lackluster

esaruoho@hotmail.com
http://www.lackluster.org/
http://www.lackluster.org/free/
http://www.lackluster.org/press/

lackluster

Le Finlandais Esa Juhani Ruoho est nŽ il y a vingt-cinq ans ˆ Helsinki. D�s sa prime enfance, les comptines Žlectroniques des jeux vidŽos font partie de ses musiques favorites et c'est donc tout naturellement que d�s 94, il se passionne pour l'IDM et l'ambient. Un peu plus tard, il commence ˆ composer ses premiers morceaux sur du matŽriel rudimentaire et en total autodidacte, il va lentement progresser de mani�re empirique. C'est une des raisons pour laquelle il constitue sans aucun doute un des artistes les plus prolifiques de la sc�ne Žlectronique. Il produira en effet pas moins de 300 morceaux originaux en cinq ans. D'abord, ses compositions trouvent refuge sur internet au sein de labels comme Monotonik et Kahvi puis d�s 2000, elles suscitent l'intŽr�t de structures Žmergentes comme Merck, Defocus ou les Belges de U-Cover et Zeal. Lackluster se fait progressivement un nom au sein de la communautŽ electronica participant en outre ˆ diffŽrentes compilations (sur Neo Ouija, Autumn, Kracfive,É) et rŽalisant de nombreux remixes pour des artistes tels que Marumari, Machine Drum, Multiplex ou Proem. Aujourd'hui plus que jamais, Esa Ruoho continue d'expŽrimenter dans son petit appartement d'Helsinki-est et le rŽsultat est de plus en plus excitant. Le Finlandais ma”trise de mieux en mieux les textures et les mŽlodies synthŽtiques pour offrir des atmosph�res tr�s personnelles, denses et lumineuses. Les paysages de ce personnage plus habituŽ aux climats urbains qu'aux ballades champ�tres vous englobent dans un monde libŽrŽ de toute temporalitŽ et pourtant en perpŽtuel mouvement. Hip Hop futuriste, ambient flottant, IDM aux rythmiques progressives et parfois subliminales, pop synthŽtique aux relents des premi�res compilation Artificial Intelligence de Warp, Esa multiplie et superpose les chemins pour emporter l'auditeur dans son spacieux et dŽsinvolte univers. Car loin des ersatz et clones qui peuplent l'Žlectronique actuelle, Lackluster a avant tout le grand mŽrite de proposer une vision originale et complexe de la musique synthŽtique.

lackluster

Describing the sound of Esa Ruoho's music is a task full of adjectives, but it never comes to mind to call any of it lackluster - the name, that this talented, young Finnish electronic music artist has chosen for himself.

At the same time challenging and rewarding, Lackluster's music is full of texture and organic quality that many electronic artists seem to have lost in the pre-millenium tension urge to slice and divide sound. Melodic sounds are woven in layers; rhythm grows and reacts in harmony instead of pretentious chaos. Lackluster is the sound of modern architecture colliding with the intricate beauty of nature.

Hailing from the gray reality of the nationÍs capital Helsinki, Esa Ruoho is more familiar with concrete buildings and suburban life, than the vast forests, numerous lakes and icy cold snow that Finland is known of.

Starting with a meager set-up of a computer, soundcard and simple sequencing software, Ruoho started innocently enough, fooling around with samples and trying to piece together anything resembling a proper track. With no musical education and no experience whatsoever from playing instruments the road wasnÍt easy, yet at the same time there were no academic boundaries. Driven by the need to learn and develop, Esa Ruoho composed over 300 original tracks over the period of just five years.

Even though he had been excessively spreading his music over various electronic channels such as bulletin board systems and internet, it was only after five years of practicing half in public and half privately, that Esa Ruoho felt like sorting the best of his work and pressing them on CDs. Named after the used media, CDR#1 and CDR#2 were both pressed in limited numbers and sold out immediately thanks to Lackluster's already impressive underground fame. Both CDs are still in request and doing rounds in mp3 format among the fans.

Lackluster's first real album and recording contract was conceived through Clair PoultonÍs DeFocus-label. Container received excellent feedback, both from the press and the electronic music aficionados. Container was followed by Wrapping, the last album for Lackluster on DeFocus. Both albums were still more or less compilations of slightly older material. Recording under his birth name, Esa Ruoho, also released a dark and beautiful ambient concept album for Belgian label U-Cover.

While many fans and reviewers who follow the IDM (intelligent dance music) scene have a tendency for blaming artists for copying others, it says a lot that LacklusterÍs uniquely melancholic and tender sound has never gained any similar accusations.

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