Islands of Light: Ruebke

Currently based in Vienna, Dino Spiluttini is an independent electronic musician, label owner and freelance graphic and web designer. Over the years, the artist has been involved in a multitude of projects and remixes under several different monikers – Duran Durandom (techno), Yeah Pretty Boy (IDM), Liger (indie new wave), Swan Fangs (dark ambient) and most recently under his own name with his “split” 10 track LP of ambient drone synth Modular Anxiety (Jan 2014), a collaboration with Cologne-based musician Nils Quak.

Released in September 2014 last under the Islands of Light moniker on the Tokyo-based Home Normal record label, Ruebke is an elegant collection of minimalist and mainly solo piano miniatures.

Borrowing its name from a small German village outside Hamburg where the musician lived while working on the record, “Ruebke” was composed over a four year period (2008 – 2012) and the music that was conceived there definitely reflects the slower pace of country living.

“Ruebke” is the sound of season’s change, of shorter days and longer nights, of the hush of autumn as it takes its hold. As the beauteous distorted elements and graininess takes it hold, the piano melodies slow everything down to a turn of constant low light and fragile quietude.

The use of a reel-to-reel tape recorder to capture the sessions lends a vintage background hiss to the whole album which is sometimes deliberately amplified on certain tracks. Subtle textured drones and dissonant chords here and there never distract from the exquisite and ethereal piano or keyboard-based melodies. Slow, soft and gorgeous music.

http://www.dinospiluttini.com/