Victor Ruiz, a Brazilian-born, Europe-based electronic music artist, has captivated global audiences with his dynamic performances and innovative productions since 2013.
Photo credit: Victor Ruiz – Facebook
Renowned for his electrifying DJ sets and top-tier techno tracks, Ruiz has carved out a distinctive niche in the electronic music landscape. His music, characterized by a distinct flair for musicality and energy, has found homes on labels such as Drumcode, Noir Music, and Suara.
In this interview Victor Ruiz opens up about his latest project, ‘This Is Not An Album’—a release that challenges conventional norms in the techno scene. From his early love of heavy metal to his current status as a techno titan, Ruiz shares insights into his creative process, his views on the current state of electronic music, and his exciting plans for the future.
EG: Hi, Victor! Welcome to EG. It’s a pleasure to have you here with us. How have you been? Where are you right now?
Victor Ruiz: Hey there! Thanks for having me, it’s a pleasure. Things have been quite interesting, busy, and rocky but pretty much good. I’m in Lisbon, where I live.
EG: How is your summer going so far? Any particular highlights?
Victor Ruiz: Super busy and super good. Been through most continents in a couple of months. I have to say the highlights are the moments I spend at home with my partner and my close friends just enjoying life and also the great parties I’ve played all over. And, of course, the release of my very first (non-) album!
EG: Now, congratulations on the release of your new project, ‘This Is Not An Album’, which is now available via your own VOLTA imprint! You must be excited to finally share this one. What has the initial reception been like so far?
Victor Ruiz: Way better than I imagined. This project was meant to defy many rules and norms of today’s techno scene: the sound, the format, and the idea. Tracks are longer than usual, there are 8 cuts and the kind of sound is not really what’s trending at the moment. It’s currently sitting in the top 5 of techno releases and that for me is major because people don’t buy albums these days, so I’m very proud and happy.
EG: So, what can your fans expect to find on ‘This Is Not An Album’? What notions do you seek to challenge through it?
Victor Ruiz: I wanted to provoke and we can start with its name. It was supposed to be a single then a 2-track EP and I decided to release 8 cuts altogether and called it ‘This is not an album’, because I didn’t build it as an album, but it kinda is.
Also, the music, the most important, is a collection of tunes I’ve been producing for the past 8 years so they’re not current with the trend and that’s my favorite part.
“This project was meant to defy many rules and norms of today’s Techno scene”
EG: What was the creative process for ‘This Is Not An Album’ like? How long has this one been in the making? Did your horizon ever change?
Victor Ruiz: It was a decision that I made in a day but it took me 8 years to finish all the songs. I wanted to release a techno album way back but this desire faded through the years as I was “conforming” with the scene and its norms. As I’m in a moment in my life where I don’t care much about what other people think of my art, I found the right time to put all of these together and release them.
EG: There’s also a very strong connection between ‘This Is Not An Album’ and numbers, right? How did this concept come about? Is this something that you are acutely tuned into in your everyday life?
Victor Ruiz: Yes, I love numbers. 8 is one of my favorites. Every time I’m going through something I’m making calculations in my mind. Super interesting. Back to the release, I wanted to release it on my birthday, 11th August, but then I realized that it would make more sense if it would be on the 8th, because of the numbers. And when I added together the numbers in 2024 (2+0+2+4) it was 8 also, so it had to be. Also, it was 8 tracks that I chose for the release – that one was a “coincidence”. So yeah, lots of 8s. Which means infinite, prosperity, success, and abundance.
EG: What would you say is the perfect setting to listen to ‘This Is Not An Album’? What would you like for the listeners to take away from the listening experience?
Victor Ruiz: From start to finish, without skipping. There are lots of details in the productions, all around the songs. Preferably if you have good speakers and headphones. With speakers, you can feel the music and with headphones, you’ll notice the details.
EG: Now, on to one of those hot current subjects… What’s your stance on AI? Do you see it driving the scene forward? Has any form of AI been applied in your recent productions or ‘This Is Not An Album’?
Victor Ruiz: I think AI, like any other tool, can be used amazingly. I guess the trick here is not to become lazy or dependent on the tool, instead use it to enhance creativity. I did use AI on ‘ENERGY’ to clean the vocal from a background noise it had. Such a good tool, love it!
“I’m in a moment in my life where I don’t care much about what other people think of my art”
EG: Finally, what can we expect from Victor Ruiz in the next months? Where can your fans catch you playing live?
Victor Ruiz: I’m playing in Mexico City and Toronto this weekend and will be on vacation for the next 3 weekends. I’m really looking forward to that. Then I’ll do Argentina, Germany, Poland, Denmark, and a few more European countries.
EG: Thank you so much for your time, Victor! We wish you all the best for the future. Take care!
Victor Ruiz: Thank you all for this chat, it was really lovely
Victor Ruiz’s ‘This Is Not An Album’ is now available via VOLTA. Stream and download here.
Follow Victor Ruiz: Spotify | Soundcloud | Instagram | Facebook
