You could call Ruf Dug a DJ/producer and you wouldn’t be wrong, but that wouldn’t feel like the whole truth either. I would describe him as a renaissance man. Electronic music fans know him for his amazing music, his genre-bending DJ sets, or even his record label Ruf Kutz… In everything he does, you can feel this love for the music of all eras, his enthusiasm for creativity, his rebellious spirit.

Ruf Dug’s new release is called eCZtasy and, as its title suggests, it’s a love letter to Casio’s CZ-5000, a vintage keyboard with a characteristic sound beloved by many synth aficionados, including the japanese duo Satoshi & Makoto - which Ruf cites as an influence. The EP is articulated around 4 tracks exploring chill grooves and recontextualized tones, starting with the retro-futurist Inward Conversion Process and it’s scintillating keys bouncing up against a zouky-tinged drum pattern. Shoppin is another standout of the album, a little gem of a banger that will surely blow a breath of fresh air in more than a DJ set this year.

Timeless and yet modern, eCZtasy often feels like a well-kept secret you’ve just dug out a crate, it’s the kind of record you can’t wait to spin at your next party. I had the chance to have a with Ruf Dug in order to find out a little more about the creative process behind his new album, his many upcoming projects and, of course, his favorite video games.

You’re a self-described computer game freak. What game has been your go-to lately?

Playing lots of GTA online at the moment on PS4 and also my son got a mini Pac Man arcade game for christmas and I have been getting DEEP into that.

You wear many hats, from NTS resident DJ to label owner. Have those activities influenced your creative process as a producer?

Well the main influence they all have is in taking studio time away from me! As jealous as I get of people who spend all day every day in the studio at the expense of everything else I just do not have the capability to remain so singly focused. All the 'other hats' I wear function as ways to channel this need I seem to have to be occupied with a bunch of things at any one time and as ways to keep me away from playing GTA online...  In terms of how all these other activities feed into any creative process I might have, I think there's a singular ethos behind everything and that informs all of these activities...

Your album is a love letter to the Casio CZ-5000. How has this addition to your arsenal changed your workflow?

You know I have been doing this for a long time now and I still have no actual idea as to what my process or workflow actually is. Every few months I get frustrated and decide 'right I'm gonna work out a fuckin procedure here now' but it never actually happens. Basically I plug things in, fuck around with them for a while and then - sometimes - a tune comes out the other end. Sometimes it happens quickly, usually it never gets all the way though.

2019 took Ruf Dug around the globe, from Moscow to Tel-Aviv. What was your highlight of 2019, or is there a moment you will remember when you think back to that year? 

Ah there really was too much to single anything out and if I try and name loads of things then that will be a turbo brag. My personal highlight apart from all the joy my family constantly brings me was Uniqlo opening a shop in Manchester. Buzzing!

In your career-spanning interview with DJMag, you describe how persistence and hustle lead you to the success you have today. Do you have any thoughts on what a millennial DJ/producer should do to achieve similar results in the post-internet age?

Oh mate I don't know what you would do if you were starting out and I don't know if the results I'm getting are what the millenials want anyway! Persistence & hustle never go out of style but the landscape is very different to when I started out. I guess my main tips would be if you were starting out to forget about vinyl completely & spend most of your time on bandcamp and use the bandcamp communication tools to engage with artists and labels you love.

I feel like there's going to be a big shift in the real life aspects of the culture - people prefer festivals to clubs now, air travel may well soon become too expensive for many - DJs & punters alike - who currently jet around for gigs, and the internet is the main vector for people accessing this culture now. Relying on DJ bookings for an income / livelihood is not going to be as possible as it is now - and it isn't really very possible now when you look at the percentage of DJs that actually make a living out of this. Don't let any of this put you off though! Follow ur dreams!

Who are some artists that inspire or excite you at the moment?

Sarah Bates, Anz, Finn, Seekers International, Terry Perace

What can we expect from Ruf Dug in 2020? 

Lots more releases on Ruf Kutz and maybe even some merch finally...  quite excitingly I'm going to be in a band with Dennis Bovell, Steve Cobby, Danny Moodymann and the guitarist from Doves. We're playing at the Carlton Club in Whalley Range in March, I'm playing synths, I've no idea what the hell I've got myself into. Time for some elite-level impostor syndrome!

eCZtasy is out Friday. More info here : smarturl.it/eCZtasy

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