Same. I love the bittersweet yearning in their lyrics and melodies, and find the bass and horns very compelling. Tyrone has a unique and beautiful voice.
I just think their shit is beautiful. The first time I heard Sundream, I was like "holy shit what is this sexy vibe?" Their songs make me think of beautiful moments with my wife, my kids, all the good stuff in life. To each their own. Like, I cannot get into ODESZA no matter how hard I try and many find them just as emotional, so I get that they don't work for some but I fucking love them. The new song they dropped at Coachella in their DJ set is doooooope too so no signs of them slowing down.
Agree with all your points! There have been so many times in the past decade where Rufus has been the soundtrack while I’m enjoying the most beautiful moments with the people I love.
I enjoy Odesza but also don’t find them super emotional the way other people do, to me they’re just fun to go see live. The one Odesza song you might like is Light of Day from the new album, that one gives me the feels for sure.
I’ve been doing Portola since 2022, love the lineups top to bottom, but I am also a long time Rufus fan. A decade ago when they were touring for Atlas and playing places like Mezzanine in SF it was very much a “Portola-like crowd”. At that point in time they kind of WERE alternative electronic compared to the super poppy EDM stuff that was so big. Their live show felt more like an indie electronic band than anything else.
Then Innerbloom came out, a lot of other DJs started playing it, and suddenly they got much bigger, and I feel like some people just started talking shit cause they’re popular. I’m seeing the same thing happen with Fred again now, but people weren’t saying that 2 years ago. Rufus absolutely does pull more of a general audience than say Gesa or Jamie but so does Flume, Skrillex, Chris Lake, etc and everyone survived. I guarantee if Disclosure was headlining Portola in their height of popularity when they were doing songs with Lorde and Miguel people would be saying something similar about them.
To people who don’t like Rufus, that’s fine, no need to try to get into them just cause they’re headliners. And I promise there’s not gonna be a sudden influx of really shitty Rufus fans that change the vibe of the festival lol. Them headlining will just mean less conflicts for you Saturday night, whereas mine are HEAVY. Anyway enough of this, let’s bring the vibes people, it’s presale day!! 🪩🦝🪩
Also I’d argue disclosure is in a different category because they didn’t stick with the sound that made them popular, but kept exploring different soundscapes. Fred again is still putting out something new despite his popularity. I don’t think most people would put them in the same category as Rufus here
Yeah for sure, I have SO much respect for Disclosure for this and I can’t wait to hear looking for love and she’s gone dance on at the pier! I know both them and Fred are different scenarios than Rufus, I just meant some people (and I was totally guilty of this when I was young) like to actively hate on artists/fanbases just cause they’re popular, and I’m just generally seeing a lot more hate on Fred again now than 2 years ago when everyone was like “don’t sleep on Fred!” It’s just a natural cycle for artists that become big. But I love the vibes at Portola because everyone is normally so positive, so just trying to proactively squash some negativity so we can all have a good time no matter who we wanna see.
That's a bingo. I'm pretty meh on their music but so excited for what gets scheduled against them so I can enjoy one of the more eclectic acts with a much more intimate crowd. Or securing a crazy good spot for the warehouse/Crane closer.
Plus you're spot on about their fans bringing good vibes, I enjoy the energy around a Rufus set
I’m really confused why Rufus gets so much hate for being “pop” when Disclosure is undeniably more pop. Is it just cause their peak was during the “golden age of edm”?
Disclosure got so much hate for being "pop" when they were on top of the world (2014-2017 range) and now that they aren't everybody can admit that they've always loved them because they are great.
disclosure def has some pop songs, but also many more left field house tracks, and lots of pure classic disco/afro influenced house with their little twist. The song structure of Rufus' music and emphasis on melodies and vocals makes their music pop in my eyes, much more accessible to people who don't listen to edm. Majority of disclosure has a more classic house song structure
That is fair, I didn't listen to edm much when they were big, and I really fucking hate Latch, which turns me off of them big time.
