Loud and vibrant musical mix from Rhythm Scene

It might get loud, but you’ll have fun at Rhythm Scheme show. Fusing a DJ set with live instruments, the band have proven to be a hugely popular since starting a residency in the city’s Kelly’s Bar just over a year ago.

Rhythm Scheme are Jonathan ‘Byrno’ Byrne, Edward Martin, Jimmy Moran and James Corballis. Byrno has been DJ-ing in Galway for over 10 years, but was looking for a new project when Ed approached him.

“I was playing a gig and this guy came up to chat to me at the end of the night,” says Byrno. “A very pleasant American guy, [he] introduced himself in a very American fashion by giving me his full name and pretty much all of his address!

“He said ‘I’m moving to Ireland soon, I’m a drummer and I’d like to do something.’ When Ed moved here permanently we started to work, that was about three years ago.”

After playing some show together, Byrno and Ed christened their project and decided to add something new to the mix.

“In October 2011 we came up with the name Rhythm Scheme and launched it as a proper live act,” Byrno says. “I think it was December 2011 that we brought in a guitar player. Initially it was Barry Morley, then he moved to London. He was replaced by Des Foley, then myself for one gig, then we managed to get young Jimmy Moran.

“When I was younger I had been in bands and unsuccessfully tried to be a musician. So it had always been in the back of my head that I’d love to go back and do something like that. I was just lucky enough that I found people who were willing enough to put in the time and effort.”

Jimmy Moran has played in rock bands before, but linking up with Byrno’s electronic sounds was something new for him.

“It’s been interesting, the whole combination of a DJ set with live instruments,” says the guitarist. “I’d been to a good few of their shows. I know the lads, and I was always dying to get up anyway. Sometimes you have to make the guitar not sound like a guitar. You have to have a few different sounds. And other times you have to make the guitar sound like a guitar, for the craic. Just go for it!”

Rhythm Scheme take contemporary tunes and chop them up, then throw live music on top of that. It’s a combination that has seen them pack out Kelly’s music venue on Bridge every month– but it’s tricky to box it into a genre.

“Some people think we’re a rock band who play dance music, or we’re a dance band that does rock music,” says Byrno. “I’d like to think we’re neither of those things. I’d like to think it’s a show, and we’re making already pretty interesting tunes a tad more interesting, and putting our own spin on it.”

Rhythm Scheme are constantly tinkering with their sound, at the behest of their drummer.

For more, read this week's Connacht Tribune.