uly

[...] Uly may be a child of the greatest traditions, but he’s also etching out his own corner. - Dean Van Nguyen, Pitchfork

Deeply influenced by pop, soul, jazz, nostalgic production value and doing-it-yourself - Uly (né Rafino Murphy)’s work is highly personal, exploratory and largely revolves around identity and self all against a backdrop of comforting, immersive and captivating harmony.

After a devastating loss of a decade’s worth of music and a would-be new album back in June, Uly decided the only thing to do is begin again. Burying himself in new work and turning his back on the hectic summer festival season, Uly managed to write, re-record and release completely new work at the end of the year, all the while conducting a successful debut IE/UK tour - with a sold out headline show in the Sugar Club to top it all off.

With an ever-growing collaborative discography, Uly seems to appear everywhere. He has worked with the likes of Qbanaa, Kojaque, Beharie (NO), Ailbhe Reddy, Shiv, Rodney Paz/Julio Rubio, Nealo, Daithi, Kynsey, and even collaborated on a both the Spellman Award Nominated (Norway) - 'Are You There, Boy?' by Beharie (2023) and the RTÉ Choice Prize Nominated album 'All the Leaves are Falling', by Nealo (2020).

[...] The resulting project is rife with an inescapable intimacy. Awash with warmth, if you were a day boasts impossibly tender horns that play against Murphy's gentle falsetto, the moving parts on the EP weaving around one another unassumingly. At different times, a bass line – or occasionally the twinkle of a piano – will peek out from the rest of the sonics to have their moment in the sun. And Murphy is smart enough to let the music lead. - Tanis Smither