Evan Shornstein, also known as Photay, is an American composer, drummer, DJ, and producer from Woodstock, New York, United States.Review of Onism, Pitchfork Media
Music While a student at Purchase College, Shornstein took a trip to Guinea to study drumming, where he shortly released his debut album 1st in 2012. The influence of this exposure led to the creation of an EP, released as Photay in 2014 on the label Astro Nautico.Photay at Allmusic He released several remixes for the Ninja Tune label soon after.Get Familiar: Photay. XLR8R, September 27, 2017.
A full-length album, Onism, followed in 2017 on Astro Nautico. In 2020, a sophomore full-length, Waking Hours, arrived on the label Mexican Summer,Photay – “Villian” (Feat. golda may). Stereogum, January 15, 2021.Waking Hours review, PopMatters, June 12, 2020. and in 2022, he released On Hold, a record stitched together from samples of telephone hold music. In 2024, Photay released a new album, Windswept, on Mexican Summer. Windswept explores natural phenomena, notably "wind". Following the release of Windswept, its expanded album Windswept: Expansions was released in 2025, featuring two additional tracks "Jet Stream" and "Aeolian", and a remix of the album's track "Air Lock", titled "Air Lock (Air Tight Mix)".
Shornstein collaborates on a musical project titled "Ensemble Entendu" with musician Sam O.B.
Personal life As of 2025 he is in a relationship with composer Celia Hollander. Their house in Altadena burned down in the 2025 Eaton Fire.
Discography As Photay Albums Title Details 1st Released: November 30, 2012 Label: Self-released Onism Featuring: Madison McFerrin Released: August 11, 2017 Label: Astro Nautico On Hold Released: March 16, 2020This date is from the Bandcamp release of On Hold and a few other platforms such as YouTube and Discogs. On the other hand, Photay has released On Hold in Spotify a year later on March 5, 2021. "Roaming" is labeled with the year "2021" for this reason, since it's a Spotify-exclusive single. Label: Mexican Summer Waking Hours Released: June 12, 2020 Label: Mexican Summer An Offering Featuring: Randal Fisher, Mikaela Davis, lasos Released: October 1, 2021 Label: International Anthem More Offerings Featuring: Randal Fisher, Laraaji, Mia Doi Todd, lasos, Club Diego Released: December 9, 2022 Label: International Anthem Windswept Released: September 20, 2024 Label: Mexican Summer Windswept: Expansions Released: March 28, 2025 Label: Mexican Summer
EPs Photay (Astro Nautico, 2014) Sadie (Astro Nautico, 2016) Onism: Remixed (Astro Nautico, 2018) Waking Hours: Remixed (Mexican Summer, 2020) Always Cosmic (Multi Culti & Copyright Control, 2026)
Singles "Outré Lux (feat. Madison McFerrin)" (Astro Nautico, 2017) "The People" (Mexican Summer, 2020) "Is It Right?" (Mexican Summer, 2020) "Quest of the Pseudacris" (Mexican Summer, 2020) "Villain (feat. golda may)" (Mexican Summer, 2021) "Roaming" (Mexican Summer, 2021) "Derecho" (Mexican Summer, 2024) "Air Lock" (Mexican Summer, 2024) "Air Lock (Air Tight Mix)" (Mexican Summer, 2024) "Jet Stream" (Mexican Summer, 2025) "Aeolian" (Mexican Summer, 2025) "Land of Make Believe" (Mexican Summer, 2026)
Guest appearances "No Sass" on Nova - Haute musique II (Nova Records, 2017) "Ode to the Pleiades (Photay Remix)" by Clap! Clap! on Black Acre: Once Around the Sun 2018 (Black Acre Records, 2018) "Forest Pulse" on Bliss On Dear Oneness by Carlos Niño & Friends (Leaving Records, 2019) "Sea Urchin" on Atlantics X (Astro Nautico, 2020) "Monday" on Nova le grand mix 2015 (Nova Records, 2023) "Continuum Part 1–3" & "Continuum Part 4 - The Slow Fawn Rises" on Slow Fawn Music No. 2 by Sam Cohen (Slow Fawn Music, 2025) "Light Beam Extended" by Sam Cohen (30th Century Records, 2025)
