INTERVIEW: James Ruskin [Tresor]
Techno pioneer James Ruskin gives you the low-down on Closer NYE and what promises to be a party of epic proportions…
After two groundbreaking and enthralling parties that took London by storm, there’s only one place to be for discerning techno fans on December 31 and that’s Closer NYE. Taking place in a central London warehouse location, this promises to be one unforgettable night of original techno music.
Closer NYE is also a very rare opportunity to catch two of techno’s premier artists playing together on the same night. In fact, London has rarely seen anything like it and just about the only place you’re likely to hear Luke Slater and James Ruskin in town these days is at their Fabric residencies – getting them both together is nothing short of a major coup, therefore, and you can already feel the anticipation in the air. Throw the Closer resident and rising star Steve Strawberry into the equation and this is a line-up of pure dynamite. This is a London exclusive and will not be repeated – be there and witness history in the making.
Representing the sound of young London at Closer will be Chris Rayner from Inhale, Jon Holland and Mutant from Injury Time, Stakker and Lene Andreasen from System, and Richard Belsom and Dan Van Damn representing the Jack Digitals label. Over in the second room, meanwhile, Religion Promotions will be your hosts featuring Aleksei, Matt Hardin, Paul Edge and Paul KC playing the very best in underground vocal and jackin’ house, electro, techno and minimal.
The venue will be pretty special too and will be fully equipped with award winning sound, visual projections throughout, heating, a cool smoking area and plenty of seating. Rest assured, it’s going to be very special and perfect for the intimate and intense atmosphere of Closer.
To get you in the mood, we caught up with one of the headliners, James Ruskin, to find out what he’s been up to and what he’s got planned for Closer NYE. Unbelievably, he has never actually played in London on New Year’s Eve before!
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Tell us what kind of year 2007 has been for you so far and any particular highlights?
I think that one of the biggest things for me this year was to record my new album. It’s a project that is very close to my heart as it is a dedication to my best friend and Blueprint label founder Richard Polson who passed away in 2006. I have had some great gigs this year but one that really stands out was the Kinetic night at Fabric in Madrid, it’s not very often you get to play such an amazing club with all your friends DJing! 2007 has been a very positive year for electronic music in general (although not from a business sense) and what has interested me the most is how styles now seem to be crossing over a lot more and sets are becoming more eclectic again.
Tell us a little bit about your new and fourth album, ‘The Dash’ – when is it released and how does it differ from your previous albums, if at all?
It will be released late January 2008, and there is also a 12-inch being released mid-December which includes a remix by myself and Karl O’Connor under our OVR project name. The album itself I would say is very detached from the previous two Tresor outings. A lot of this is due to the amount of time between them as I have completely changed the way I write and record music now, and also the whole process was approached in a very different way with a completely different meaning behind it.
You’ve recently been touring a live show based around the album, including a recent date at Fabric – how does it work and how have the shows been received?
The shows so far have been great and I would say the Fabric gig has been one of my highlights this year, the crowd were amazing and the show went really well. Playing live is something I have put off for many years but I’m looking forward to doing selected dates next year and expanding the show over time. For me it’s a very different process to DJing as it’s far more structured which is something I have had to get used to and adapt to. It’s something I was never really sure I would enjoy but so far I’ve loved it!
The new album is coming out on Berlin label Tresor - how does it feel to be playing back at arguably the most famous club in techno now it’s found a new home? What’s the vibe like?
The new Tresor has definitely retained the feel and atmosphere of the original venue, which I think is what they definitely wanted to achieve. It’s quite strange walking in there and seeing things like the DJ booth from the old club - it’s like it was never knocked down! The club has such a history it’s always special playing there and I’m sure it will continue to uphold the techno tradition.
How long has it been since you last played in London on New Year’s Eve and what does it feel like to be doing so again?
I think this is actually the first time I have played London on New Year’s Eve, so I’m really looking forward to it. It’s always nice to play in your home town and being the biggest night of the year as well makes it even better.
Any particular treats lined-up for your set and what can we expect to hear?
For me New Year’s Eve is always about the party so it’s good to get some classics in the set and just have a bit of fun!
How are you playing these days on the technological front?
I still use vinyl, but for the last couple of years I i have been integrating a laptop which I essentially use as a third turntable. It’s great for manipulating old tracks and creating new mixes live, and it just gives you a lot of scope to expand sets and take things in many different directions. I think the use of technology to present the music in a different way is very positive thing and has opened up a lot of possibilities for DJs.
When was the last time yourself and Luke Slater last played in London on the same bill – how do feel your styles complement and contrast each other?
The last time we played together in London was at Steve Bicknell’s Spacebase night at Plastic People which was excellent. We have worked in the studio together quite a lot on a couple of projects so we both know what the other is into. I’m sure our two styles will work well together.
Looking forward to 2008, what are your plans for next year?
On the recording side I’m looking forward to doing some more work with Karl O’Connor, and I am also going to be concentrating on some new material for Blueprint in the early part or the year as it has taken a bit of a back seat recently. There are several remixes in the pipeline including one for Mr Slater, and I hope to be doing some more of the live shows and seeing where I can take that next year.
On a lighter note, anything in particular you want for Christmas…
Just to see my daughter going mad opening presents… oh, and a Koenigsegg CCX!
… and any New Year resolutions?
To be more organized! (very unlikely)
[i]For more information on Closer NYE visit www.myspace.com/partycloser or click here for the e-flyer - advance tickets are on sale now through TicketWeb on 08700 600 100 or www.ticketweb.co.uk
