Galactic Riffs & Relentless Tone — MILKYWAY’s Reilly Miltrup on Crafting Progressive Identity

For Reilly, every note is a convergence of emotional contour and technical ambition — music as a personal cosmos.

From the first note of Enter Sandman to the intricate polyrhythms of modern progressive instrumental, Reilly Miltrup’s journey is one of evolution, curiosity, and tone-seeking. As guitarist and creative core of MILKYWAY, his sonic palette draws from Animals as Leaders, Polyphia, Plini, CHON, and beyond — but always with his own fingerprint in the phrasing, the pedal movements, and the textures.

He grew up in Perth in a musical household: parents who played guitar and piano, and an environment that let him explore. That early exposure, combined with the spark of trying riffs that felt “just out of reach,” propelled him toward more challenging territory  and ultimately, to the extended‑range world of Ormsby guitars.

Over the last decade, Reilly has become deeply connected with Ormsby’s ethos: not just as a gear user, but as someone who sees guitars as sonic instruments that shape identity and possibility. He now wields a Goliath GTR8 Dahlia Black and a SX Carved Top GTR6 Lavender, each contributing its voice to his evolving catalog.

But the gear is just one part. Reilly also shifted his rig to a fully digital core with the Neural DSP Quad Cortex, embracing consistency and flexibility in modern performance. With expression pedals (Dunlop DVP4, OBNE slider), and a unique Abasi Concepts Micro‑Aggressor compressor upfront, he sculpts tone with precision while still preserving spontaneity.

His debut self-titled EP MILKYWAY was a milestone not only for his material but also for bringing the band  with Tom Pryde on drums and Monika Eyer on bass — into a shared live identity. He reflects with pride on that release, on the scene support in Perth, and on collaborating with like‑minded artists and the Ormsby team itself (notably on content and the launch of the Kaseki model).

What emerges in Reilly’s story is a musician constantly chasing balance: between technique and emotion, control and mystery, studio polish and raw performance energy. He’s looking forward to two future EPs, each one stretching his own boundaries — and he’s already stepping into larger creative roles, both as artist and collaborator in Ormsby’s ecosystem.

Gear Rundown

• Guitars

  • Ormsby GTR8 “Goliath” – Dahlia Black

  • Ormsby GTR6 “SX Carved Top” – Lavender

• Core Rig / Effects / Signal Chain

  • Neural DSP Quad Cortex – all-in-one digital amp, effects, IR, routing

  • Dunlop DVP4 (expression pedal) – toggles volume / whammy in QC

  • OBNE Expression Slider – used to manipulate wet effect mix or other parameters

  • Abasi Concepts Micro‑Aggressor – two-stage compressor, upfront in the chain

• Tone Philosophy

  • Wet effects placed after the “speaker” to capture studio-like ambience

  • Emphasis on consistency across gigs, in-ear monitoring, and tone portability