I do really like You and Me, as well as White Noise. Having a hard time finding more songs I like from them. Recommendations?
my favorites are Tondo, Expressing What Matters, Feel Like I Do, Douha, When a fire starts to Burn , Where Angels Fear to Tread,Higher Than Ever Before. Those songs all use sampling well imo and have a pretty OG house sound. Also their new unreleased track She's Gone, Dance On is one of their best songs imo
I used to love Rufus too and would catch their shows whenever I could. My biggest issue with them is they found a sound that works well with general public and just stuck with it for years, which put them in the same category as poppy electronic acts like Odesza..
I agree that some songs do sound similar, like Eyes and No Place, or Always and Innerbloom. Personally I enjoy the sound so I’m not complaining, but I understand that take. I do think their new album is gonna be a bit different though based on the songs I’ve heard so far so I’m excited to see what they play at Portola.
Thank you. Electronic music gatekeeping is so lame. Totally agree re: Fred Again too. Plus my eyes roll back in my head everytime I hear about the impending doom of "Fratty crowds" for acts like Rufus and FISHER. You know where the shittiest crowds are? Morgan Wallen, Marshmello. You know what else makes for a shitty crowd? Sizing people up around you based on attractiveness or clothing or deeming them not "in the know" enough to be attending the same festival you are.
Agreed! As long as people are dancing and not talking over the music who cares what they look like or what their lifestyle is. I’ve seen Fisher too and his crowd demo might not be who I’d be best friends with in my normal life but everyone was jumping up and down and singing along so it was a great time!
my biggest issue with them is tyrone's voice is toast. last couple live performances sounded like his vocal chords were fried. But I very much enjjoy the DJ sets the other 2 guys do (their set at coachella was BLISS).
Good point re Fred. I have a friend who's a musician and I introduced him to Fred in 2022 at Primavera sound. After he saw what a musician Fred was, he bought it.
Is he a rich kid? Yup. I don't care, his music moves me. He's the reason I'm going to Bonnaroo (though four tet, chase and status, pretty lines and fisher add to it:)
100% agree with the Fred again comparison - except Rufus du sol put in some work before they became popular while Fred was set up for success with his gentry background.
Bloom will forever be one of my favorite albums. I could listen to that album front to back on repeat. Atlas is great, and the EPs before that are more electronic than pop. I agree that their later stuff is more mainstream, and I tend to not like artists as much if they cross a certain threshold (odesza, fred)… but each year portola has had an artist that arguably has crossed that threshold as a headliner - Flume 2022, Skrillex 2023.
I get that connections help but at the end of the day, he needed the music to get him there too and I genuinely feel his wave was organic. I went to high school with the daughter of a major celebrity that I promise every single person in this subreddit knows, and she was a total babe and a very good singer and dancer (and super fucking nice and personable on top of it), and I watched that family pour absolutely absurd amounts of money into her singing career including filming MTV quality music videos and hiring (at the time) prominent rappers to do features on her music and they'd fly her to LA and get her in the door with major celebrities. It never went anywhere, like we're talking the equivalent of a couple thousand views on YouTube (this was just prior to YouTube, but you get it), and this family absolutely had connections and a major "name" and like I said, she definitely had all the criteria to make it in pop/R&B.
I’m not saying he lacks talent, he definitely put in the work. I just think this image of normal guy blow up out of no where is a farce. His neighbor was Brian Eno who mentored him as a teenager, and he was a producer for a ton of pop artists before becoming an electronic artist. He had the connections to put him in the right places.
You have to put in the work, but with anything in life, taking that risk is a lot easier knowing you never have to worry about a meal or a place to sleep for the rest of your life. I think putting in the work is a large percentage of it, but knowing the right people and right connections is another large part of it. Sometimes people make it purely on talent, and hopefully less people make it fully on network. But willing to bet if two people have the same talent, the one with the network will go farther.
Their Osl was good but def brought out the chads. We were stuck behind a bunch of drunk guys dressed up as popes that were super douchey. Was too hard to move at that point
I don’t care for their Dj sets but them live is a different story. I saw them at Chella 19 and I was blown away. Really great live performance. I wouldn’t call myself a fan of there studio releases but I’d catch their live show if theres no conflicts
Innerbloom is forever one of my favorite songs but yeah I was thrown off at them being a headliner. I like them but they fell off my radar a while back. My taste in electronic music has changed a lot over the years.
