Rustie

Last updated

Rustie
Rustie.jpg
Background information
Birth nameRussell Whyte
Also known asRustie Russ
Born (1983-01-04) 4 January 1983 (age 40)
Origin Pollokshields, Glasgow, Scotland
Genres
Occupation(s)Producer, musician
Instrument(s) Computers, guitar
Years active2007–present
Labels Warp, Numbers, Wireblock, Stuffrecords

Rustie (born Russell Whyte) is a Scottish musician from Glasgow. He is associated with the Numbers label collective and first received attention for his 2007 EP Jagz the Smack. He signed to Warp Records in 2009. His 2011 debut album Glass Swords won him widespread acclaim. His music blends disparate genres, including hip hop, rave, and video game music. [4]

Contents

History

Rustie's first instrument was guitar and he bought his first decks at age 15. He is associated with the subgenre of aquacrunk, a genre described as an experimental offshoot of hip hop that emphasises slowed down, low-slung beats, with lashings of electronic mutterings and morphing basslines. [5] He believes his work conveys movement and fluidity, and that his creative process is an "immersive world" wrapped up in sound, rhythm, and color. Rustie's long-time interest in video games has influenced his approach to electronic composition. [6]

Rustie's first singles were released in 2007 and 2008. [7] The producer signed with Warp Records in 2010 for the release of Sunburst EP. In 2011, Rustie released his first album Glass Swords on Warp Records. Widely celebrated for its meditation on everything from grime and hip-hop, to sci-fi computer games, and even prog rock, [8] [9] [10] Brad LaBonte of Dusted Magazine wrote "Glass Swords contains some of the freshest, most exciting electronic dance music I've heard this year. Put simply, nothing sounds like this record." [11] Where as Rolling Stone proclaimed it "one of the most thrilling electronic albums of the decade."

In 2012, "After Light" from Glass Swords was included in an Adidas television advertisement featuring British track and field athlete Jessica Ennis prior to the 2012 Olympic Games. [12] Three tracks from Glass Swords ("After Light", "Ultra Thizz" and "Surph") were used in the soundtrack to the video game Sleeping Dogs .

The same year, Glass Swords won The Guardian's First Album Award. [13] [14]

Rustie released his second album, Green Language , on 26 August 2014 on Warp Records. In a review of the album, Pitchfork proclaimed that “Part of Rustie's genius is the way he spun so many sounds and ideas into a bright, high-energy electro-funk whose central contradiction—brittle in sound, pliant in structure—turned out to be visionary." Two tracks from the album, 'Raptor' [15] [16] and 'Attak (feat. Danny Brown)', [17] received "best new track" awards by Pitchfork. Following the release, a second single, "Lost" (feat. Redinho), was premiered by Zane Lowe on BBC Radio 1.

After a show for XOYO Loves at London's Coronet Theatre on 29 November 2014 featuring special guest, rapper Danny Brown, Rustie announced his upcoming 2015, 'Green Language Live' world tour. The 'Green Language' tour is his largest to date and featured dates across Europe, Australia, the USA and Korea. The events showcased immersive 3D visuals by A-Rock including lost Egyptian artefacts, swarms of birds amongst other extravagant effects. [18] [19]

Previously, Whyte has played live with collaborators; Redinho at his album launch party hosted at London's Oval Space on 18 September 2014, production/vocal duo AlunaGeorge, [20] and Koreless.

On 6 April 2015, Rustie announced the next North American leg of his Green Language World Tour. It included stops at a number of festivals with performances at Sasquatch, Bonnaroo, Firefly and Governors Ball. [21]

At the beginning of November 2015, Rustie announced that his third album, Evenifudontbelieve , would be released on 5 November. In his review in The Fader, Selim Bulut wrote; "I want to join the cult of Rustie... On his new album EVENIFUDONTBELIEVE, the electronic producer has created a secular gospel. Is it possible to download someone’s consciousness as an album? I don't know if I believe in that, but I definitely believe in Rustie." [22] Evenifudontbelieve was released via Warp Records, [23] having made two of the singles taken from the album, "First Mythz" and "Peace Upzzz" available for stream only days prior to the release. [24]

Late November 2015, saw Rustie take part in a live Q&A with fans on Reddit, answering questions on a range of subjects including his production techniques, his influences and previous collaborations. [25]

After seven years of silence, Sub Club hosted Rustie and other artists in collaboration with the Glasgow label, Numbers, on 2 December 2022. [26]

Production

As well as his own material, Whyte has produced three tracks for Danny Brown's 2013 album Old. [27]

Personal life

At the age of 15, Whyte was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes. [28]

