Spookey Ruben
Encyclopedia
Spookey Ruben is a Toronto
-based musician, composer and video director. Due to his father's work as a space engineer Spookey grew up in Germany
, Holland, and Washington, D.C.
He spent his teenage years playing in array of hardcore and speed metal bands (most notably Transilience). It was at this time that he received his nickname "Spooky", a result of his high-school friends teasing him about his metal-head appearance with his long hair and Satanic T-shirts. At age 19 he moved to Toronto and enrolled in film school at York University, but kept musical ideas rolling on a 4-track recorder.
Spookey began developing his own unique songwriting and production techniques, mixing keyboards with acoustic and electric guitars and trademark distinctive high vs. low vocals. These experiments led to his solo debut album Modes of Transportation Vol. 1
(TVT Records
) which was engineered by Mark Plati
(David Bowie
). International critical acclaim followed, hailing the album as the 'Pet Sounds
of the 90s'. In 1996, Ruben contributed to the AIDS
benefit album Offbeat: A Red Hot Soundtrip
produced by the Red Hot Organization
. Disputes with TVT resulted in his leaving the label and years of apparent silence. Eventually, Ruben simultaneously released two separate CDs entitled Bed and Breakfast (Hi-Hat/Zomba) that were later repackaged as a double album
. Alone at the Zoo, co-produced by John McEntire
of Tortoise
/The Sea and Cake
was released as a special limited 'album of demos' in 2003.
On June 16, 2009 his latest album, Mechanical Royalty
, was released in Canada on Hi-Hat/Sonic Unyon.
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
-based musician, composer and video director. Due to his father's work as a space engineer Spookey grew up in Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, Holland, and Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
He spent his teenage years playing in array of hardcore and speed metal bands (most notably Transilience). It was at this time that he received his nickname "Spooky", a result of his high-school friends teasing him about his metal-head appearance with his long hair and Satanic T-shirts. At age 19 he moved to Toronto and enrolled in film school at York University, but kept musical ideas rolling on a 4-track recorder.
Spookey began developing his own unique songwriting and production techniques, mixing keyboards with acoustic and electric guitars and trademark distinctive high vs. low vocals. These experiments led to his solo debut album Modes of Transportation Vol. 1
Modes of Transportation Vol. 1 (album)
Modes of Transportation Vol. 1 is the debut album by Spookey Ruben, released in 1995 .- Track listing :# "Terra Magnifica" – 2:56# "These Days Are Old" – 4:08# "Crystal Cradle" – 3:32# "Running Away" – 4:15...
(TVT Records
TVT Records
TVT Records was an independent US record label founded by Steve Gottlieb. Over the course of its 25 year history the label released some 25 Gold, Platinum and Multi-platinum releases. Its roster included Nine Inch Nails, Ja Rule, Lil Jon, Underworld, The KLF, Sevendust, Brian Jonestown Massacre and...
) which was engineered by Mark Plati
Mark Plati
Mark Plati is a New York-based musician, record producer, and songwriter, widely acclaimed for his work in the 1990s with David Bowie. An in-demand producer, Plati also has worked with Spookey Ruben, The Cure, Duncan Sheik, Hooverphonic, Robbie Williams, Joe McIntyre, and Natalie Imbruglia...
(David Bowie
David Bowie
David Bowie is an English musician, actor, record producer and arranger. A major figure for over four decades in the world of popular music, Bowie is widely regarded as an innovator, particularly for his work in the 1970s...
). International critical acclaim followed, hailing the album as the 'Pet Sounds
Pet Sounds
Pet Sounds is the eleventh studio album by the American rock band The Beach Boys, released May 16, 1966, on Capitol Records. It has since been recognized as one of the most influential records in the history of popular music and one of the best albums of the 1960s, including songs such as "Wouldn't...
of the 90s'. In 1996, Ruben contributed to the AIDS
AIDS
Acquired immune deficiency syndrome or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome is a disease of the human immune system caused by the human immunodeficiency virus...
benefit album Offbeat: A Red Hot Soundtrip
Offbeat: A Red Hot Soundtrip
Offbeat: A Red Hot Soundtrip is a compilation album from the Red Hot AIDS Benefit Series produced by Paul Heck. It combines elements of ambient, spoken word, and trip hop to expand the ideas of artistic collage and spiritual transcendence of "the Beats"...
produced by the Red Hot Organization
Red Hot Organization
Red Hot Organization is a not-for-profit, 501 3, international organization dedicated to fighting AIDS through pop culture.Since its inception in 1989, over 400 artists, producers and directors have contributed to over 15 compilation albums, related television programs and media events to raise...
