George Riley - Un/limited Love (2023)

George Riley is one of London’s most unstoppable R&B forces. Through a progressive sound that encapsulates soul, forward thinking electronics, ambience and so much more, Riley has, over the space of two critically acclaimed projects in interest rates, a tape and Running In Waves, carved an abstract yet wholly relatable niche within London’s thriving music scene. Collaborating with Anz on a club-pop modern classic in the form of ‘You Could Be’, Riley’s capabilities to be able to cross over into a more mainstream leaning space without sacrificing any of the left-of-centre creativity that has become her staple has always been clear, but today with brand new single ‘Elixir’, as well as the news that she has signed to legendary electronic label Ninja Tune for a new EP titled Un/limited Love (due for release on 10th November 2023), Riley’s emergence from her chrysalis a fully fledged crossover proposition has been realised.

Produced by Nick Sylvester (Channel Tres/Yaeji), ‘Elixir’ places Riley as a new age house diva, exploring the reviving properties of new love in her own soulful yet playful tone. Set to a bed of throbbing, old-school house inspired production, softly-set keys and gradually emerging synths, ‘Elixir’ represents Riley’s prowess over sunkissed, gently shimmering instrumentation; a sharp left turn from her previous project, Running In Waves. If that release was Riley at her most introspective, ‘Elixir’ is the sound of Riley celebrating the giddiness of love and life at its most bright and beautiful.

Un/limited Love is the product of the most international period of creativity in George Riley’s career. Splitting the project’s creation between Nick Sylvester (‘Elixir’) and Hudson Mohawke (‘S.E.X.’) in LA, John FM (‘Skin’/’Satisfy You’/’Star’) in Detroit, and Actress, who provided production to ‘Star’ in London as well as ‘Lust’ with Loraine James, the melting pot of surroundings and influences that have come with the project’s collaborators have had an effect on Riley, who has previously chosen to work with one sole collaborator on each project. The result is a widely varied, but gorgeously cohesive body of work that pays true homage to various styles of electronic music while interweaving George’s own artistic journey and transformation into one of the most exciting, genre-blurring voices emerging today.

A local hero in her own right who has already made a powerful imprint internationally – having supported the likes of Kelela on tour and Greentea Peng at Somerset House – as well as featuring alongside Sampha on SBTRKT’s ‘LFO’ already this year, George Riley’s Un/limited Love project will mark the birth of a global superstar. Dialling up the escapism and capacity to express a multitude of powerful emotions often in the space of one song, ‘Elixir’ is just the start of some of the most engaging and wholly vital R&B heard out of the UK or anywhere else on this planet over the next 12 months. Anyone already aware of her work has always already been spellbound by the rich vocals and deeply personal writing of George Riley, and with plenty more music on the horizon, it’s time for the rest of the world to catch up.