Out of all the big-name dubstep producers, Rusko is probably the one with the most obvious sense of humor. His tracks are bass-heavy, sure, but they're also full of quirky, high-end samples, and generally harbor less of that sense of impending doom that permeates the work of people like Skream.
As such, he's one of the dubstep golden boys poised best to go semi-mainstream. Just see his booking for a crowd of thousands at Ultra Music Festival, just three months after he played an intimate gig at White Room in Miami this past December. Doubtless his star will only rise further as he heads on a national outing with Major Lazer this year. (The Ultra gig is technically the tour's kickoff).
As a teaser, Mad Decent just release this podcast, a long conversation
with Rusko taped in Los Angeles, where he boasts of "smoking the best
Cali weed, and drinking Mountain Dew every day" (apparently it's a rare
delicacy to the English). Bask in the mellifluous tones of his northern
English accent, which, although Londoners will vehemently disagree, is
actually often more charming than a southern one.
The podcast, besides detailing his start as a dub reggae enthusiast and
producer, also provides little snippets of tracks from his upcoming LP,
O.M.G.! There seems to be more than a few instance of AutoTune here, including a tweak of "California Love." The album is set to feature a star cast of collaborators including Amber
from the Dirty Projectors, Crookers, and even Gucci Mane.The first
single, "Woo Boost," is due out this month, and you can pre-order the vinyl from Mad Decent here.
Click here to listen to the Rusko podcast. When he mentions the back room of northern English sound systems, which featured awesome DJs like Andy C, I kind of miss drum'n'bass again.
Rusko, at Ultra Music Festival on Saturday, March 27. Bicentennial Park, 301 Biscayne Blvd., Miami. Gates open at 4 p.m. Tickets currently cost $139.95 for a two-day general admission ticket, and $350 for a two-day VIP ticket. Prices will go up, and single-day tickets will be announced. Visit ultramusicfestival.com for updated ticket info.