Remixes "Em Bora (Photay Remix)" on Long Ways Off Remixes by Matas (Outlier Recordings, 2014) "Can't Forget (Photay Remix)" on The Meaning by Rights (Infinite Machine, 2015) "Bismillah (Photay Remix)" on Day To Day Remixes by Sarathy Korwar (Ninja Tune, 2016) "In Stone (Photay Remix)" on In Stone Remixes by BASECAMP (OWSLA, 2016) "Season 2 Episode 3 (Photay Remix)" by Glass Animals (Wolf Tone Limited, 2016) "Sorceress (Photay Remix)" by Jordan Rakei (Ninja Tune, 2017) "Balance (Photay Equilibrium Dub Mix)" on Positive Noise (The Remixes) by Sam O.B. (LuckyMe, 2017) "Get Lost (Photay Remix)" on Get Lost (Remixes) by D-Pulse (Downtown & Interscope Records, 2017) "Ode to the Pleiades (Photay Remix)" by Clap! Clap! (Black Acre, 2018) "Ocean Flow Zither (Photay Remix)" on Sun Transformations by Laraaji (All Saints Records, 2018) "Cham Bomb (Photay Remix)" on Super Liminal (Remixed) by Penya (On The Corner Records, 2018) "Rain Makes The River (Photay Remix)" on Rain Makes The River (Remixes) by Jazzanova (Sonar Kollektiv, 2019) "Gold Rush (Photay Remix)" by Death Cab for Cutie (Atlantic Records, 2018) "Falls (Photay Remix) [Radio Edit]" on Falls Remixes by ODESZA (Self-released, 2018) "Checkpoint Charlie (Photay Remix)" by Ghost Against Ghost (Our Silent Canvas, 2019) "Learn Your Lesson (Photay Remix)" on Finding Foudations: THE REMIXES by Madison McFerrin (Self-released, 2019) "The Workers of Art (Photay Remix)" on To Believe (Remixes) by The Cinematic Orchestra (Ninja Tune, 2020) "All the Way Round (Photay Remix)" on All the Ways Round by Kelpe (DRUT Recordings, 2020) "MMXX — XII (Photay Remix)" on MMXX (Remixes) by Diplo (Higher Ground, 2021) "Love is Loving (Photay Remix)" by Scrimshire (Self-released, 2021) "Blue to Red (Photay Remix)" & "Blue to Red (Photay No Drums Remix)" on Blue to Red Remixed by Chip Wickham (Lovemonk, 2021) "All That I Need (Photay Remix)", "All That I Need (Photay Lullaby Remix)" & "All That I Need (Photay Remix Radio Edit)" on Conclave (The Remixes) by Conclave (Love Injection, 2021) "Another Like This (Photay Remix)" by Steve Spacek (Boomerang Records, 2022) "ZEZE (Photay Version)" on ZEZE (Remixes) by WEMA (!K7 Music, 2022) "P U P I L (Photay's Tributary Mix)", "E X I S T E N C E (Photay's Infinite Mix)" & "E X I S T E N C E (Photay's Infinite Mix with Club Diego)" on More Offerings by Photay (International Anthem, 2022) "Naturally (Photay Remix)", "Naturally (Photay Remix) - Radio Edit" & "Naturally (Photay Remix) - Radio Edit Instrumental" on Naturally Remixes by Turn On The Sunlight (Plant Bass & Jesse Peterson, 2023) "Alma Del Mundo (Photay Remix)" by Phil Moffa (Love Injection Records, 2023) "Help (Photay Remix)" on Bonus Prize by Rozi Plain (Memphis Industries, 2023) "Always Open (Falle's Roots) - Photay Remix" by United Freedom Collective on Always Cosmic by Photay (Multi Culti & Copyright Control, 2026) "Loango Weaver (Photay Remix)" by Les Mamans du Congo (Shika Shika, 2026) "Indigo Dye (Photay Remix)" by Stavroz (Moodfamily, 2026)
As Ensemble Entendu Albums Title Details Selected Rhythm Works, Vol. 1 Released: November 18, 2016 Label: Astro Nautico
EPs Music for the Densely Populated, Vol. 2 (Astro Nautico, 2019) Pastoral Dark Themes, Vol. 3 (Astro Nautico, 2019) Reckless Mechanical Anthems, Vol. 4 (Extravagant Frequencies, 2025)
Singles "Time Is Certainly Passing" (Astro Nautico, 2018) "Azalea Chuva" (Astro Nautico, 2019) "Big Break" (Astro Nautico, 2019) "Hot Heads" (Extravagant Frequencies, 2025)
Remixes "The People (Ensemble Entendu Remix)" on Waking Hours: Remixed by Photay (Mexican Summer, 2020)
As Evan Shornstein Albums Title Details Frog Ragg Released: April 22, 2025 Label: Extravagant Frequencies OOPS! By: Booker Stardrum Released: June 5, 2026 Label: Sudden Quarterly
EPs Rafting / Tall Grass (Extravagant Frequencies, 2025) Might Slip (Extravagant Frequencies, 2025) Unexpected Music II by Celia Hollander (Extravagant Frequencies, 2026)
Singles "VI" (Extravagant Frequencies, 2025)
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