. Disputes with TVT resulted in his leaving the label and years of apparent silence. Eventually, Ruben simultaneously released two separate CDs entitled Bed and Breakfast (Hi-Hat/Zomba) that were later repackaged as a double album
Bed and Breakfast (album)
Bed and Breakfast are two albums released by Spookey Ruben. Originally released as singular albums in 2001 and 2002, they were re-packaged to a two cd set for worldwide release in 2006. In 1997, Spookey delivered tapes of what was then two EP-length releases, Bed and Breakfast...
. Alone at the Zoo, co-produced by John McEntire
John McEntire
John McEntire is an American recording engineer, drummer and multi-instrumentalist. He is best-known for being in Tortoise and The Sea and Cake, as well as being a highly in-demand producer and engineer....
of Tortoise
Tortoise (band)
Tortoise is an American post-rock band formed in Chicago, Illinois, in 1990.-Music:Tortoise's almost entirely instrumental music defies easy categorization, and the group gained significant attention from their early career. The members have roots in Chicago's fertile music scene, playing in...
/The Sea and Cake
The Sea and Cake
The Sea and Cake is an indie rock band with a pronounced jazz influence, which formed in the mid-1990s in Chicago out of the ashes of local bands The Coctails and Shrimp Boat. The group's name came from a willful reinterpretation of "The C in Cake", a song by Gastr del Sol...
was released as a special limited 'album of demos' in 2003.
On June 16, 2009 his latest album, Mechanical Royalty
Mechanical Royalty
Mechanical Royalty is a limited edition EP released by the Canadian musician Spookey Ruben in 2008. A full length LP was released with the help of Sonic Unyon in 2009. Though the track-listing differs between the LP and the EP, all but one song from the EP remain ....
, was released in Canada on Hi-Hat/Sonic Unyon.
Albums
- Modes of Transportation Vol. 1Modes of Transportation Vol. 1 (album)Modes of Transportation Vol. 1 is the debut album by Spookey Ruben, released in 1995 .- Track listing :# "Terra Magnifica" – 2:56# "These Days Are Old" – 4:08# "Crystal Cradle" – 3:32# "Running Away" – 4:15...
(tvt records 1995, quattro Japan 1996, intercord Germany 1996, emi uk 1997) - Wendy Mcdonald - Live in Japan EPWendy Mcdonald - Live in Japan (album)Wendy McDonald is a single/live EP by Spookey Ruben, released in 1996. The live tracks were recorded in July 1996 at Club Quattro, in Japan, and includes a cover of Golden Brown by The Stranglers...
(tvt records 1996) - Modes of Transportation Vol. 2: What's a Boy to do?Modes of Transportation Vol. 2 (album)Modes of Transportation Vol. 2: What's a Boy to Do? is an album released by Spookey Ruben in 1998, and was only ever released in Japan, but is now available as an import through Amazon.com. The album had three singles reach the top 20 following its Japanese release.Tracks from this album later...
(quattro japan 1998) - Brunch (quattro japan 2000)
- Bed and BreakfastBed and Breakfast (album)Bed and Breakfast are two albums released by Spookey Ruben. Originally released as singular albums in 2001 and 2002, they were re-packaged to a two cd set for worldwide release in 2006. In 1997, Spookey delivered tapes of what was then two EP-length releases, Bed and Breakfast...
(hi-hat/zomba - released separately in 2002, 2003 then repackaged in 2006) - Alone At The Zoo (hi-hat 2003)
- Ausfahrt Walsrode EP (lamm/universal 2006)
- Mechanical RoyaltyMechanical RoyaltyMechanical Royalty is a limited edition EP released by the Canadian musician Spookey Ruben in 2008. A full length LP was released with the help of Sonic Unyon in 2009. Though the track-listing differs between the LP and the EP, all but one song from the EP remain ....
