"Ragger make an early bid for "most peculiarly fascinating cover album of 2026" with Euphonic Sounds, just over half an hour of 16-bit electro renditions of ragtime. Together, multi-instrumentalists Marc Riordan and Jon Leland craft a sui generis anachronism, hellbent on lovingly refracting the century-old sound through a contemporary prism. Inspired by Sousa marches and postbellum dances like the cakewalk, ragtime took off in the 1890s and defined the sound of its era."
"Ragtime's jubilant origins in vaudeville and communal dancing are apparent in its euphonious melodies and playful rhythms. It laid the groundwork for big band jazz, Harlem stride piano, and early blues before its appropriation by Tin Pan Alley songwriters and publishers. The genre derives its name from its "ragged" syncopation, eventually calcifying as the form typified by Scott Joplin's "Maple Leaf Rag" and "The Entertainer.""
Euphonic Sounds is a half-hour album of 16-bit electro renditions of ragtime by Marc Riordan and Jon Leland. The duo reworks Joplin-era compositions and one George Botsford rag through synthesizers and V-drums, creating a sui generis anachronism that refracts century-old melodies into contemporary textures. The project skips metonymic standards in favor of deeper Joplin selections, invoking ragtime's syncopated, cakewalk-and-march roots. The recordings emphasize ragtime's role in shaping early jazz, stride piano, and blues while challenging perceptions of ragtime as mere novelty through playful, faithful electronic performances shaped by Riordan's ragtime quartet experience and a Los Angeles residency.
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