In the midst of Evenifudontbelieve 's release cycle and tour, Whyte announced that he would be cancelling all concerts "due to addiction and mental health problems". [29]

Discography

Studio albums

TitleAlbum details
Glass Swords
Green Language
  • Release: 26 August 2014
  • Label: Warp
Evenifudontbelieve
  • Release: 5 November 2015
  • Label: Warp

EPs

TitleAlbum details
Jagz The Smack
Bad Science
Sunburst

Singles

YearTitlePeak chart positionsAlbum
UK
[30]
2008"Zig-Zag"Bad Science
2011"All Nite"Glass Swords
"Ultra Thizz"
2012"Surph"
(featuring Nightwave)
"After Light"
(featuring AlunaGeorge)
173
2013"Triadzz / Slasherr"
2014"Attak"
(featuring Danny Brown)
Green Language
2014"Lost"
(featuring Redinho)
2015"Big Catzz"Evenifudontbelieve

"—" denotes single that did not chart.

Remixes

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Warp (record label)</span> British record label

Warp Records is a British independent record label founded in Sheffield in 1989 by record store employees Steve Beckett and Rob Mitchell and record producer Robert Gordon. It is currently based in London.

<i>Drukqs</i> 2001 studio album by Aphex Twin

Drukqs is the fifth studio album by Aphex Twin, the alias of British electronic musician Richard D. James, released in 2001 on Warp. It is a double album alternating primarily between tracks of meticulously programmed drum and bass-inspired beats and computer-controlled classical piano pieces. It features the piano composition "Avril 14th," one of James's best-known recordings.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Karl Hyde</span> English musician

Karl Hyde is an English musician, composer and artist. He is a founding member of British electronic group Underworld. Hyde has also released a solo album, made albums with Brian Eno and Matthew Herbert, and contributed towards the score for the London 2012 Summer Olympics Opening Ceremony alongside Rick Smith.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Clark (musician)</span> British electronic musician (born 1979)

Christopher Stephen Clark is a British electronic musician, performing under the mononym Clark. He has produced music for his own albums, as well as music for television, films and video games, having composed scores for award-winning contemporary dance and BAFTA nominated TV series. His records have been released by Warp Records, Deutsche Grammophon and his own label Throttle Records.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Sword</span> American heavy metal band

The Sword was an American heavy metal band from Austin, Texas. Formed in 2003, the band was composed of vocalist and guitarist John D. Cronise, guitarist Kyle Shutt, bassist Bryan Richie and drummer Santiago "Jimmy" Vela III for most of its tenure. Originally signed to Kemado Records, the group released its debut album Age of Winters in 2006, the material for which had been largely written by Cronise prior to the band's formation. Gods of the Earth was released two years later, giving the group its first entry on the US Billboard 200 chart when it reached number 102.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Crystal Castles</span> Canadian electronic music group

Crystal Castles was a Canadian electronic music group formed in 2006 in Toronto, Ontario, formed by songwriter-producer Ethan Kath and singer-songwriter Alice Glass, who later left and was replaced by Edith Frances. Crystal Castles were known for their chaotic live shows and lo-fi melancholic homemade productions. They released many limited vinyl singles between 2006 and 2007 before releasing four studio albums between 2008 and 2016.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Aphex Twin</span> British electronic musician (born 1971)

Richard David James, best known as Aphex Twin, is an Irish-born British musician, composer and DJ. He is known for his idiosyncratic work in electronic styles such as techno, ambient, and jungle. Journalists from publications including Mixmag, The New York Times, NME, Fact,Clash and The Guardian have called James one of the most influential and important artists in contemporary electronic music.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hudson Mohawke</span> Scottish music producer

Ross Matthew Birchard, better known by the stage name Hudson Mohawke, is a Scottish-American producer, composer, and DJ from Glasgow. He is known for his influential work in 21st century hip-hop and electronic music. A founding member of the UK label collective LuckyMe, his fractured, colorful take on hip-hop made him a leading figure in the late-2000s wonky scene. He released his debut album Butter in 2009 on Warp Records. He has followed with the solo albums Lantern (2015) and Cry Sugar (2022), both on Warp.

<i>Cosmogramma</i> 2010 studio album by Flying Lotus

Cosmogramma is the third studio album by American music producer Steven Ellison as Flying Lotus, released by Warp Records on May 3, 2010.

