Happy to say that my track Spindrift is coming out tomorrow on the Tour de Traum 30 compilation.
Spindrift has been made with Renoise / Paketti - the continual development of Paketti is financed and supported by your support via http://patreon.com/esaruoho
"Written, mixed and produced by HLER
Electric guitar, bowed lyra & effects by Heikki Lindgren
Pure data, Ableton Live, Renoise with Paketti by Esa Ruoho
Mastered by Jukka Anderson
Cover Design by Juuso Koponen"
Message from Riley Reinhold of Traum Schallplatten:
"I was looking for music that ways taking the label for an offroad ride. More meaningful and deeper then a lot of dancefloor music these days. Iam not saying i am done with dance music, because i have siged already some great music for this year, but there are times you need to dig deep. So Lackluster has that quality for sure!
This Finnish artist deliberately moves away from today’s prevailing sound aesthetics, refusing to create music that merely explodes in the listener’s face. Instead, his compositions are no fireworks but rather the glowing embers of a fire - shifting colors, subtle transformations, an appeal to the most primal human senses. In this, he shares a kinship with artists devoted to ambient music, yet he counterbalances their softness with an uncompromising edge - at times cold, at times unrelenting. The result is an experience that is as demanding as it is rewarding, an intricate soundscape that does not simply reveal itself but insists on being discovered.
This is, without question, the antithesis of a TV dinner. It is music that requires space, time, and patience—an ascent rather than an instant gratification. For those willing to engage, it promises something far more profound: an experience that unfolds and resonates long after the final note has faded."
these songs have been made with Renoise
Here's a low-contrast Lackluster Renoise Theme.
This has been altered out of some other theme for usage.
Way back in 2011-2012, I considered this "to be quite soothing to the eyes at times, not as piercing as the default Renoise theme." Your mileage may vary.
La musique développée par Esa Ruoho aka Lackluster est étrange et magnétique, serpentant au milieu de paysages vallonnés, recouverts d’une végétation dense et mystérieuse à l’aura envoûtante.
Alley est un objet surprenant aux bordures cousues au fil de soie, se jetant dans des gorges de mélodies sinueuses, accumulation de strates au psychédélisme fascinant, d’où émergent des formes hybrides aux facettes multiples.
Plongeant l’auditeur dans des sonorités électroniques semblant surgir de la fin des eigties, Lackluster compose des titres enracinés dans un rétro-futurisme lumineux, mélange de nappes flottantes et de rythmiques mouvantes, nourries de proto-techno et d’électro torsadée, de trip-pop aux arrondis white funk et de downtempo en colimaçon. Inclassable.
Roland Torres
Links SilenceAndSound ReviewEine Woche, bevor der Aphex Twin mal wieder eine EP veröffentlicht, ist es an der Zeit, sich einem anderen Helden der elektronischen Musik zu widmen: Esa Ruoho aka Lackluster.
Es gibt Platten, die verlassen einen nicht. Lacklusters „Container“ ist so ein Album. Einen Indikator dafür findet sich sogar im Archiv unseres Magazins, als ich im Oktober 2014 die LP in den Wochenend-Walkman steckte. Auch in den vergangenen achteinhalb Jahren hat „Container“ nichts von seiner Faszination bei mir eingebüßt, im Gegenteil. Die Tracks wirken so einfach und wunderbar geradeaus. Ich erinnere mich genau, wie ich nach dem Release im Jahr 2000 versuchte, selbst etwas in dieser Art zu produzieren, dabei aber krachend scheiterte. Denn wie Ruoho die nur wenigen Sounds und Spuren gegeneinander antreten lässt und sie immer weiter verschachtelt, ist so komplex wie unerreicht. Das gilt auch für die aufblühende Musikalität dieser Vignetten. Aus der Zeit gefallene Kleinode der außer Atem geratenen Backroom-Raver:innen. Es war die Zeit von Rephlex und Warp. Von Musiker:innen wie Richard D James oder Bochum Welt. Mir ging mit jeder neuen 12" das Herz auf.
