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“It's all well and good trying to 'humanize' electronic music and endow it with an organic sound, as Ryan Lee West has aimed to do on his third album as Rival Consoles, but what sets him apart from every other nature-mimicking producer who tries to pass the musical equivalent of the Turing test is that he also endows it with an organic structure...”

“His Howl  LP is teeming with artificial life, but it's not so much the artificial life that comes simply from running his instrumentation through guitar pedals and writing his material first on the piano, as the artificial life that inhabits songs with a sense of teleology and purpose. Its nine exploratory and evocative tracks evolve fluidly, or 'organically' if you will, as if adapting its goals and the pursuit of its goals to changes in its external and internal environment, and as a result, it exhibits an intelligence and a personality that would put large swathes of non-electronic music to shame.” - Pop Matters

“West's musical background also plays a part in sculpting his more thoughtful sound. From a young age he played instruments like guitar and piano, which he still uses today as a starting point, before fleshing everything out with electronics…” 

“…Elements like live instrumentation and a humanistic approach are obviously key to the album's overall feel, but perhaps the defining factor is West's less-is-more attitude. Howl is a stripped-back affair, taking only the guts of what makes a good track and running with them. It's clutter-free and powerful, a tactic that West has been refining for a while now.“

“…In a time where there is an endless stream of electronic music, Rival Consoles sticks out amongst the rhythmic fare. His style makes an impact, and according to West, that's pivotal.” - Exclaim