Kwes is a British music producer, composer and artist from London, England. Kwes is also currently signed to Warp as a solo artist and released his debut album, ilp in October 2013. He has since gone on to produce music for the likes of Damon Albarn, Bobby Womack, Solange Knowles, Sampha, Loyle Carner, Black Coffee, Nubya Garcia, Tirzah and numerous others.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mount Kimbie</span> English electronic music duo

Mount Kimbie is an English electronic music duo consisting of Dominic Maker and Kai Campos. Formed in 2008, the duo expanded on the musical template of the UK dubstep scene, releasing early EPs Maybes and Sketch on Glass to critical praise the following year. Their debut album Crooks & Lovers in 2010 received further acclaim and was listed as one of the defining albums of the decade by DJ Mag.

Liam Sylvester McLean, better known by his stage name Joker, is a British record producer who creates music in genres such as dubstep and grime and was known for creating the subgenre "purple sound". He was named "2009 king of bass music" by XLR8R magazine and was featured in the September 2009 issue of The Wire magazine. He has contributed to two releases produced by the London-based record company Hyperdub. He also runs his own label known as Kapsize Recordings. His debut album, The Vision, was released on 31 October 2011 through independent label 4AD. His sophomore LP, The Mainframe, was released on 16 February 2015 through his own Kapsize imprint.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">LuckyMe (record label)</span> British record label and design studio

LuckyMe is a United Kingdom-based record label and design studio specialising in the release of new electronic, hip hop, pop, rock and underground dance music. Referred to as "one of the most innovative and prolific independent record labels of the decade" and acclaimed for "distinctive visual arts projects and collaborations".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Danny Brown</span> American rapper (born 1981)

Daniel Dewan Sewell, better known as Danny Brown, is an American rapper, singer, and songwriter. He was described by MTV in 2011 as "one of rap's most unique figures in recent memory".

<i>Glass Swords</i> 2011 studio album by Rustie

Glass Swords is the debut studio album by Scottish producer Russell Whyte under his alias of Rustie, released by Warp in 2011. The album was produced and recorded between 2008 and 2010 by Whyte, partially in his father's home in Glasgow, Scotland and partly in his own home in London, England. The album contains vocal work from Whyte as well as London based producer Nightwave.

Patten is the pseudonym of London-based electronic experimental musician and audiovisual artist Damien Roach.

<i>Green Language</i> (album) 2014 studio album by Rustie

Green Language is the second studio album by Glaswegian producer Russell Whyte under the alias Rustie. The album, released on Warp on August 25, 2014, was announced with the track "Raptor" - first played by Annie Mac on BBC Radio 1 in June 2014. It features guest appearances from D Double E, Danny Brown, Gorgeous Children, and Redinho. The title of the album derives from "the language of the birds".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Numbers (record label)</span>

Numbers is a record label and club night promoter based in Glasgow, Scotland, run by Jack 'Jackmaster' Revill, Rob 'Bobby Cleaver' Mordue, Richard 'Simply Richard' Chater, brothers Calum 'Spencer' Morton and Neil 'Nelson' Morton and Adam 'Goodhand' Rodgers. Numbers began as a club night by that name in Glasgow in 2003 and continues both in Glasgow and elsewhere. The Numbers record label was founded in 2010 with the merger of three Glasgow based labels Wireblock, Dress 2 Sweat and Stuff. It releases music in vinyl and digital file download formats and has done so for numerous acts including Rustie, Jamie xx and Jessie Ware.

<i>Evenifudontbelieve</i> 2015 studio album by Rustie

Evenifudontbelieve is the third album by Russel Whyte under his alias of Rustie. It was released on 5 November 2015 by Warp.

Future bass is a style of electronic dance music which developed in the 2010s that mixes elements of dubstep and trap with warmer, less abrasive rhythms. The genre was pioneered by producers such as Rustie, Hudson Mohawke, Lido, San Holo and Cashmere Cat, and it was popularised in the mid to late-2010s by artists such as Flume, Martin Garrix, Illenium, Louis the Child and Mura Masa. 2016 was seen as the breakout year for the genre.