Warum ich das alles schreibe? Lacklusters aktuelles Album „Alley“ (erschienen im April 2023) knüpft für mich nahtlos an diese Zeit und sein Album „Container“ an. Das mag eine steile These sein. Denn natürlich habe ich nicht die gesamte Diskografie von Ruoho aus den 23 Jahren auf meiner MP3-Festplatte. Das Speichermedium mit den rund 1,5 TB Musik habe ich in den vergangenen Jahren ohnehin nur selten angeschlossen. Mit anderen Worten: Ich weiß gar nicht, was Lackluster in Gänze so produziert und veröffentlicht hat, auch wenn ich sicher bin, immer wieder mal ein Album oder eine EP gehört zu haben. Ganz schön eigentlich, nun wieder mit Begeisterung dabei sein zu können.
„Alley“ glitzert in Teilen weniger. Ruoho nimmt neben dem altbekannten Strahlen und seiner inhärenten Schönheit auch dunkle Erinnerungen aus der großen IDM-Zeit in den Blick. Herrlich angetäuschte Moog-Bässe, dystopisches Sound-Design: Tracks, bei denen man sich auf den ersten Blick unwohl fühlen kann, aber keinesfalls muss. Denn so wie es damals im Club war, ist es nach wie vor auch in den Gassen, durch die wie alle in den Jahren gewandert und gelaufen sind: ruhig, entspannt, hektisch, gestresst – bei Tage oder bei Nacht. Und dann, ganz plötzlich, finden sich auch hier diese unfassbar großen Melodie-Momente. Einfach hingestellt. Einfach Herz ausgeschüttet. Mit ein bisschen Hall drauf, unterlegt mit klappernden Beats, zu denen man das Tanzen erst lernen muss. Lackluster macht Musik für Momente, die uns nicht oft zu Teil werden. Für das große Eingeschüchtertsein und die schiere Freude. Das wird immer dann besonders magisch, wenn beides irgendwie miteinander zu tun hat, voneinander abhängig ist. Dann entsteht eine pastorale Brüchigkeit im Unbewussten. Dieses Kribbeln hält uns am Leben. Dass „Alley“ auf Hymen veröffentlicht wurde, scheint so zufällig wie kongenial. Ich kann mich an wenige Labels erinnern, die in ihrer Hochzeit ein derart dicht getaktetes Output hatten. Das war fordernd für den Musikjournalisten, der ich damals war. Aber auch wunderbar. Ein Blick auf Lacklusters Bandcamp zeigt, dass ich viel nachzuholen habe. Darauf freue ich mich sehr. Bitte weitermachen.
Links DasFilterLackluster—a name that is synonymous with melodic electronica and IDM from the early 2000’s—has returned with Alley, his latest collection of works. Helsinki, Finland-based Esa Ruoho has released music on highly influential labels such as deFocus, U-cover, and Merck in the past, but this would be his first album for German label Hymen Records. Since becoming a father in 2020, Esa found himself living a more comfortable lifestyle and spending time with his son outdoors wandering the streets of the Vuosaari neighborhood in eastern Helsinki. The roads all have interesting names like Fog Alley, and Pepper Alley—which is where the album title and songs’ titles on Alley originated.
The opening track has a recognizable feeling that can be found on previous Lackluster releases like Container (2000) and Wrapping (2002). The focal point is typically carefully layered melodies within his works, and “Ginger Alley” is no exception to this. Slower tempos and meandering synth loops come together for a nostalgic trip. The following track “Pepper Alley” is certainly a stand out with crisp percussion tracks shifting ever so slightly off the grid, and sitting atop chilled tonal elements. Lackluster’s songs can be playful, whimsical, and, at times mysterious. “Coffee Bean Alley” and “Swelter Alley” unquestionably fit this mold, as simplistic and lighthearted downtempo compositions that hearken back to the early 2000’s. Never overly technical, Lackluster provides the Warp Records’ Artificial Intelligence type sound on tracks like “Cinnamon Alley” and “Fog Alley.”
