'GET ME OUT / TAKE IT FOR ME ON THE FLOOR' / RBI [Interview]
RBI finds catharsis in techno in her debut EP ‘GET ME OUT / TAKE IT FOR ME ON THE FLOOR’
Following on from their much adored lockdown compilation Fluxx Vol. 1, Naarm-based record label, event curators and dancefloor regulars Fluxx present their second release ‘GET ME OUT / TAKE IT FOR ME ON THE FLOOR’, a thumping two-track EP from label co-founder RBI (Ruby Wilis).
‘GET ME OUT / TAKE IT FOR ME ON THE FLOOR’ is a hypnotic exploration of high-bpm composition, immersing the listener in an audioscape of room-filling kicks, gritty sound design and tense synthesis. RBI’s icy robotic vocal delivery feels at home in this fast-paced electronic world, and acted as a key point of emotional expression for Ruby. “I was really angry when I wrote these two tracks,” notes RBI, “The whole process of writing and releasing these tracks has been a cathartic release.”
The double-single marks an exciting new chapter in RBI’s relatively young career, which has already seen her play coveted slots at Hopkins Creek, Butter Sessions and Pitch Music and Arts. The music’s relentless energy, undeniable attitude and perfectly considered composition are sure to make this debut release a 3am favourite on dancefloors everywhere.
In light of this release, Verve spoke with RBI about the EP, her creative process and the future of Fluxx.
These tracks seem to be a shift away from your previous singles, they’re darker and the inclusion of your own words into the music is somewhat unexpected.
Would you be able to talk a little bit about your lyric writing process? Did the inclusion of lyrics shift the way you crafted the compositions?
It felt important to have my voice on these tracks as I really felt like I needed to say something with words rather than music for the first time. I think it is because I come from an instrumental background I usually focus on processes in making music rather than including lyrics. This could be by focusing on a compositional technique, editing a sample, using different kinds of textures. This is what I usually use as a driving force to create music but I think these two tracks came from a different place. I was dealing with a lot of anger and frustration at the time when I wrote these two songs. It felt very cathartic to write them to let this anger out by recording myself talking about it and to then create something I was really proud of.
For both of the tracks I didn’t really draft what I was going to say. I knew that just saying what came to me in the moment was going to be what I wanted it to be. For “GET ME OUT” I was hungover and I had to get up really early in the morning for something and thought this would be the perfect time to record. I hadn’t even talked to anyone or eaten and so I was able to achieve that husky tone slightly more easily. I think you can definitely hear that it is the first thing in the morning if you listen closely. “TAKE IT FOR ME ON THE FLOOR” I thought was just a funny thing to say so thought I should include it in a track.
The past few years have seen you become a prolific act in the local techno scene, but we’ve only just begun to hear your skills as a producer. In what ways do you think your DJ skills have influenced your production work?
DJing has definitely helped me in how I think about structuring and arranging a track so that it is easier to play in the club. It is important for me to avoid odd bar groupings with beats just so that it is easier to mix in with other tracks and nothing with too much swing, all pretty standard stuff really for club music. Having a focus on building sections and drops are other ways that I think about writing club music in theory this helps with having a higher impact. I also really love playing really loud and fast music when I DJ. I think this has also influenced how I start writing, by starting off music sessions by clocking in a higher BPMs.
You have noted that you were “really angry” when you created this EP. Do you find that creating music has given you an outlet to express emotions that you otherwise might not have been able to harness?
Definitely, I feel really lucky to have been able to channel my energy in this way. It has been incredibly therapeutic for me to channel the anger that I was feeling at the time that I wrote these two tracks into a new creative project that I am really happy with. Going through this process has helped me to move on from this anger in a really productive way. I have found music can be such a cathartic way in letting you let out your emotions for whatever it is you need whether it be soothing, anger, fun, sillyness or sadness.
Did releasing an EP on your own label change the way that you perceived the music before you completed it? Was the broader curatorial mood of the label considered when you were producing the EP?
It felt like a natural decision to release with Fluxx, Jac and Elle have been so supportive of me and my music and it felt like the right fit with the “girl boss NRG” of the release, to release on my own label haha. It sounds cheesy but the whole process of writing this music, working with Rose Pure to get the press shots and releasing with my own label has felt really empowering.
Fluxx has become such a force of nature in the local scene. Can you speak to what inspired you to develop this collective?
The whole reason why we started Fluxx was to give opportunities to us and our friends that helped us feel empowered in the music community here in Naarm. We put together a 29-track compilation album last year, and we are so happy with how well the project was received we have decided to continue to release music as well as running events and continuing with other projects.
Do you have any key goals that you want Fluxx to achieve, creative or otherwise?
We have had lots of really exciting projects in the works alongside this release at the moment. We are currently working on a video series in collaboration with Sound School to create electronic music tutorial series, then we also have a really exciting merch collaboration coming up which I probably can’t talk about any more for the moment.
Stay up to date with Fluxx on Bandcamp, Soundcloud, Facebook, Instagram and Youtube
Images by Rose Pure (@rosepure) - clothes by (@chantellelucyl) & (@rosepure), makeup by (@elizabethivy.beauty)
Interview by Anna Durham (@hyphira)
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