I Built the Sky

I really can’t believe I hadn’t heard of I Built the Sky before now… a one-man project by Australian guitarist Rohan Stevenson, and it sits firmly in that instrumental prog sphere alongside Plini, Scale the Summit, and Intervals – the “makes you feel things without saying a single word” category of music. But where some of those artists lean more into jazz fusion or get overly technical for technical’s sake, I Built the Sky is what happens when someone takes the technical wizardry of djent, strips out the aggression, and replaces it with pure melodic bliss. It’s just perfectly divine for deep diving during work and getting lost in the music. 

Good starting points are The Zenith Rise (2013), and The Sky Is Not the Limit (2017) which really hit his sweet spot: intricate tapping runs, soaring leads, electronic textures that sit perfectly in the mix without overpowering the guitars. It’s technical as hell but never feels like a showcase. It’s emotional first, impressive second.

The production is also immaculate – that modern, polished djent tone but with actual dynamics and space to breathe. There’s this constant push-pull between heavy, syncopated rhythm sections and these gorgeous, almost post-rock climaxes that hit like the musical equivalent of watching a sunrise. It’s just good music. I hope you enjoy rocking with me.