By Mikkel Hyldebrandt
Photos: Le Fawnhawk
The Australian trio behind electronic music sensation Rüfüs du Sol has gained progressively in popularity and fan base since their debut album Atlas from 2013 and their 2016 Bloom. Now they are back with Solace with a slightly deeper and darker sound that they hope will resonate just as well with listeners. Peach spoke to band member James Hunt about the upcoming album and their show on October 25 in Atlanta.
Give us a little background about Rüfüs du Sol.
The three of us knew each other from high school, and we were all pursuing music in different ways. We met up again and bonded over mutual musical influences like Royksopp, Cut Copy, and Trentemøller. Eventually, we started making music together and produced a few Eps before our debut album, Atlas, in 2013.
To what do you attribute your huge success of previous albums Atlas and Bloom and now the warm reception of your new album single forerunners to Solace?
It’s hard to say the specific reasons, but we all believe in writing music that rings true to our souls. We always ask ourselves if it hits us in the core. I guess it’s a very selfish process, but that mindset also alleviates any conjecture about it and prevents us from overthinking or losing track of the vitality of our music.
What were the inspirations behind Solace?
We had a change of location moving from Berlin to Los Angeles, and this uprooting of ourselves, this destabilization, fed into the record. We’ve been touring for two years, and we have been listening to a lot of music along the way, so we dove head first into the process when we got into the studio. We became obsessed about writing and doing this thing. We also bought a bunch of new toys that we really wanted to get our hands on. So, I guess there is some darkness on the record, but also hope and light.
What or who do you think has influenced the sound of Rufus du Sol?
Trentemøller, Chemical Brothers, Röyksopp, and AME with their minimal electronica have been big influences. But also Nicholas Jaar with his texturally dark and warped electronic space that contrasts the cinematic with a raw base note. We developed this crushed and saturated sound with lots of contrasts and a lush, expansive sound. It’s a big progression for us with all new beat patterns that really open up the sound space.
How do you think more electronic music translates into a live concert environment?
Right now, there is a resurgence of appreciation of live electronic music. It is something we give a lot of attention to because ultimately we are three musicians playing on stage with live instrumentation.
What can people expect from the concert on the 25th in Atlanta at the Coca-Cola Roxy?
We spent months in this rehearsal cave, and we are excited to be out and about again. On this tour, we have allowed for many more jams and unexpected things that can happen from night to night. We really want to take people on a journey, so the audience can expect extended versions, more jamming, and we have an all new lighting setup. So it is going to be an audio-visual experience.
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Rüfüs du Sol’s latest album Solace is out on October 19, and they will perform at the Coca-Cola Roxy on Thursday, October 25.