Prior to the last year or two, the only “Rustie” or “Rusty” that I knew of was the son of Chevy Chase’s character in the National Lampoon’s Vacation movie series. If you’re familiar with the series, then you’re likely aware of the ongoing bit between the two characters, where, at various points in any of the movies, Clark Griswold (Chevy Chase) calls out to his noticeably proximal son, “Russ!? Oh, there you are.” It sort of represents how I feel about so many loosely-labelled “dubstep” artists, except for the fact that I’m not actively looking for them; they just keep appearing — through singles, EPs, third-party compilations, but only occasionally, a full-length album. After a couple of EPs, and appearances on such lauded compilations as 2009’s Tectonic Plates Volume 2 and 5: Five Years of Hyperdub, Glaswegian producer Rustie did his part to personally change that dynamic with his debut full-length Glass Swords, released last October on Warp. And now he’s basking in the success that his relentlessly upbeat amalgam of prog rock and classic video games has afforded him.
I consider the capacity of British producers to tour North America “basking in the success,” since it’s such a rarity. Beginning May 15, Rustie will be performing a handful of shows (literally, five) around the continent. Hellllooooooo Pyramid Lake, Nevada! Population: 2,000? Whatever, there’s a festival going on there. Check out the dates below and go here to listen to his contribution, which premiered a couple of weeks ago, to the BBC’s Essential Mix series.
Dates:
05.15.12 - New York, NY - Santos Partyhouse (Shortcuts Party)
05.18.12 - Pyramid Lake, NV - Pyramid Eclipse Festival
05.19.12 - Vancouver, BC - Electric Owl
05.20.12 - Los Angeles, CA - Smog Sundays/Dim Mak Studios
05.22.12 - Denver, CO - Cervantes
• Rustie: http://www.facebook.com/rustie666
• Warp: http://warp.net
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