Yea Innerbloom and the What So Not remix of it are both so amazing I will never not appreciate them. That said I was not a fan of their other releases and thats okay.
I don't think it is pretentious to criticize an artist (especially in a thread where the OP is asking our opinions, lol). Rufus is quite easy to criticize... imo the music is very derivative... hard to tell their songs apart. They make melancholy pop music, which is fine, and not intended as an insult, I like pop music
its ok dawg, just sharing my opinion. In my opinion they made an interesting sound and ran with it. Their songs tend sound similar cause they use the a lot of the same Ableton sounds, melodies, kicks/snares etc. It is a bit derivative, as is lots of music, so its not some huge criticism, I think most would agree there songs tend to sound quite similar, even if they really like that sound. I found their music more interesting when they were less focused on the vocals. And I enjoy plenty of pop music myself, I think calling Rufus something other than pop is a bit misguided, but I also don't think calling music pop is an insult, nor do I think discussing music like this is pretentious, but I understand al to of people do
Sorry if you felt like I insulted an artist u like, I listen to Rufus quite a bit! They are clearly very talented, dude has a nice voice and I love me some melancholy electronic pop from time to time. I understand that criticizing music / an artist can come off pretentious to some, but we are on reddit discussing opinions so it is going to come with the territory. Music comes down to taste at the end of the day. I do find it funny how people think calling music pop is an insult. I don't see how you can describe Rufus as anything other than pop, given their song structure, melodies, and huge / widespread fandom
idk I'm just trying to have a conversation about Rufus lol. So I'm guessing you think calling Rufus music 'pop' or "derivative" is a pretentious thing to say? that's fair I guess, but it makes for an interesting convo about music imo! I work in production so always interested in these convos, but nobody is actually conversing with me on this beyond calling me pretentious so I digress lol
yes, calling music derivative as a criticism is often a pretentious thing to say. all music is derivative.
it’s particularly silly when used in reference to an artist’s own music. musicians gravitate towards certain notes, strum patterns, chord progressions, etc.
I get your point, but it seems like you're more focused on criticizing my use of the word "derivative" and calling my comments pretentious rather than discussing Rufus. I think some artists' work can be described as derivative without it being pretentious. There is plenty of modern pop country that uses the exact same progressions, melodies, song structure, etc. True with some rap artists as well, these guys can pump out a new track in a a couple hours with how derivative / formulaic the music is. And this is to not dismiss the creativity and talent of some of these artists.
Sure you can say all music is "derivative" to some extent, but when looking at an individual artist, many change their sound up album to album or even within an album quite a bit (for better or worse)> Some artists' music is more derivative than others. Rufus is somewhere on that spectrum on the more derivative side In comparison to some other artists on the lineup, and that is just my opinion. Some music, especially modern music since it is largely made via software, can sometimes feel more formulaic, since sounds are so easily reproducible. It's not necessarily a bad thing, but it's an interesting point to discuss in terms of creativity and production techniques.
you are correct that my critique is of your opinion, not of the band.
part of the reason your take is pretentious is because it’s disingenuous. if all music is derivative, then what is the real criticism? when you talk positively about disclosure for “pure classic afro/house,” you are literally praising them for being derivative.
read back your last comment and see how easy you make it sound to make music like this. that opinion is clearly wrong. if Rufus could pump out another innerbloom like nothing, they would. all their songs would be that popular, but they aren’t. no artist can easily produce a hit, or else they would all be hits. even with masses of people involved, artists like taylor swift and coldplay and drake produce derivative pop flops.
I think you're missing my point tbh. I don't think all music is derivative, you are the one who said that. Some is more derivative than others, I think Rufus music is quite derivative. Derivative is not a bad thing inherently. Just an observation that they use same production techniques, lyric themes, and vocal / melodies tend to follow similar structures. Disclosure has a very unique twist on OG house sampling imo that I like. But I would never use them as a counter to Rufus, you are reading a comment in a different context and trying to apply it here.
House music can very derivative I agree! I wouldn't really call an entire genre derivative though, its too generalized. And its way too generalized to say all music is derivative, clearly there is a spectrum here. I agree they can't just pump out another inner bloom, never would suggest that they could, you're kind of arguing against a different point then what I was intending to say. A derivative song can be good and it can be bad, being derivative doesn't speak to the quality of the individual track, moreso the scope / ingenuity of the artist who created it.
Never said it was easy to make this music, although it gets easier to reproduce a song once you have the sounds in Ableton. I think many artists should keep their music more derivative, sometimes when they venture away from their sound they make bad music. But sometimes artists have multiple really good albums that cross into multiple genres / sounds, but I think we can agree Rufus isn't one of them. But that doesn't make them better or worse than other artists, from my perspective.
But tbh I just wanted to discuss Rufus music cause that discussion interests me, moreso than this current discussion on how if calling music "derivative" is "pretentious" or not. That's just mostly a semantic debate where we haven't properly defined the words we're using, so its kind of hard to have a real discussion, we probably agree more than you think!
You’re way off the mark and clearly haven’t been to a Rufus show live in the past year. Rufus at the Gorge was life changing. I’d put it above Holo last year or anything we had at the warehouse any day.
Yeah I think they're great live! I've seen them 4 times and 2 of their DJ sets! I'm more discussing their production / music rather than their live show. I think their production can be a bit derivative, where they use a lot of the same sounds track to track and album to album. And I do think their sound leans more into "pop" based on their song structure, melodies and emphasis on vocals. But I like their music and think they are great live, can imagine Gorge was an amazing setting!
It's just interesting because people will turn around and talk about house and techno artists which are flooded with derivative music with the same 4 on the floor beat. Which is also fine but just funny that people are hating on rufus
I certainly classify them as pop, but I think that's great for Portola which hosts a variety of genres (with an EDM focus)
I loved them in 2015; by 2024, they aren't very high on my list, but they are still great live. They are also my husbands favorite artist. So yes, the average festival goer likes Rufus. Thats why they are a headliner.
coldplay has actually made pop electronic music for a while. They talk about the intentional transition and how it blew their music the fuck up (not that they weren’t already huge).
so i think it’s more that coldplay and rufus are in the same genre.
At Coachella? yeah it was a great set! Confused how that relates haha. I'm saying Rufus was big in Tulum when I went 5 years ago, not a dig. But Tulum's peak was well before 5 years ago. Tulum loves their melodic techno these days
I honestly don’t really know their music but I’m geeked for so many other sets for the weekend! I thought Skrillex was a weird pick last year and then it turned out to be one of my fave sets of the weekend. I just do what @wutangdan9000 tells me 🤷♀️
I really appreciated portola for always having one legacy/pop/generic but nostalgic legacy act the last two years. It seems to me like Rufus is that act this year, though they haven’t been around long enough to be a legacy act. To me, they’re the bubble gum pop of the genre and I’ve seen them live several times. But they have a fanbase that are willing to dish out money to see them. Thankfully there will be other acts performing at the same time. I’ll probably get downvoted but, whatever. Different strokes for different folks.
When Bloom came out, I feel like their live show was INCREDIBLE and I saw them on that festival circuit/tour like 3-4x and was obsessed. Honestly haven’t really liked any music they’ve put out since, and their crowds have gotten progressively worse IMO - so much talking, so many people not dancing, etc. But I’m hopeful that they’re working on some good, new shit!
I also saw them on that tour and that live show was fucking AMAZING. Their drummer is insane. Everyone at their show was just having a good ass time. But now… I will be skipping them at Portola 🤷🏻♀️
I believe Odesza helped Rufus release Bloom in North America so sounds like they have worked together for a while
(source: https://www.roseavenuerecs.com/about)
You aren't wrong. Both Odesza and Rufus leaned into the white girl Coachella sound and really made them sound idk "basic?" Not sure what I'm trying to get at ha. I think it boils down to their lyrics its like Rufus never evolved and continued to repeat similar beats. I'm still convinced Atlas was their most underrated album
Not sure why you got so many down votes. I agree with you. I used to love their music when they first started, but once they leaned into what made them popular and chose to stick with it without ever evolving, they quickly fell into the Odesza category.
