Lackluster

Infobox musical artist
Name = Lackluster


Background = non_vocal_instrumentalist
Birth_name = Esa Juhani Ruoho
Alias = Lackluster, Esa Ruoho, XLLV, Can'o'Lard
Born = 26.10.1978
Origin = Helsinki, Finland
Instrument = Computer, Laptop, Synthesizer, Tracker, Sequencer
Genre = IDM, Ambient, Downtempo, Tracker-music, Chiptune
Occupation = Music, Resonance Research
Years_active = 1994—present
Label = deFocus, Merck Records, U-Cover Records, SLSK Records, Psychonavigation Records
Associated_acts = Kökö and the Köks, EET
URL = [http://www.lackluster.org/ lackluster.org]

Lackluster is the main stage name of Esa Juhani Ruoho, who has also recorded as Esa Ruoho, Can'o'Lard, Kökö and the Köks and XLLV. [http://www.discogs.com/artist/Esa+Ruoho Esa Ruoho at Discogs.com] ] Lackluster is formerly known as the chiptune musician, Distance, part of the demoscene groups Orange, Monotonik, Calodox, The Digital Artists, The Planet of Leather Moomins (TPOLM) and FLO. [ [http://tpolm.org/people.html TPOLM roster] , [http://www.mono211.com monotonik roster] , [http://www.pouet.net Pouet.NET] , [http://scene.org/~esa/demodiscography.html Distance/Orange Demography] ] . Lackluster also ran a BBS, Cloudcity, from 1992 to 2000 - utilizing HectoBBS (1992), SuperBBS (1992-1994) and PCBoard (1994-2000) BBS Softwares. [ [http://www.scene.org/~esa/ private communique with artist]

Ruoho has lived most of his life in Helsinki, Finland, but has also, since 2000, travelled to Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada for six months in 2000-2001 [Grooves Magazine #5, FAQT Magazine #5, Zealectronic Purple Biography] and also spent time in Dublin, Ireland [2005 hotpress interview, Foggy notions interview (2005)] . For the past 19 years he has been lodging in Kontula, a district of Eastern Helsinki.

Musical career

Esa Ruoho started composing electronic music in the mid-1990s and, after 2000 has been releasing recorded music (remixes, compilation-tracks, original work) on dozens of labels, full-length CDs on such labels as deFocus records (Great Britain), Merck Records (Miami, Florida, U.S.) [merck records website, numerous interviews] , U-cover (Belgium) [U-cover website] , Psychonavigation Records (Dublin, Ireland), New-Speak Records (Stockholm, Sweden). He is currently working with SLSK Records and Project Mooncircle. [http://www.lackluster.org/ Lackluster website] ] .

Several prominent IDM artists have mentioned his name as an influence on their work (including Miss Kittin & Bogdan Raczynski & Xela), and he has influenced and been influenced by both the IDM as well as the tracker scenes.Fact|date=October 2007

Live Performances

Since 2000, Ruoho has played numerous musical performances in Finland, Sweden, Norway, Netherlands, Belgium, Italy, Germany, France, Spain, Ireland, England, Austria, Poland, Russia, Latvia and Estonia. Current tally: 91 live gigs (as of 2nd November 2007) [ [http://www.frappr.com/lackluster Lackluster gig map] ]

Other Media Collaborations

*Utopias of Helsinki, a web report for Helsingin Sanomat "What would Helsinki be like now, if all of the grandiose city-utopias of the 1960s had come to fruition?" (composition)(2001) [http://www2.hs.fi/klik/utopiat2001/utopia2001.html Helsingin Utopiat]
*Pauli Ojala (a finnish graphics artist) on "13/10/99", a short music video which was presented at the Assembly 2001 Wild demo competition, placing 4th. [http://www.assembly.org Assembly website]
*Company (website), "Kooded.com", providing an in-house shockwave animation with soundfx + rhythms (2002)
*Wilma Mehtonen (a finnish choreographer) "Ulottumaton Symbioosi" (2002).
*Halcyon (demogroup) DVD, providing in-menu composition(2002)
*Wilma Mehtonen "T.43" modern dance-performance (2003).
*Teemu Niskanen (a finnish photographer) on a web-slideshow project (2006). [http://www.teemuniskanen.com/ teemu niskanen site] [http://www.teemuniskanen.com/lackluster teemu niskanen lackluster-page]
*Thuyen Nguyen: "The Most Powerful Person in the World" - May 16th 2007. [http://www.devinquest.com/ devinquest.com website]
**Synopsis: A love letter to video games.
*Luca Barbeni (designer) on "dune.8081", a flash website, 2007. [http://www.8081.com 8081.com]
*Mari Helisevä (painter) on "Luontaisenkaltaisia", an art installation featuring a musical mixture of kitchen-recorded materials, displayed at Maa-Tila, Helsinki, Finland, 9th to 20th January 2008. [http://www.taidekoulumaa.fi/maa-tila/ maa-tila]
*Thuyen Nguyen: "Same as it ever was" - February 29th 2008. [httP://www.devinquest.com devinquest.com]
**Synopsis: Video game critics use the same arguments against gaming as they did for movies, television, comics, books.
*scheltema/van beem NEPCO/ILC: "Headfooters", 2008
**Synopsis: Cutesy headfoot monsters jump around to the sound of "Hugytrak" off of Lackluster: Slice (released on U-Cover)

