Press Kit

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Ryako (Mel Ciriaco) is an Filipino-American-Belgian, one-woman band based in Brugge, Belgium. She writes, produces, and performs primarily nerd-inspired Electronica and Hip-Hop music, but also enjoys blending that with other genres in order to create something different and unique. She has performed live at the unofficial Nerdcore Showcase and side events at SXSW in March 2019 and on the main stage at Super MagFest 2023 in Washington DC. Ryako is a performing member of the Brussels Light Opera Company and will be playing “Elizabeth” in BLOC’s production of “Young Frankenstein”.

Scoring

  • Laster Der Menschheit is a silent film from 1927 shown at STOM, Brugge’s first silent film festival presented by Pelliculot, with a new score by Ryako. This original score, a blend of classical, opera, and electronica, pays tribute to Richard Strauss’ “Salome” and was well-received by viewers. 

  • The Spirit Lift is an upcoming horror, roguelike deckbuilding game by prettysmart games. As the Audio Lead, Ryako composes all music and does all sound design. She is featured with Audrey Twigg and Miko Charbonneau in a Dev interview for Game Devs of Color Expo 2023.   

  • Paperless Pulp Season 3: Vox Elysium: a cyber noir podcast series from Flying V. Ryako composed original music and did sound design and editing.

  • Metropolis Revamped is a complete rescore of Fritz Lang's 1927 silent film masterpiece, "Metropolis" released in January 2021. It features multiple genres such as orchestral, hip-hop, drum and bass, metal, and electronica, plus songs with lyrics and vocals. It syncs with "The Complete Metropolis" from 2010, the latest version of the film, but is not officially affiliated with it. A version of Metropolis with this score was screened officially at DisCon III, the 79th World Science Fiction Convention.

Producer & Vocalist

Releases

To date, she has released two full albums: Metropolis Revamped, and Fangirl, and three EP's: Future Imperfect, Tears For Keanu and Ladylike.  All albums are available on Bandcamp and through major online sellers.

  • “Ladylike” is an EP released in January 2023. It consists of 5 songs that serve as an exploration of societal expectations of women and what constitutes a lady. It features guest vocals by nerdcore artists Prowess the Testament, Shubzilla, and Twill Distilled.

  • “Metropolis Revamped” is is a complete rescore of Fritz Lang's 1927 silent film masterpiece, "Metropolis" released in January 2021. It features multiple genres such as orchestral, hip-hop, drum and bass, metal, and electronica, plus songs with lyrics and vocals. It syncs with "The Complete Metropolis" from 2010, the latest version of the film, but is not officially affiliated with it.

  • “Tears For Keanu” is an EP released in August 2019.  It consists of 5 tracks, all of which are about or involve the actor, Keanu Reeves.  A blend of Nerdcore and Pop, the tracks convey a myriad of emotions blended with fan appreciation for Keanu Reeves’ body of work.

  • “Future Imperfect” is an EP released in November 2018.  It consists of 4 tracks, 3 of which are based on dystopian films “Mad Max: Fury Road”, “District 9” and “Soylent Green”. This album blends elements of Rock, Metal, and Nerdcore, and provides social commentary through storytelling.

  • “Fangirl” is the full-length debut album released in July 2018.  It consists of 12 tracks, 11 of which are based on beloved fandoms and elements of geek subculture such as “Firefly”, “Dune”, and “Dungeons and Dragons”.

Music videos

She has produced two music videos, one for “Starfleet Boys” and for “Monster of the Week”, which are both featured in her debut album, “Fangirl”.

Photos

Portrait of Ryako, 2021