Basic Band Info
Band Name: John Ruskan
Album Name: Day By Day
Email Address: jr@johnruskan.com
Website Address: http://www.johnruskan.com
Music Style: Electronic Downtempo w. Vocals
Influences: Personal
First Name :John
Last Name :Ruskan
Geographic City: New York
State: NY
Country:USA
Zip Code:
Band Description
John Ruskan is a New York based singer-songwriter / multi-instrumentalist. His music can be described as: Downtempo, electronic-acoustic, ambient-groove, singer-songwriter for deep trance listening.
Artist Biography
John Ruskan has been around the music scene for years. He originally made a splash in the 80's with his indie New Wave album "I Am A Model" which got huge college airplay. In this album, John played all instruments except drums, becoming one of the first pop artists to multi-track their recordings. One reason the album was considered striking was because of John's unique approach to synthesizers, which was noted by more than one reviewer.
John was able to accomplish the multi-tracking because he was owner - engineer of a 16 track recording studio on 22nd Street in Manhattan called Crossfire Studios. Crossfire was the second "budget" 16 track studio in New York. As studio operator, he worked with and advised tons of musicians who were now able to afford to record pro quality demos and indie records.
John completed several independent albums under the 22 Records banner, but eventually phased out of music in the late 80's to pursue a career in psychology, as an innovative author and originator of a type of East/West meditative self-therapy. His book, Emotional Clearing, was published by Random House in 2000, and has become a widely respected classic in the field.
In 1995, John happened to be living in Los Angeles. This was a particularly vibrant time in pop music, when the trip-hop genre was just getting underway, with groups like Massive Attack, Enigma, Moby, and many others blazing a new trail in the music world. It all was being broadcast by the local radio station, KCRW, before the internet, so you had to be there to hear it. It was a unique and exciting opportunity - a brand new, electronically based musical art form was being launched which totally captivated John and drew him back into music creation.
Since then, he has released several albums: Downtempo, electronic-acoustic, ambient-groove with trip-hop and post trip-hop grooves. His compositions are usually song-based, because John is primarily a singer-songwriter. The song themes are introspective and deal with challenges, pain, and personal evolution.
John's productions are unique in the contemporary music world and represent a cultivated and mature artistic effort. He continues to create the entire production, feeling like a painter who executes the entire painting. There are few others who are able to combine skillful songwriting with strong artistic concept, masterful electronic and acoustic musicianship, and superb audio engineering.
All of his albums may be listened to in their entirety at his website:
http://www.johnruskan.com
John now divides his time between his two major career interests, music and psychology. His psychology work may be reviewed at:
http://www.emclear.com
HEADLINE:
John Ruskan releases his sixth full-length DEEP TRANCE LISTENING album, Day By Day.
SUMMARY:
An evocative pop down-tempo song-based album that contrasts dark personal snapshots with innovative, ethereal electronic / acoustic textures and intricate, captivating, post trip-hop grooves. John performs on all instruments and vocals.
Album length: 59 minutes; 10 tracks
PRESS RELEASE:
John Ruskan releases his sixth full-length album, Day By Day. Full of personal angst, this album gives the listener the opportunity to identify with and then rise above typical negative emotional experiences such as love lost, isolation, fear, and frustration that we all face in the modern world.
Contrasted with the realism and grittiness of the lyrics is the music, which relaxes, transports and uplifts the listener to a place where the pain of everyday life is transcended.
To help achieve these goals, the music is intended to induce a deep trance listening experience. There are many musical elements carefully constructed and blended in the arrangements to achieve this goal. To get the most out of the album and to allow it to trigger inner journeys, John encourages the listener to experience it with earphones, lying down with eyes closed.
