Rory Gilmore at just 17-years-old is already forging an impressive path for himself in the world of electronic music, but has began crossing genres by blending funk, jazz, indie and everything in between.

The Northern Irish composer, DJ and musician is in the early phase of his career, yet Gilmore has compiled a dance mix for BBC Introducing and has enjoyed significant radio play in the last year or two alone.

Despite the challenges of 2020, it was a period of sure progress as he worked through a music technology course at college and placed a series of highly popular releases – ‘Feel So Free’, 2020's ‘Fly Away’ EP and ‘Degrading’ – into the public domain.

His latest offering, 'Here', showcases his expansive creativity and endlessly talented ear for a multitude of genre soundscapes, introducing everything from drum beats and swirling electronic synths to piano chords and bass guitar riffs. The chilled out atmosphere of the song itself is constantly evolving, with funk becoming more dominant throughout the listening experience. It's a hugely mature gem from one of Bangor's top emerging artists, and Hot Press can't wait to see what he pulls out of the bag next.

Rory played drums from a very young age, featuring in various school bands before working with local rap artists and acquiring DJ skills along with the essentials of electronic music. When he was 14, he found himself at a Bicep set at Queen’s University Belfast, where a mixture of chance and enthusiasm took him behind the decks and into an agreeable connection with Belfast’s superstar DJs.

A 2019 track, ‘Belfast In The Summer’ reveals some of Gilmore’s inspirations – the artwork for the track pictured an AVA Festival lights show in the city while the track itself – Italian house piano and vintage breaks – evoked the life-enhancing potential of the local dance scene.

“I might make 100 tracks,” says Gilmore, “and there’s only one that I’ll post. I don’t really have one genre. I’ll record funk-jazz with live drums, really heavy stuff and weird electronic stuff. Just whatever I’m feeling. But usually house-themed. And a nice groove you can get into and feel the track.”

His most popular track ‘Holiness or Hell’ uses an evangelical sample from Sharon Eiland, preaching from Florida in 2002, and currently has over 289,000 streams. Gilmore sought the necessary permissions and accented the rapture to resounding effect. So far, it is Gilmore’s most sought–after creation.

“Straight away, I knew it was gonna be a nice one,” he recalls. “It just seemed to click.”

His plans for 2021 are to finish his music studies and then anticipate the inevitable uplift after the lockdown.

“I’m preparing as much as I can so that when gigs do happen, I can take advantage of everything.”

As well as electronic production, Gilmore intends to work with a rake of new artists across all genres. Make sure to check out his Court House Sessions performance from this week, featuring a Q&A with the man himself.

Listen to 'Here' below: