 Ryan Burgdorfer aka DJ Ruffian was introduced to the scene in 1992 by close friend Damian Higgins (aka Dieselboy), when drum and bass was still in it's slower, formative 'breakbeat' stage. Previous to this point, he was completely immersed in the dark industrial sound of groups like Frontline Assembly and Skinny Puppy, so naturally he was instantly drawn to the harder-edged & darker side of the genre. He began deejaying in early 1994, and together with like-minded party-goer John Dwight (aka Blista), formed the event promotion company known as UDG Inc. For the next two-plus years they threw many parties and club nights in the Pittsburgh area, most notably the infamous 'Tunnel Vision' (which took place in one of pitt's many tunnels, closed just for the party with the city's blessing), Freee 2 (in the Carnegie Science Center, celebrating their Bi-Centennial anniversary), and Jungle Warfare (Pitt's first all-drum-and-bass party, a collaboration with good friends Zone and Natalie).After a long hiatus from the scene from roughly 1998-2006, Ruffian is back - still pushing that angry, agressive, dark sound - mainly through recent track production efforts. |
| Q & A with Ruffian Q: Where does your artist name come from? A: Dieselboy came up with it on our way to a Toronto party in 1994. Q: Tell us more about your musical roots! A: Always loved electronic music, beginning with Kraftwerk and Herbie Hancock, as well as early Metallica and Slayer speedmetal type stuff. Then discovered the wonderful world of hard, dark industrial music…Skinny Puppy, Nitzer Ebb, Frontline, etc…which led me to the breakbeat of the early 90s, which of course evolved into modern drum and bass. Always a fan of the harder/darker. Q: How did you start producing music? A: On an Amiga 500 running Sonic, around 1987. Q: Are you also a DJ? A: Yes, although I used to focus a lot more on it (along with the whole promoter/party lifestyle)…of course these days, I get to play my own mp3s quick and easy with finalscratch - which is awesome. Q: Do you work together with other artists also? E.g. Remixes? A: Me and my buddy Ben Matrix in Miami bounce stuff back and forth occasionally, that’s been about it at this point. Q: Do you have any special musical aims? A: Same as anyone, I guess - worldwide infamy and domination in the drum and bass culture. Q: What do you think of the contemporary popular music which is played by normal radio stations? A: Mainly lame, although once in a while I’ll hear a catchy rhythm or a killer beat, sometimes even a vocal hit or something, which gets mentally noted for later sampling ;) Q: What have you read recently (book, play, film, etc.) that moved or surprised you? A: An article in Scientific American about plasmon technology, but I watch A LOT of movies (horror/sci-fi preferred) Q: What is your all-time favorite track? Why? A: Hmm…tough one, for me this changes every 3 or 4 years…I’d say currently it would (still) have to be Faith in Chaos – Possession (Tech Itch remix), before that probably Konflict – The Beckoning. Q: What's one thing you're a fan of that people might not expect? A: Assault weapons |
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