Page 71 - Zone Magazine Issue 018

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t was in 2000 when I first heard a James Ruskin production. I can remember it well, a Saturday afternoon when I was in studying for the first year of my GCSEs, having just found out this wonderful music called techno a year
infancy was very interesting for Ruskin:
My eldest brother is 10 years older than me and used to bring home a lot of Punk and Ska records, and this would be my earliest musical memories, and interest. I became obsessed with music very early on and every penny I got was spent on records. As soon as I heard Jean Michel Jarre’s ‘Equinox’ my journey into electronic music began, and developed really quickly. I was lucky enough to be interested in electronic music when Cybotron’s ‘Clear’ was released, and this was also a very pivotal record for me.
I had spent all my weekends in clubs from the late 80’s and was always buying records so I’m not sure I can pinpoint the time I consciously decided it was going to be my career. It seemed like it was just a natural progression from what I was involved with anyway, and I guess beginning to buy equipment would be the point where I realised this was more than just being about going to clubs, it was something that i wanted to be a part of from a creative side. The place where everything came together and we could listen to the music in the right environment was ‘Lost’ in London, this was our home, and a place where the friendships and connections I made still stand to this day.
I was very interested in how James produces
his music so asked him if he uses a hardware
based set up today or has switched to software:
I still have a lot of my equipment from when I began buying kit in the early 90’s, and I still have a love for hardware and the tactile approach of working with hardware that isn’t replicated for me in the same way when using software. That being said software plays a major part in my studio and I use it extensively. Everything has a job, and i work with whatever tools get me to where I want to go. It has no relevance what people use, it’s about what they use it to do.
When asked if there is any advice he can give to
producers trying to break through in a frankly
over-saturated market, he responds;
Always be true to yourself, believe in your music, and don’t think social media is more important than what you create, because regardless of what people might tell you, it’s not."
Finally, with such a hectic travel schedule that
has dominated his musical career, how does
James unwind?
Musicians and DJ’s definitely operate on a different timescale to a lot of people a majority of the time, so unwinding tends to involve very simple things like helping my daughter with her homework, cooking dinner and generally doing things that make you switch off for a moment.
I conclude by asking if James had anything to Declare?:
It wasn't me!
Connect:
https://www.facebook.com/BlueprintRecordsLdn/
earlier. I also remember as it was absolutely hammering it down so I spent longer than usual in my local record shop in Plymouth hoping the rain would stop, as I wanted to buy one more extra vinyl than I budgeted for and sacrificed my bus ride home, replacing it with a three mile walk.
That vinyl was 'Mutate And Survive' by Ruskin and Oliver Ho on Ho's Meta label and it left a huge, lasting impression on me. The razor sharp percussion, quirky synth work and the fact I hadn't heard anything quite like it before on all four tracks really set it apart from some of the more questionable releases I was into at the time. Ruskin had since been a go to artist when browsing for vinyl and has produced numerous timeless productions that still are in my sets to date. His DJ sets are awe inspiring as well, keeping the energy levels intense, just like you can hear in his productions. This month his Blueprint label hosts a label party at the prestigious 5,000 capacity Printworks venue in his hometown London, so I caught up with him to see what he has planned.
"Playing your own parties, in your hometown is always something special, and although it may not be a conscious thing I definitely feed off of that environment which I guess influences the way I play. It’s very difficult to flag one place as being my favourite as there are so many variables that go into making a good night. What I enjoy is a crowd that are willing to go with you, and a sound system that can translate what you are trying to do in the best way."
I ask what inspired Blueprint, which formed in 1996 and James explained:
We worked with a label briefly in the mid nineties that had a distribution company, which led to us being offered a deal to start Blueprint, so within maybe a year we went from putting demo’s together to having our own label. It already felt as though this was a natural progression so it didn’t feel any kind of leap, although this was a time when then was a huge investment into what we were doing.
I think there were a core of people around that time that fed off of the punk ethos of being able to do it all yourself. We became self sufficient which allows you to take your own path.
When asked to pick his favourite release from the impressive and vast back catalogue of Blueprint (who recently celebrated their 50th release) and show no signs of grinding to a halt any time soon, James clarifies:
Every release has an importance to me, so it would be impossible to pinpoint one in particular, but the releases Richard and myself put together at the start meant that the label is still running, and I am still able to do what I love. Working with new artists like Rommek is part of what keeps things moving forward and keeps things interesting.".
Growing up in London, with a hip-hop background, in the time that techno was in its
Pics courtesy of James
Ruskin
Words By Louk
ESSENTIALDANCEMUSIC 71