VEX RUFFIN - Vex Ruffin

Kategorie: CD-Reviews | Genre: Artpop/Pop | Heft: Jahrgang 2014, eclipsed Nr. 157 / 2-2014 | VÖ-Jahr: 2014 | Wertung: 7/10 | Label: Stones Throw | Autor: WK


If there were a category of poetic pragmatism, the Filipino-American Vex Ruffin would be the superhero of this new genre. He is a solo entertainer, playing all instruments synchronously himself, which makes his songs appear incredibly dry, sober and static. The songs are reduced to a minimum, sound like torsos or demos. Everything is unfinished, but it is precisely this constructivist brokenness that frees the listener to complete the songs for themselves. In their youthful innocence these in every respect unadorned tracks lead us back to the beginnings of electronic music. Some remind us of Kraftwerk, others of the beginning of synthiepop in the late seventies. Ruffin's singing reminds Elvis Costello and Beck. The steadfastness with which Ruffin pulls his worms through the eye of a needle is almost trance quality. I'm sure the loner can be accused of monotony. On the other hand - very sympathetically - he has no tendency towards perfectionism.

Top track: Hard On Myself

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