Ruf Dug
Ruf Dug
10-08-16
We are thrilled to welcome champion of the analogue, master of the left-field, and all round large legend Ruf Dug back to the depths of the Dalston Superstore lazer dungeon! He joins us for a good old fashioned rave-up at the premiere of brand schpanking new party Mince. We caught up with him to chat DIY aesthetics, mushroom raves and lesbian sex parties (seriously!)...
Hi Ruf Dug! We’re absolutely thrilled to have you play for Mince at Dalston Superstore! How’ve you been since we last saw you for Battered Sausage in 2014?
Hi Mince! To be honest since Battered Sausage there has simply been a big Superstore-sized hole in my life and I can't wait for it to be filled in again.
Can you tell us a bit about your label, Ruf Kutz? How has that grown in the last few years?
I started the label five years ago pretty much as a vanity project to release things my pals and I had made. The idea behind the label is basically to push a particular kind of vibe, a DIY, raw, unserious, uncommercial aesthetic but also to try and get across a sense of intimacy, of friendship - the label is very personal to me. I only ever release music that either I've made or that has been made by people who are very important in my life.
You moved from Manchester to Sydney and back again, what prompted those moves and what are your favourite things about both cities?
I moved to Sydney in 2000, pretty much for the same reason everybody from the UK moves there - to get a big distance between myself and home... I only planned to go for nine days and didn't leave for eight years. In the end I came back because I wasn't able to get permanent residency in Australia to stay and make a living from music.
Favourite things about Manchester: The enormous social / cultural legacy, the attitude, the architecture
Favourite things about Sydney: My friends, the memories of how fuckin' dope it used to be before it turned into some fucked up right wing dystopian theme park.
What is the weirdest/best place you’ve ever played
Loads of crews squatted the old ABC studios in North Sydney and threw a fuckin' crazy party that kept the police at bay and resulted in someone from the land management company helicoptering into the site the following morning to try and shut it down. We did a chillout room and sold sangria. That began a really incredible era of some of the best/weirdest/illegal-est parties I've been involved with. Massive mushroom raves where we would play birdsong at peak time, lesbian sex parties with actual lesbians having actual sex (and actually partying), bush doofs, street raves... aah the good old days.
They sound like our kind of parties!
What are your favourite spots to go digging for tapes and vinyl gems in London and beyond?
Alan's in North Finchley (I'm gonna get kneecapped for revealing this one) is the London spot for tapes and great vinyl. I love King Bee in Manchester and Vienna has got some of the best record shops I've been in.
You’re a proud champion of keeping things analogue – why do you think that’s important?
So much music these days never actually exists as physical sound until the moment the 'end user' plays it on their speakers - before that it's always been 1s and 0s. I think there is something a bit important about having that sound exist physically a few times before then. Let it live a little, get a few scars on its hide before sending it out there.
Weirdest edit or remix in your record bag?
This guy from Hong Kong called Scott Young sends me things through from time to time. They are always utterly bewildering and delightful.
Favourite track of 2016?
Not a track but an entire compilation - Multi Culti's Moon Faze Sun Gaze is the first thing I've heard in a while that makes me want to sell all my records and make this new weird sound they are pushing.
Can you let us in on any plans you have in the pipeline?
Selling all my records and making this new weird sound Multi Culti are pushing!!! The big exciting stuff is the forthcoming Ruf Kutz Label Nights and TV show we're making. First instalment October 21 at the Yard everybody!!!
Can you give us a hint of what you have in store for us at Mince in five words or less?
What You Have Always Needed
Catch Ruf Dug at the first ever Mince on Friday 19 August from 9pm-3am at Dalston Superstore!
Ruf Dug