Born from the industrial powers of Dayton, Ohio, Ruckus Roboticus has risen to unleash his fury of funk, hip-hop and mischief. Part turntable, half drum machine, all sex machine; the robotic wonder has continually electrified listeners with his colorful and imaginative world of sound.
When he’s not busy remixing the stars (Bloc Party, Lady Tigra, Vampire Weekend, Pase Rock), or winning “Best DJ Mix” awards from Rockstar Games, Scion, and Solid Steel Radio, this bot can be found tearing the roof off of your local dancehall, art gallery, fashion show, and house party with a fierce live-set. His sharp skills and diverse selection have landed him countless shows across country, and even a few in the U.K., Canada and South Korea. He’s rocked on stage with Crystal Castles, RJD2, The Juan Maclean, Peanut Butter Wolf, Prince Paul, DJ Jazzy Jeff, DJ Food, The Rub DJs, DJ Premier, Mitsu The Beats, and Mr. Lif. And he has heads nodding to his beats featured on Nickelodeon, MTV, and a Progressive Car Insurance commercial… It’s no wonder his fans call him “the second hardest working man in show business.”
At the beginning of 2008, Ruckus quietly infiltrated the iPods & Turntables of the world with his long-awaited debut album, “Playing with Scratches” (Grease Records, 2008). While the album didn’t quite reach the Pop Charts, his tracks nonetheless dazzled critics and DJ’s alike, gaining support from indie juggernauts KCRW (Los Angeles), WFMU (New York), KEXP (Seattle), WOXY (Cincinnati), and others, eventually catapulting the album into the CMJ Top Ten. Tracks were also supported by The World Cafe (NPR), XM Satellite Radio, Rob Da Bank (BBC Radio 1), Annie Mac (BBC Radio 1), Solid Steel Radio (London), The Blend Corp. (Australia), Brooklyn Radio, and Spin Magazine.
“Playing With Scratches” reached another level it was ranked in WOXY’s 97 Best Albums of 2008 (alongside albums by Santogold, TV On The Radio, Portishead, Beck, MGMT…), and Ruckus was declared one of the “Next 1000″ by Urb Magazine. In royal fashion, he was crowned an official member of Ninja Tune’s Solid Steel Radio, joining Cold Cut, DJ Food, DK and other top-notch DJs in producing the weekly radio show that broadcasts “The Broadest Beats” around the world.
Despite his continued success, Ruckus remains in relative obscurity in Ohio, working endlessly in the studio on a slew of new remixes, music for television, and his next solo LP. Song by song, and mix by mix, Ruckus continues to capture the hearts & minds of music lovers around the world. It’s only a matter of time until the whole world realizes, this is the dawning of The Age Of Roboticus.
REACTIONS TO THE RUCKUS…
“This Ohio DJ is the rare crate-digger who can use his obscure vinyl, found sounds, et al. to spin a captivating yarn” - SPIN Magazine (May ’08)
“With experimental and highly engaging tracks, double R is no ordinary beatsmith.” –URB.COM
“An incredible fusion of music that incorporates funk, hip-hop, and experimental electronica all in one — a unique sound that’s wildly vivid.” – NPR / The World Cafe
“Worth getting excited about… Puts him in league with the likes of Cut Chemist, Prince Paul and RJD2… fun, funky and cognitive.” – OkayPlayer.com
“Though primarily for grown-ups, Playing With Scratches might just be the hippest kids’ album ever made. It certainly is the funkiest.” – Cincinnati Citybeat
“It rivals anything from king cut and pasters like Cut Chemist and Kid Koala.” -TurntableLab.com
“Our favorite DJ album of the year” – WOXY 97X
“Ridiculously good” – Strictly Kev (Ninja Tune)
“Holy Sh*t! …Very impressive!” - Steinski (Stones Throw)
“This is sick. F-ing brilliant.” – Ursula 1000 (ESL Music / APT)
“Having already given us one of the best guest mixes ever to appear on Solid Steel, Ruckus Roboticus now delivers an album showcasing his equally good skills as a producer.” – DK (Solid Steel / Ninja Tune)
“One of the best solo turntable / sample pieces to come this way for a while” -Hip Hop Connection (UK Magazine)
