Guns N' Roses, Metallica, Nine Inch Nails, Tool, and of the grunge era with Nirvana and Alice In Chains being two bands I still am a massive fan of today.

Throughout high school, music was my life, and I had gained experience playing both the tuba and the trombone in concert band. However, I mainly played hard rock and metal guitar and played and jammed with different band combos made up of myself and various dudes from high school. I was also the lead guitar player in the high school jazz band, where we played jazz but also weird, groovy metal instrumental music. It was a blast, and we almost turned what was supposed to be a "jazz band" into something like Type Of Negative with a brass section.

I collected CDs and cassette tapes of the rock and metal bands I loved, most of which I still have on my music shelves today. I also bought film scores on CD and cassette since I was a teenager. My grandmother also gave me some great albums and collections of classical greats, celebrated movie marches, and The Phantom of the Opera original cast recording, all of which made a huge impact on me as a musical artist.

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I drifted away from music for a long while after high school, though kept playing as a hobby while focusing on other professions and studying film making, graphic design and classical and experimental animation. I am very happy to have found my way back to creating my own music after a lot of loss and darkness in my life. I look forward to incorporating all of my skills, talents and experience into this music project.

 

Life has been a journey over the decades. Lots of inspiration for creation.

In conclusion, I am still and always learning my own craft and exploring ideas as an artist and a musician. I am passionate about creating a break from reality and entertaining even for a few moments. Music can change the world, and I am grateful for the opportunity to share my passion with you. Thank you for listening, and all the best to you!

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The Mechanical Ruins