A few weeks ago I was coming out of Costa Coffee in New Cross en route to a gig I was putting on at the Amersham Arms when a voice called my name, and there was none other than Reuben aka Ruinz Ason. I think it was literally the first time we had seen each other in about six years! Part of that time, of course, he was living in different European cities and I was still reviewing music he had created with his brother JFlames. But anyway, he has an album he began recording five years ago while still abroad, which is now out, and I was delighted that he asked me to review it. (He also has a new set ready to drop, so news on that soon too).
Airplane Mode was mostly conceived and recorded in 2019 and 2020 but, according to his memoir about the album, he used the excuse of the pandemic to prevent its release, even after filming a video in the heat of a desert in the United Arab Emirates! He also says he allowed fear of not producing the big sales and streams he had achieved previously to put doubts in his mind. The subsequent sense of freedom from the realisation that it is more important to enjoy sharing his music than it is to achieve numbers seems to have been the point of equilibrium he needed. As he puts it, a voice said to him ‘Release Airplane Mode’. And so he has.
The album was recorded in Berlin, Barcelona, Paris, Amsterdam and London, and has 19 tracks (plus 2 bonus tracks on the Bandcamp edition). It opens with the title track, arpeggios playing on synth, the lyrics telling the tale of his travels and issues lurking in the background to his restlessness. It’s a theme that continues with his voice at the centre of the mix while synths float around it, and the beats are crisp and have an agreeably metallic quality. The buzzing, bending bassline and rapid fire rap of Player 1 is particularly striking. Avatar Blue has a dreamier vibe while an Afrobeat influence appears in the melodic Close. Howl At The Moon is almost trippy with its fluttering, reverberant synths and triplet time melody. Intermission – Purpose is a touching spoken word soliloquy from a female companion accompanied by semi-classical piano.
Get Back Up, which features Luke Trott, mixes a shuffling feel with attractive melody, Luke’s soulful style contrasting perfectly with Reuben’s rhythmic flow. My Size, with its sparse backdrop of slurry synths and woodpecker-like beat, shows the similarly soulful spectrum of Ruinz Ason’s work. When we get to Save Me, we really have a full flavour of the diversity of his music, again soulful and keeping the backing track translucent and unfussy, but utilising sounds that are striking and sometimes quite ethereal. The female spoken word adds a sweet vibe too. It is a strong end to a highly accomplished and engaging album.
Incidentally, the Bandcamp bonus tracks are also well worth checking out. Manifest brings a kind of syncopated Baroque-Hop sensibility and It’s A New Day places more rapid-fire rapping against a fast-moving electro-synth backing track.
Great review Neil! This album has been in the pipeline for a looooooong time! I’m glad Ruinz put it out. A fine work.
Ah thanks Del. Yes, very long time. 🙂