It’s worth noting that much of the synthesizer work heard on Alley comes from the Roland SC-88st—a general MIDI module which can be externally controlled. Esa admits that it was “the right challenge at the right time,” learning to use such a primitive device effectively, and that it “has that exact 90’s sound.” Though the gear and technique have changed over the years, Alley still encapsulates the signature Lackluster sound. Fans of Esa’s work will feel right at home hearing this record. Highly recommended for listeners of CiM, John Tejada, early Aphex Twin, and Artificial Intelligence compilations.
Links Igloomag ReviewLackluster – Alley (Hymen Records) 0
BY PARANOID ON AUGUST 5, 2023 REVIEWS
Finnish legend Esa Ruoho, aka Lackluster, is a well known artist here at Cyclic Defrost. Featured in interviews and concert reviews in the past, he’s kept busy expanding his catalog mainly as part of HLER, his drone project together with Heikki Lindgren. Now he’s back to his most popular alias to achieve another milestone: Alley, his new EP on the iconic Hymen Records, label that started at the end of the 90s and has a history of well respected figures in the scene. Here’re some thoughts on the release, organised track-by-track.
Ginger Alley
With a relaxed BPM and a thick, slow and hypnotic bassline, the opening piece has melodic motifs all around, sometimes accompanied by sparkles of light -in the shape of sound-. Synth keyboards that originated in the ‘80s but were processed and smoothed-up in the ‘90s also build up waves of little hypnotic delights.
Pepper Alley
Slow, but with a twist. Esa Ruoho starts unfolding his rhythm explorations here, this time adding breaks and also mixing organic sounds with soothing and glowing digital pads. Pepper Alley defines a strong melodic aspect for ‘Alley’, and it goes places, giving hints that this won’t be the only transient moment of the record.
Coffee Bean Alley
Same as he goes over different scents and aromas throughout its titles, Lackluster seems to be using a wide set of ingredients for his potion, this time with a fusion of dubby thick lines together with oneiric synthesisers, and when he stirs adding repetition, we discover the whole flavour.
Swelter Alley
The juxtaposition of the sweetest intro with the industrial rhythm reminds us of some of the best moments of the 90’s. That being said, Swelter Alley is more than just resembling retro elements, since it unveils new and uncharted territories with Esa Ruoho’s own voice. Thick, trancy, dreamy, with sprinkles of reversed samples, it all adds up and levitates to an amazing change of mood.
Cinnamon, Vanilla and Fog Alley
This is a set of alleys designed for the heads, with elements from classic electro and vintage sounds, combined with Ruoho’s distinctive rhythmics. ‘Cinnamon’ has a drifting departure, and leaves us with ‘Vanilla’, another showcase of uptempo filled with details that contribute to the flow. ‘Fog’ is where it all leads up to, and the result is an epic construction giving rise to Lackluster’s own oneiric-rave bliss. The last minute being the cherry on top with its hints of sonic pleasure.
Alley seems to be carefully built, letting the sounds stretch in all its splendour before being merged into each other, and the same applies to the transitions between tracks. There are elements from Esa Ruoho’s vast catalog here, but his journey continues and he is not diverting from the essence of his own exploration, resulting in one of our favourite albums by him.
Links cyclic defrostThe music of the Finnish artist Esa Ruoho is first of all known to the public thanks to the Lackluster project, which perfectly embodies the braindance phenomenon of the early 00s. His main opus is the album Container, emotional and quite easy-going work. Unlike his colleagues (for example Arovane aka Uwe Zahn) Esa stays true to his primordial style with clear and sincere melodies and easy drum-machine rhythm, which he demonstrated on the new album Alley. This release is Lackluster's debut on the German label Hymen Records, which has released a whole galaxy of important projects for the music scene: Gridlock, Converter, Venetian Snares, Lusine Icl, just to name a few.
Alley is straightforward and sincere as well and certainly draws the listener in. Although it becomes obvious that Lackluster acts as the last of the Mohicans, which gives him more freedom of action in this field of old school IDM music. Another undoubted advantage for the musician is the fact that he already has a huge reputation for more than one decade, so this creation can not only attract new listeners, but also awaken many veteran connoisseurs from hibernation.