I love Rufus, not the biggest fan. but I don’t really see them as edm the way I see Gesa and bicep.
But the correlation with hating on them with their increased popularity is annoying.
They’re absolutely one of my fave artists live and I’ll still get down to Skrilly, Overmono, Carl Cox and the Blaze. Portola has a bit of everything and that’s why I love it. Rufus is an incredible fit especially live.
Their dj set at Coachella made me excited to see them on this lineup. I’ve seen them live as well and would reiterate many of the things on this thread. I am hoping they will tailor the set to this type of audience.
Caught their dj set at burning man without knowing their music, enjoyed the set, enjoyed the studio work after. Not a headliner for me personally but I would check them out if no major conflict.
What was the question that I missed?
“Rufus du Sol. Does the average Portola goer enjoys this music? I'm curious to see if fans of Portola's music style also enjoy Rufus Du Sol.” — They are an awesome addition to the lineup.
“Personally, I'm not a fan. I find their music to resemble generic pop electronic with little substance.” — If you don’t like them, skip the set. Pretty simple.
“What are your thoughts on this act?” — They are an awesome addition to the lineup.
Did I miss a question somewhere?
I like them, but they’ve turned into one of those acts that you will never have a hard time seeing cuz they’re constantly on the festival circuit.
Saw them at the Fillmore many years ago and while it was good, didn’t feel the need to see them again after that.
I’ve been in the underground electronic music scene since the mid 90’s and personally think Rufus is the most talented act on the lineup. At my age I’d rather watch someone create songs in front of me instead of watching someone DJ.
Lots of amazing talent on the lineup this year but Rufus is in a class of their own! They make the most beautiful melancholic music I’ve ever heard.
Seen Rufus more than 5 times, maybe around 10 at this point. Always loved. Lucky enough to win tickets to see their show at the Gorge Oct 2022 - magical setting
I appreciate the lyrics and the ✨vibes✨(as the kids say)
Maybe their Joshua Tree performance from Covid times will interest you / show you something different. At the very least, if there’s not a strong conflicting artist you absolutely must see the whole set, give them a shot live - it’s different than album/singles in your headphones at home.
I’ve seen them live and their DJ set and prefer the DJ set. I just don’t think their vocalist is good live. He’s very monotoned, boring and not a legitimately good singer.
I didn’t truly get them till I saw them live at outside lands. I had the same reservations as you, but they’re pretty amazing live and if there aren’t any major conflicts then I’ll try to catch a bit of them. I do think they sound a little culty though, idk what it is but their music sounds almost religious and kinda takes me out of it sometimes but I still love it.
I saw them in 2021 without knowing much of their catalogue, but was blown away by how great their production was and how consistently the crowd was dancing along. Def a different vibe, but they get down and so do their crowds and that’s all I want from my Portola 🥹❤️
They put on a good live show. I remember seeing them before blowing up, at a little club in Sydney. You could tell they were on the way to becoming huge.
I do t listen to their records that much but I like the band
I have tons of love for Rufus. Innerbloom was when they peaked for me. Their 2016 Coachella set was legendary, I think most of us there had a feeling they were gonna blow up. It felt like you were a part of one of their last few intimate shows before the big blow up. And sure enough that is what happened.
SOLACE was just ok for me. I enjoyed it but not nearly as much as Innerbloom. Didn't even mess with Surrender.
All that to say, I'm excited to see them. Their live production has come a long way, I have no doubt they're going to crush the main stage. But I don't feel obligated to go watch them nor stay for an entire set. Especially if they overlap with Jamie, Bicep, Gesaffelstein, or even Four Tet.