References

  1. LaBonte, Brad (11 October 2011). "Dusted Reviews: Rustie - Glass Swords". Dusted Magazine. Archived from the original on 5 July 2019. Retrieved 5 February 2019.
  2. Aguiar, Steven. "RUSTIE GOES ACOUSTIC FOR A LIVE SESSION ON BBC RADIO". MTV . Archived from the original on 14 May 2016. Retrieved 1 May 2016.
  3. Harvell, Jess (18 October 2011). "Rustie :Glass Swords". Pitchfork . Archived from the original on 20 March 2014. Retrieved 19 March 2014.
  4. Birchmeier, Jason. "Biography - Rustie". AllMusic. Archived from the original on 18 April 2019. Retrieved 4 August 2019.
  5. Bakare, Lanre (20 October 2008). "Scene and heard: Get ready for aquacrunk". The Guardian. London. Archived from the original on 4 February 2014. Retrieved 16 December 2016.
  6. "Interview: Rustie used to produce like how gamers game. | Kill Screen | Pitchfork". Pitchfork . 31 May 2012. Archived from the original on 12 October 2012. Retrieved 19 March 2020.
  7. LaBonte, Brad (12 October 2010). "Sunburst". Dusted Magazine. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2011.
  8. Reynaldo, Shawn (10 October 2011). "Glass Swords". XLR8R. Archived from the original on 11 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2011.
  9. Gibb, Rory (27 September 2011). "Glass Swords". BBC. Archived from the original on 28 December 2019. Retrieved 11 February 2018.
  10. Macpherson, Alex (6 October 2011). "Glass Swords". The Guardian . London. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 16 December 2016.
  11. LaBonte, Brad (11 October 2011). "Glass Swords". Dusted Magazine. Archived from the original on 5 July 2019. Retrieved 12 May 2012.
  12. "Rustie features on new Olympic Adidas advert". Factmag.com. 10 July 2012. Archived from the original on 16 February 2015. Retrieved 21 September 2014.
  13. Jonze, Tim (9 February 2012). "Guardian first album award: Rustie". The Guardian . London. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 16 December 2016.
  14. Hann, Michael (6 January 2012). "The Guardian first album award 2012: our shortlist". The Guardian . London. Archived from the original on 22 April 2017. Retrieved 16 December 2016.
  15. Dombal, Ryan. "Rustie – Raptor". Pitchfork. Pitchfork Media. Archived from the original on 28 June 2014. Retrieved 30 June 2014.
  16. Minsker, Evan (23 June 2014). "Rustie Details New Album Green Language". Pitchfork. Pitchfork Media. Archived from the original on 30 July 2014. Retrieved 25 July 2014.
  17. "Rustie - "Attak" [ft. Danny Brown]". Pitchfork. Pitchfork Media. Archived from the original on 7 August 2019. Retrieved 6 August 2019.
  18. "Green Language Live - 2015 World Tour Dates". Warp Records. London. 6 December 2014. Archived from the original on 20 December 2014. Retrieved 8 December 2014.
  19. "Rustie takes Green Language on world tour starting January 2015". FACT Magazine. London. 6 December 2014. Archived from the original on 19 December 2014. Retrieved 8 December 2014.
  20. "Rustie: London live Show update, AlunaGeorge & Koreless added". Warp Records. London. 13 August 2014. Archived from the original on 16 August 2013. Retrieved 7 January 2015.
  21. "RA: Rustie tour dates". Residentadvisor.net. Archived from the original on 27 April 2015. Retrieved 19 March 2020.
  22. "EVENIFUDONTBELIEVE on Twitter: "NEW RECORD OUT TMRW FUK KNOWS WHAT TIME #EVENIFUDONTBELIEVE https://T.co/TkzhpLwlAh"". twitter.com. Archived from the original on 5 March 2016. Retrieved 17 January 2022.{{cite web}}: External link in |title= (help)
  23. "Rustie's new album 'Evenifyoudontbelieve' has dropped". Mixmag. Archived from the original on 6 November 2015. Retrieved 5 November 2015.
  24. "Rustie". SoundCloud. Archived from the original on 31 October 2015. Retrieved 5 November 2015.
  25. "[AMA] Ayyy this is Rustie from Glasgow. I have just released my 3rd album on Warp Records. Ask me anything. • /r/Music". reddit. 24 November 2015. Archived from the original on 26 March 2021. Retrieved 15 February 2016.
  26. Cochrane, Kez (11 November 2022). "Rustie is playing a party in Glasgow next week". Crack Magazine. Retrieved 3 December 2022.
  27. "Danny Brown Reveals New Album Title, Collaborations With A$AP Rocky, Purity Ring, Rustie". Pitchfork. London. 17 December 2012. Archived from the original on 20 December 2012. Retrieved 7 January 2015.
  28. Rustie (7 July 2015). "Rustie – This track saved me when I was 15 & wanted to die after being diagnosed insulin dependent for the rest of my life". Facebook . Archived from the original on 2 February 2016. Retrieved 7 July 2015.
  29. Rustie (19 December 2015). "Due to addiction & mental health problems, all gigs in the near future are cancelled. Very very sorry & hope to see u all soon". Twitter . Archived from the original on 8 November 2020. Retrieved 24 March 2016.
  30. Peak positions in the United Kingdom: