Friday
Ruf Dug’s hard-earned reputation as a world-class DJ and Producer is no overnight success story – growing up in Manchester and Ibiza it’s not unsurprising that this life found him but it wasn’t until he got caught up in the squat party scene in Sydney in the early 00’s that he answered his calling, the DIY ethos there informing everything that followed.
Since then he’s always followed his own path – sometimes coinciding with the ‘industry’, sometimes bounding lightyears ahead of the pack and having plenty of fun tearing around new cultural territories while waiting for everyone else to catch up.
His productions have made their way into A-list & tastemaker’s record bags for a long time now. DJs as diverse as Moxie, Moodymannn, Ben UFO, Jamz Supernova, Gilles Peterson, Colleen ‘Cosmo’ Murphy and Bradley Zero are all fans of the Ruf Dug sound and he’s released on a variety of a-list labels – in the last 12 months alone his work has graced the likes of Rhythm Section, Shall Not Fade, International Feel and WOLF music.
His formidable NTS show is a great place to jump into Ruffy’s musical universe to get a sense of exactly how eclectic he can get – 8-bit video game soundtracks bump up against hour-long minimal jazz epics, wrong-speed jungle, slamming Detroit electro, private press outsider pop, Ruffy’s own productions and who knows whatever else – and somehow he makes it hang together perfectly, all while delivering ridiculous shout-outs to an adoring audience.
When it comes to playing out he’s pretty much done it all – from Pikes to the Panorama Bar, from Gottwood to Glastonbury, from Brilliant Corners to Barbarellas to Burning Man – no dance floor remains un-buzzed for long when Ruffy is at the controls – and preferably for a long stint; when your range is as wide as this then it’s actually possible to deliver a genuine ‘journey’ set, something few DJs are able to do despite all the nonsense hype that gets bandied about.
What can’t be understated is the pure fun at the heart of everything Ruf Dug does. There’s a rich vein of gentle, friendly humour running through all of his output – from the daft shoutouts on NTS to his playful DJ blends and silly track names, Ruffy is unafraid to lean into the simple act of enjoying one’s self, and everything he does is an expression of that sentiment – and it’s infectious. Put simply – hit up Ruffy if you want a GOOD TIME.
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