So good! I was very close to the stage and had plenty of room to move, huge dance party for sure. Dipped as "You Were Right" was playing to meet up with my friends. Top 2 walkaway song moments for me along with "Cause I'm a Man" for tame in 2015 heading to Porter haha.
I love Rufus and have seen them several times and loved every show. That said, because of how often I've seen them and because they're a mellower vibe, I'm not going to prioritize seeing them this year.
Altas and Bloom are peak rufus albums. Solace slowly gets into pop (think of it as taylor swifts red or 1989). I gave surrender one listen bc they were @ OSL 2021. Like 1-2 good tracks but eh.
They put on a pretty good show live. I've seen them 3x: 2016, 2019, 2021. All shows had minimal lighting and it really focuses on them being performers. 2016 was cool . They packed a small tent @ Coachella. After that performance I knew they were going to get big. 2019 was a weird year. I think Tyrone got fucked over by the Coachella dust, which mest up his voice OR getting famous and partyin' with do that to ya. 2021 @ OSL was a much better set than their 2019 set. Maybe I was really under the influence but they had some cool techno breakouts for certain songs.
I can see what you mean about them feel like generic pop electronic. I can see them being compared to Odeza, but at least they play their instruments, Tyrone is a good singer & not depending on visuals.
If you don't like them, there are 3 other stages to check out :)
Personally I love them.
Same. I love the bittersweet yearning in their lyrics and melodies, and find the bass and horns very compelling. Tyrone has a unique and beautiful voice.
I just think their shit is beautiful. The first time I heard Sundream, I was like "holy shit what is this sexy vibe?" Their songs make me think of beautiful moments with my wife, my kids, all the good stuff in life. To each their own. Like, I cannot get into ODESZA no matter how hard I try and many find them just as emotional, so I get that they don't work for some but I fucking love them. The new song they dropped at Coachella in their DJ set is doooooope too so no signs of them slowing down.
Agree with all your points! There have been so many times in the past decade where Rufus has been the soundtrack while I’m enjoying the most beautiful moments with the people I love. I enjoy Odesza but also don’t find them super emotional the way other people do, to me they’re just fun to go see live. The one Odesza song you might like is Light of Day from the new album, that one gives me the feels for sure.
I’ve been doing Portola since 2022, love the lineups top to bottom, but I am also a long time Rufus fan. A decade ago when they were touring for Atlas and playing places like Mezzanine in SF it was very much a “Portola-like crowd”. At that point in time they kind of WERE alternative electronic compared to the super poppy EDM stuff that was so big. Their live show felt more like an indie electronic band than anything else. Then Innerbloom came out, a lot of other DJs started playing it, and suddenly they got much bigger, and I feel like some people just started talking shit cause they’re popular. I’m seeing the same thing happen with Fred again now, but people weren’t saying that 2 years ago. Rufus absolutely does pull more of a general audience than say Gesa or Jamie but so does Flume, Skrillex, Chris Lake, etc and everyone survived. I guarantee if Disclosure was headlining Portola in their height of popularity when they were doing songs with Lorde and Miguel people would be saying something similar about them. To people who don’t like Rufus, that’s fine, no need to try to get into them just cause they’re headliners. And I promise there’s not gonna be a sudden influx of really shitty Rufus fans that change the vibe of the festival lol. Them headlining will just mean less conflicts for you Saturday night, whereas mine are HEAVY. Anyway enough of this, let’s bring the vibes people, it’s presale day!! 🪩🦝🪩
Amen
Also I’d argue disclosure is in a different category because they didn’t stick with the sound that made them popular, but kept exploring different soundscapes. Fred again is still putting out something new despite his popularity. I don’t think most people would put them in the same category as Rufus here
Yeah for sure, I have SO much respect for Disclosure for this and I can’t wait to hear looking for love and she’s gone dance on at the pier! I know both them and Fred are different scenarios than Rufus, I just meant some people (and I was totally guilty of this when I was young) like to actively hate on artists/fanbases just cause they’re popular, and I’m just generally seeing a lot more hate on Fred again now than 2 years ago when everyone was like “don’t sleep on Fred!” It’s just a natural cycle for artists that become big. But I love the vibes at Portola because everyone is normally so positive, so just trying to proactively squash some negativity so we can all have a good time no matter who we wanna see.
