Reviews of Views of Distant Towns, 2006

The Black and White Magazine: "San Francisco's Ryan Francesconi, or RF as he's best known, has delivered one of electronica's finest works to date....The craftsmanship and perfection of RF translates into something that, in the end, surpasses post-rock. An album like Views Of Distant Towns is a rare find, as it raises the bar so incredibly high. A stunning album through and through."

Jason Morehead, Opuszine: "Views of Distant Towns is still yet another showcase for Francesconi's amazing and skillful blending of electronic elements—laptop processing, glitches, and other forms of software-based tweaking—with an orchestra of traditional instruments—guitars, bass, dobro, trombone, piano, violin, cello, xylophone, drums, etc.... Francesconi tweaks and blends every element until it's virtually impossible to tell where the electronic ends and the acoustic begins....It all comes together in the most graceful and sublime of ways."

Smallfish Records: "The real beauty of this album is the sheer depth....The feeling of watching the world passing by is incredibly strong and, for me at least, his use of electronic sounds embedded in the songs really emphasises that...on the one hand you have recognizable song structures and tunes, yet lurking in the background is a deep layer of glitch and abstractness which takes a while to come to the surface....Not only does he use them [vocals] to convey a tangible idea through the lyrics, he also uses them as an instrument in themselves...breathy, sultry female vocals that sit just a little bit back in the mix and add another layer of intrigue....Simply gorgeous."

Streethound: "It is songs of the heart felt heavy and thoughtful....enveloping and inspiring."

Barcode: "A contemplative album from San Francisco-born artist, Ryan Francesconi, Views Of Distant Towns cobbles together vocals, guitars, strings, horns and field recordings with precise autonomy....Francesconi knits the arrangements together with such loving attention that it's difficult to be anything other than enamoured by his musical narrative."

Andrea Ferraris, Chain DLK: Top class electronic poppiness manufactured by Plop records and hi-profile cd as you could have expected it to be."

Vital Weekly #519: "Great popmusic standing in a long tradition of song writing, but surely with an entirely twist of its own."

Lawrence English, Time Off Magazine: Genuinely interesting audio in a post-pop orbit.

Cyclic Defrost: "Aided by a flock of other musicians, Francesconi adopts an impressionist stance towards this canvas, using a palette of string and horn instruments alongside chirping and gurgling electronics to paint short, decisive brushstrokes that are valued for their individual sonorities as opposed to their relations to one another....Francesconi succeeds in sketching mature, stirring arrangements that tickle the imagination and encourage a wealth of interpretations."

Massimo Ricci, Touching Extremes: "From melancholic mournings of violins and brass to unobtrusive glitches and pops, passing through gently plucked acoustic guitars and urban noise, Francesconi controls the narrative of his compositions in every single detail...."


Reviews of Falls, 2004

Jason Morehead, Opuszine: "Falls continues along a similar line, delving even deeper into the grey areas between electronics and `real' instruments, blurring the lines between the two, and emerging with a warm and richly detailed masterpiece."

Didier Goudeseune, Derives: (Google English translation) "Without any doubt one of the most essential and outstanding discs of 2004."

David Dacks, Exclaim: "Let's not go overboard and get into `moments of aching beauty' hyperbole, but Falls is very inviting and engrossing."

Andy Brown, Lost at Sea: "He is able to wield guitars, violins, horns and beeps just as seamlessly as it were all done the old-fashioned way in a few takes."

Streethound: "It is a textural treasure of musical pleasure. RF is making some of the most beautiful and unique music around today."

Brad Rose, Foxy Digitalis: "This album is excellent from beginning to end."

Smallfish Records: "...the result is a soothing, delightfully melodic collection of indie/electronic/Post-Rock songs with acres of depth and heartwarming beauty....Quite brilliant."

Edward Stafford, Music Director, KSCR, Los Angeles: "Exploratory, deep, and full of hope for a failing humanity, rf bends the minimalism of 20th century classical composers like Morton Feldman and Arvo Part through the best use of ring-modulated guitar I've ever heard. The result is something crushingly soft and endearing."

LW, Soul Shine Magazine: "This is a new ambient genre... a place where experimental art and seasonal sensations harmonize. It's yoga for your ears, providing analysis of what you hear and serene, steady sounds that allow you to control your breath just that much easier."


Reviews of Interno, 2002

East Bay Express: "The resulting distinct vision carries listeners away in the same way a good book snares readers."

Tiny Mix Tapes: "To my knowledge he is not associated with any particular music scene or style; in essence, you are left with a purity of music that flows with the same subtle grace as a butterfly flaps its wings....Like any well conceived piece of artwork, RF contains a myriad of emotions that remind us once again what it is to be a human being."

Collin LaJoie, KJHK, Lawrence, Kansas: "Take this album on a drive through the country. Everything will seem more beautiful."

Organ Magazine: "...post-rock relaxation that breathes in its own space and time...one of the finest things we've encountered this year."