Other Interests

Ruoho also has a striking interest in the thoughts, discoveries and concepts of Walter Russell, Buckminster Fuller, Viktor Schauberger, Wilhelm Reich, John Keely, John Bedini and any related nature and intuition-based information, such as Earthship technology, the Dymaxion map, Dymaxion Chronofile, and Biomimicry. . In 2008 Ruoho became a lifetime Friend of The Wilhelm Reich Infant Trust, and also a supporting Citizen of The Solar Village. Ruoho is a Finnish language word for Grass or Weed which makes it not that surprising that Esa Ruoho / Lackluster is also a hemp, medical marijuana, cannabis activist.

Interests and Releases

*In 2005, Ruoho released "Zero Million Barrels of Oil Per Day" on Monotonik netlabel as a MP3, as a statement of intent for the planet to reach for alternative energy technologies. [http://www.mono211.com/content/releases/mtkmp153.html]
*In 2005, Ruoho released "What You Want Isn't What You Need" on Newspeak Records on CD, the linenotes state "Please stop legislation telling us what natural supplements, vitamins and nutrients we can eat and what we cannot. Please stop codex alimentarius." This was Ruoho's comment on Codex Alimentarius. [http://www.discogs.com/release/519743]
*In 2007, Ruoho released "Repulsine EP" on SLSK Records on CD, a tribute to Viktor Schauberger, with artwork containing photographies of Viktor Schauberger's face and imagery of the Repulsine device patents and photographies.
*In 2007, Ruoho released "The Stationary Trout Ep" on Part2 Records as MP3, the name inspired from Viktor Schauberger and the writings of Callum Coats. "The Stationary Trout Ep" also contained a song called "Monsanto Corporation", which was Ruoho's take on the works of Monsanto Corporation.

Discography

* 1999 - Album - "CDR#2" (CDr) Monotonik
* 2000 - EP - "FOC349" (LP) deFocus
* 2000 - Album - "Container" (CD,LP) deFocus
* 2000 - EP - "R U Oho?" (LP) deFocus
* 2000 - EP - "Rikos005" (LP) Rikos Records
* 2001 - Album - "Spaces" (CD) U-Cover (as Esa Ruoho)
* 2001 - EP - "Spaces" (LP) Inc.US (as Esa Ruoho)
* 2001 - EP - "Zealectronic Purple" (LP) Zeal
* 2002 - EP - "A Lackluster Sampler" (LP) Merck
* 2002 - EP - "Wrapping Album Sampler" (LP) deFocus
* 2002 - Album - "Wrapping" (CD,LP) deFocus
* 2003 - Album - "Showcase" (CD) Merck
* 2004 - EP - "Showcase Sampler" (LP) Merck
* 2004 - Album - "Remixselection_one" (CD) Psychonavigation
* 2004 - EP - "R U Oho?" (LP) Merck
* 2005 - Album - "Slice" (CD) U-Cover
* 2005 - Album - "What You Want Isn't What You Need" (CD) Newspeak Records
* 2007 - EP - "Repulsine EP" (CD) SLSK Records
* 2008 - Album - "Places" (CDr) Grundruck Records

List of artists remixed by Lackluster

Ceniq, OTR, Beck (illicit), Thug, Laurent Garnier (illicit), Marumari, Machine Drum, Multiplex, Proem, Ilkae, Sleepy Town Manufacture, EEDL, Korpi Ensemble, Manta, (env)Itre, Kschzt, Blamstrain, Antennae, Global Goon, Tiki Obmar, Diskreet, Paolo Veneziani, Keef Baker, Joseph Auer, Anne Garner, Elephant Pixel, RA-X, Kilowatts, Aleksi Eeben, Strand & Non-Genetic (1/3 of Shadowhuntaz), HECQ. Hereticks of Disko, Robert Graff

List of artists who have remixed Lackluster

Bauri, Brothomstates, Esem, Xhale (Erik Skodvin, Deaf Center), Sense.

List of collaborations/appearances

*Brothomstates: Kobn-Tich-Ey: Mr. Y (ringmodulated beginning scream)
*Brothomstates: Claro (brothomstates ipxen) (original song)
*Blamstrain: Disfold (additional electronics)

Name

Lackluster is taken from "Pyramids" by Terry Pratchett (Discworld series), encountered 1996-1997. [private communique

References

External links

* [http://www.lackluster.org/ Official Lackluster website]
* [http://www.archive.org/search.php?query=lackluster archive.org search results for lackluster (lots of mp3s)]
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* [http://www.last.fm/music/Lackluster Lackluster] at Last.fm