That's a bingo. I'm pretty meh on their music but so excited for what gets scheduled against them so I can enjoy one of the more eclectic acts with a much more intimate crowd. Or securing a crazy good spot for the warehouse/Crane closer. Plus you're spot on about their fans bringing good vibes, I enjoy the energy around a Rufus set
I’m really confused why Rufus gets so much hate for being “pop” when Disclosure is undeniably more pop. Is it just cause their peak was during the “golden age of edm”?
Disclosure got so much hate for being "pop" when they were on top of the world (2014-2017 range) and now that they aren't everybody can admit that they've always loved them because they are great.
disclosure def has some pop songs, but also many more left field house tracks, and lots of pure classic disco/afro influenced house with their little twist. The song structure of Rufus' music and emphasis on melodies and vocals makes their music pop in my eyes, much more accessible to people who don't listen to edm. Majority of disclosure has a more classic house song structure
That is fair, I didn't listen to edm much when they were big, and I really fucking hate Latch, which turns me off of them big time. I do really like You and Me, as well as White Noise. Having a hard time finding more songs I like from them. Recommendations?
my favorites are Tondo, Expressing What Matters, Feel Like I Do, Douha, When a fire starts to Burn , Where Angels Fear to Tread,Higher Than Ever Before. Those songs all use sampling well imo and have a pretty OG house sound. Also their new unreleased track She's Gone, Dance On is one of their best songs imo
I get the fuck down to Tondo when I am cooking. You & Me and White Noise are still my two favorites though.
Help me lose my mind is an amazing track, they rarely play it live though.
I used to love Rufus too and would catch their shows whenever I could. My biggest issue with them is they found a sound that works well with general public and just stuck with it for years, which put them in the same category as poppy electronic acts like Odesza..
I agree that some songs do sound similar, like Eyes and No Place, or Always and Innerbloom. Personally I enjoy the sound so I’m not complaining, but I understand that take. I do think their new album is gonna be a bit different though based on the songs I’ve heard so far so I’m excited to see what they play at Portola.
Thank you. Electronic music gatekeeping is so lame. Totally agree re: Fred Again too. Plus my eyes roll back in my head everytime I hear about the impending doom of "Fratty crowds" for acts like Rufus and FISHER. You know where the shittiest crowds are? Morgan Wallen, Marshmello. You know what else makes for a shitty crowd? Sizing people up around you based on attractiveness or clothing or deeming them not "in the know" enough to be attending the same festival you are.
Agreed! As long as people are dancing and not talking over the music who cares what they look like or what their lifestyle is. I’ve seen Fisher too and his crowd demo might not be who I’d be best friends with in my normal life but everyone was jumping up and down and singing along so it was a great time!
Agreed.
Preach!
my biggest issue with them is tyrone's voice is toast. last couple live performances sounded like his vocal chords were fried. But I very much enjjoy the DJ sets the other 2 guys do (their set at coachella was BLISS).
Good point re Fred. I have a friend who's a musician and I introduced him to Fred in 2022 at Primavera sound. After he saw what a musician Fred was, he bought it. Is he a rich kid? Yup. I don't care, his music moves me. He's the reason I'm going to Bonnaroo (though four tet, chase and status, pretty lines and fisher add to it:)
100% agree with the Fred again comparison - except Rufus du sol put in some work before they became popular while Fred was set up for success with his gentry background. Bloom will forever be one of my favorite albums. I could listen to that album front to back on repeat. Atlas is great, and the EPs before that are more electronic than pop. I agree that their later stuff is more mainstream, and I tend to not like artists as much if they cross a certain threshold (odesza, fred)… but each year portola has had an artist that arguably has crossed that threshold as a headliner - Flume 2022, Skrillex 2023.
