Rüfüs Du Sol 2024: No parents, no rules
When I hung up my camera in 2020, effectively ending my push toward a career in live music coverage, I never thought I would write about music again. I was already obsessed with the idea of making my own.
Yet here we are.
For anyone unfamiliar, Rüfüs Du Sol is an Australian trio consisting of members Tyrone Lindqvist, Jon George, and James Hunt.
They are one of the world's best live electronic music acts. Maybe ever.
The group steadily grew its devoted fanbase and technical prowess over more than a decade, starting with 2011's self-titled EP, followed by four celebrated studio albums: Atlas, Bloom, Solace, and 2021's Surrender, earning a Grammy, two ARIAs, and other awards along the way.
In the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic, they offered fans a respite from the drear and darkness of stay-at-home orders with the magnificent Live from Joshua Tree record, complete with a truly stunning accompanying film.
HUGE love to the friends who I'm sure are SICK of me requesting that one night after night at this point ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
The group's decision to de-camp to the California desert was deliberate. They recognized a faltering interpersonal dynamic and chose to address it. After hundreds of shows and countless thousands of hours in the studio, things had changed. In some ways, they had soured.
During an NPR interview a few years later, band member Jon George shed light on the shifting nature of their relationships at that time.
"We weren't really the best of friends anymore," he said. "We weren't looking after ourselves as much as we should."
To combat the downward trend, they took to the majestic desert of Joshua Tree for what they planned as a two-week getaway. The weeks became more than two months of recovery, bonding, and creative development, culminating in the Live from Joshua Tree performance.
From there, following global tours in support of their subsequent studio album, Solace, across 2022 and 2023, things started to change again.
Lindqvist, the group's lead vocalist, became a father and the first, and so far only, parent among the three in 2019.
He completed the next stretch of tours as usual but eventually decided to step back from the raucous, never-ceasing pace of the road to focus on time with his family.
Speaking on The What Podcast, Lindqvist said, “When you’re touring so much, your personal life is sort of pushed to the side a bit. In terms of becoming a new parent, that was really difficult.”
He wasn't done, just taking a break.
That left George and Hunt the opportunity to go out on their own without abandoning the name recognition and steadfast following Rüfüs had built as a group over many years of grueling effort and growth.
They stepped into the limelight as a duo DJ act.
In electronic music, performances are typically packaged in one of two categories: live sets and DJ sets. Live sets involve instruments, acoustic or digital, with most sounds being generated in the moment, onstage. DJ sets take place behind turntables and a mixer using pre-recorded tracks to create a new sonic landscape from sounds that already exist.
Some will say that DJ sets require less skill, and they certainly demand far fewer logistical resources. Still, when done right, they can invoke the same euphoric experience as a live performance.
DJ sets are not necessarily new for Rüfüs Du Sol. They've held multiple Vegas residencies, hosted various radio live streams, and included a number of DJ performances alongside their most recent live tours.
But 2024's DJ sets feel different.
Whether it's been in a nightclub, at festivals like Coachella and Lightning in a Bottle, or a triumphant return to Burning Man after a five-year hiatus most recently, the two cultivate a completely different energy.
James and Jon bring a grimier, club-ready atmosphere and sonic landscape to their sets.
Gone are the all-black live performance outfits–replaced with bold, designer shirts and rave glasses.
Lighting effects and visuals are minimal, though still present–acting more like punctuation for drops and transitions than a "fourth member of the band," as they've referred to lighting production for their live shows.
The music still sounds like Rüfüs Du Sol, with the vast majority of their setlists consisting of their own songs or remixed versions from other producers.
It's something else, though, too.
Dirtier. Eclectic. Still euphoric, but with more lust.
Their signature deep, progressive house style is there, but it's been surrounded by an ever-changing flow of complementary sub-genres, ranging from techno and disco to trance and afro house.
The boys seem free. In their element. And I am absolutely here for it.
Seamlessly mixing fan favorites like Innerbloom, On My Knees, and Treat You Better, with external tracks from the likes of Jamie XX and many others, they've found a way to marry Lindqvist’s haunting vocals with a dark and thunderous atmosphere that works just as well on a high-rise dance floor as it does in the dust of Black Rock City.
I'm personally obsessed with this section if you find yourself looking for a place to start.
Tonight, Rüfüs Du Sol–complete with all three members–returns to San Francisco for what is expected to be their sole live performance of 2024, a headlining spot at Portola. I am unbelievably jealous of anyone currently holding tickets.
Attendees can expect a brand new live show and a first listen to unheard music from their upcoming fifth studio album, Inhale/Exhale, due out on Friday, October 11th.
From there, the next show slated for the Aussie trio is Lollapalooza Brasil in late March 2025.
But it's Rüfüs. And this is clearly a new era in more ways than one.
So who knows what's coming next?
I was so happy to see you write about music again. You have a true talent for it and make the reader feel like they can see, hear and believe all the things that you find enjoyable about the artists.