It is hard to earn respect in the music field. But if there is a name that garners an admiration in the dance music circuit, it will be Jon Rust. The UK selector has done sets even with a broken arm.
In Bengaluru as part of a three-city tour of the country with Mansion House Party, a new weekly nightlife series that presents a curated evening of music and drinks this weekend, Rust will also play in Hyderabad and Pune.
What will be on his set list for this tour? “A London connoisseur selection – music for your mind, body and soul. These Mansion House Party shows are relatively small shows, so I’m looking forward to sharing warm music for intimate spaces, which is great, because that’s my background. Apart from thinking of an opening track, I don’t really plan my sets though, so I’m looking forward to exploring what translates to the Indian crowd.”
The takeaway from the music experience, he says: “Aside from sore feet from dancing, I’d like to think a broader mind… A club night can be a transformative experience.”
Rust is one of the few UK selectors who is as comfortable spinning cosmic jazz, soul and disco as smashing out grime and UK funky. He brings the same flexible and open-minded attitude to his weekly show on NTS, No Boring Intros , making it essential listening for dance music heads.
“I’m constantly looking for new sounds, unearthing elements in far flung corners of recorded music. It is an obsession and through that, an expression of who I am. I think at the core, it is soul. Not necessarily upbeat or sunshine either… it can take a dark route… but it’s always with feeling. The true power of music lies in its potential to emote.”
Rust recalls his earliest memory, “I remember as a kid, getting my mum’s pots and pans out in the kitchen and banging on them all with a big spoon. So, I guess there was this impulse to disrupt from an early age. Growing up on the outskirts of a city like London you were always peering into this giant cauldron of sounds. The styles were constantly evolving and pirate radio culture was essential in disseminating that. But before that, I guess it had started way back with movie soundtracks… opening credits, atmospherics, fight scenes, chases and final credits.”
His musical journey is an interesting story. “I picked up my first set of decks when I left school, and really got into it while at college. I got my first residency playing at a drum and bass night, but doing all their non–drum and bass music in the back room. After moving back home to London and trying my hand at every corner of the music scene, interning, working at a club (the legendary Plastic People) record label promotions, writing for magazines, working in a record shop, doing radio – I still needed to find a way to live. My tastes are pretty uncompromising though and I knew I wouldn’t trade down on these, so I decided that, for a time, a day job would help me build a base to work from.”
Soon things started to come together for Rust. “I was playing with a crew running underground parties, getting away with playing the weird mix of music that I loved. Around this time, Boiler Room and NTS Radio started and it wasn’t long before I was able to reach an audience outside of London, the UK even. I started doing more Levels parties and then the label started out of that. I think it was five years ago to this week that I went on my first trip after leaving my day job – to Moscow with DJ Bullion. And now I’m here in India. It’s a continuing journey.”
On his tour of the country, Rust comments, “To say I’m excited would be an understatement. India’s history and culture is immense, full of so many contrasts. I’m looking to soak up whatever I can. Travelling to share music is a privilege, especially in India. It might be my first visit, but I’m certain it’s not the last.”
Sharing his thoughts on Indian music, Rust says, “Traditional Indian sounds come to mind when I think about the music of the land – the harmonium, the tabla, Ravi Shankar’s sitar. Add to that, Bollywood soundtracks and the voice of Lata Mangeshkar. Maybe these references sound clichéd, but I’m being honest. In terms of contemporary electronic music though, I have to admit, I really don’t know much, which is why I’m here to experience it myself.”
He adds: “There is, of course, a crazy Indian LP from 1982, recently re-released 10 Ragas to a Disco Beat , which would put India before even Chicago House’s use of the acid sound. Reaching even further back, the spiritual essence of Indian music has often been referenced by western artists – The Beatles, Arthur Russell, Alice Coltrane and John McLaughlin. So, there’s a history of influence of Westerners absorbing and being transformed by sublime Indian traditions. Qawwali music, which I appreciate isn’t solely Indian, but rather from the Sufi tradition. That is something I’ve really enjoyed since being introduced to it.”
Catch Jon Rust at Tao Terraces on November 24 with supporting acts by Murthovic and Soulspace.