(hi-hat/sonic unyon - special edition EP 2008; full length edition 2009) - ShackletonShackletonShackleton may refer to:* Avro Shackleton, a maritime patrol aircraft* Ernest Shackleton, Irish explorer best known as the leader of the Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition, 1914–17* Shackleton , dubstep producer...
(hi-hat - special limited edition EP 2010)
Singles
- ""These days are old"(1995)
- "Running Away" (1995)
- "Wendy Mcdonald" (1996)
- "Brand New Game" (2002)
- "Shauna" (2003)
- "Glenn Take Care" (2003)
Dizzy Playground
In 2008, Spookey Ruben began filming webisodes for Exclaim Magazine Online. There have been six episodes, which include musicians from various bands.Episodes
- Omen of the Goblet - Featuring Brendan CanningBrendan CanningBrendan Canning is a founding member of Broken Social Scene and a veteran indie rock performer who has been a member of various notable bands including By Divine Right, Blurtonia, Valley of the Giants, Len, and hHead....
of Broken Social SceneBroken Social SceneBroken Social Scene is a Canadian indie rock band, a musical collective including as few as six and as many as nineteen members, formed in 1999 by Kevin Drew and Brendan Canning. Most of its members currently play in various other groups and solo projects, mainly based around the city of Toronto... - Exit to Panama - Featuring Hannah Krapivinsky & Anna Edwards of Foxfire
- Space Package - Featuring John McEntireJohn McEntireJohn McEntire is an American recording engineer, drummer and multi-instrumentalist. He is best-known for being in Tortoise and The Sea and Cake, as well as being a highly in-demand producer and engineer....
of TortoiseTortoise (band)Tortoise is an American post-rock band formed in Chicago, Illinois, in 1990.-Music:Tortoise's almost entirely instrumental music defies easy categorization, and the group gained significant attention from their early career. The members have roots in Chicago's fertile music scene, playing in...
/The Sea and CakeThe Sea and CakeThe Sea and Cake is an indie rock band with a pronounced jazz influence, which formed in the mid-1990s in Chicago out of the ashes of local bands The Coctails and Shrimp Boat. The group's name came from a willful reinterpretation of "The C in Cake", a song by Gastr del Sol... - Cavity Central - Featuring Melissa Auf der MaurMelissa Auf der MaurMelissa Auf der Maur is a Canadian rock musician from Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Her career has included 5 years as bassist with the band Hole and she later toured with The Smashing Pumpkins for their 2000 tour. Her second solo album, Out of Our Minds, was released on March 30, 2010. She is also a...
of HoleHole (band)Hole is an American alternative rock band that originally formed in Los Angeles in 1989. The band is fronted by vocalist/songwriter and rhythm guitarist Courtney Love, who co-founded Hole with former songwriter/lead guitarist Eric Erlandson...
/The Smashing PumpkinsThe Smashing PumpkinsThe Smashing Pumpkins are an American alternative rock band that formed in Chicago, Illinois in 1988. Formed by Billy Corgan frontman and James Iha , the band has included Jimmy Chamberlin , D'arcy Wretzky , and currently includes Jeff Schroeder Mike Byrne , and Nicole Fiorentino The Smashing... - Natural Born Grannies - Featuring Ariel PinkAriel PinkAriel Pink is a Los Angeles-based recording artist who is sometimes associated with the freak folk scene.-Biography:...
- The Adventures of Spaghetti Cowboy Featuring Leslie FeistLeslie FeistLeslie Feist , known professionally as simply Feist, is a Canadian-American singer-songwriter, both as a solo artist and as a member of the indie rock group Broken Social Scene....
of Feist/Broken Social SceneBroken Social SceneBroken Social Scene is a Canadian indie rock band, a musical collective including as few as six and as many as nineteen members, formed in 1999 by Kevin Drew and Brendan Canning. Most of its members currently play in various other groups and solo projects, mainly based around the city of Toronto...