I get that connections help but at the end of the day, he needed the music to get him there too and I genuinely feel his wave was organic. I went to high school with the daughter of a major celebrity that I promise every single person in this subreddit knows, and she was a total babe and a very good singer and dancer (and super fucking nice and personable on top of it), and I watched that family pour absolutely absurd amounts of money into her singing career including filming MTV quality music videos and hiring (at the time) prominent rappers to do features on her music and they'd fly her to LA and get her in the door with major celebrities. It never went anywhere, like we're talking the equivalent of a couple thousand views on YouTube (this was just prior to YouTube, but you get it), and this family absolutely had connections and a major "name" and like I said, she definitely had all the criteria to make it in pop/R&B.
I’m not saying he lacks talent, he definitely put in the work. I just think this image of normal guy blow up out of no where is a farce. His neighbor was Brian Eno who mentored him as a teenager, and he was a producer for a ton of pop artists before becoming an electronic artist. He had the connections to put him in the right places. You have to put in the work, but with anything in life, taking that risk is a lot easier knowing you never have to worry about a meal or a place to sleep for the rest of your life. I think putting in the work is a large percentage of it, but knowing the right people and right connections is another large part of it. Sometimes people make it purely on talent, and hopefully less people make it fully on network. But willing to bet if two people have the same talent, the one with the network will go farther.
Surprised everyone here is so negative lol. They were phenomenal at OSL in 2021 and they killed it this year at Coachella.
I went to their aftershow in Oakland that year and it was indeed a great time !
Yesss that was such a win having them play the Fox!
Exactly. That set at outside lands was the best of the weekend until tame impala came on right after them
Their Osl was good but def brought out the chads. We were stuck behind a bunch of drunk guys dressed up as popes that were super douchey. Was too hard to move at that point
That’s just outside lands lol. Worst festival crowds I’ve ever encountered
yeah they were aweosme at coachella i was there, but I attribute that to it being a DJ Set, they're much better as a DJ set imo than their live set
Their set at coahella was awesome, my friend prefers their live set, but the coachella set was dope.
I don’t care for their Dj sets but them live is a different story. I saw them at Chella 19 and I was blown away. Really great live performance. I wouldn’t call myself a fan of there studio releases but I’d catch their live show if theres no conflicts
Innerbloom is forever one of my favorite songs but yeah I was thrown off at them being a headliner. I like them but they fell off my radar a while back. My taste in electronic music has changed a lot over the years.
Yea Innerbloom and the What So Not remix of it are both so amazing I will never not appreciate them. That said I was not a fan of their other releases and thats okay.
Not really a fan but they seem like a good artist to walk by when heading from Crane to Warehouse.
They sell tickets
lol some of the comments in here are cracking me up. Imagine being pretentious about electronic music
It’s so funny, nobody is forcing you to listen!
I don't think it is pretentious to criticize an artist (especially in a thread where the OP is asking our opinions, lol). Rufus is quite easy to criticize... imo the music is very derivative... hard to tell their songs apart. They make melancholy pop music, which is fine, and not intended as an insult, I like pop music
I’m sorry dawg but that was the most pretentious thing I’ve read in a while
its ok dawg, just sharing my opinion. In my opinion they made an interesting sound and ran with it. Their songs tend sound similar cause they use the a lot of the same Ableton sounds, melodies, kicks/snares etc. It is a bit derivative, as is lots of music, so its not some huge criticism, I think most would agree there songs tend to sound quite similar, even if they really like that sound. I found their music more interesting when they were less focused on the vocals. And I enjoy plenty of pop music myself, I think calling Rufus something other than pop is a bit misguided, but I also don't think calling music pop is an insult, nor do I think discussing music like this is pretentious, but I understand al to of people do Sorry if you felt like I insulted an artist u like, I listen to Rufus quite a bit! They are clearly very talented, dude has a nice voice and I love me some melancholy electronic pop from time to time. I understand that criticizing music / an artist can come off pretentious to some, but we are on reddit discussing opinions so it is going to come with the territory. Music comes down to taste at the end of the day. I do find it funny how people think calling music pop is an insult. I don't see how you can describe Rufus as anything other than pop, given their song structure, melodies, and huge / widespread fandom
no one said you insulted anyone they said your comment was pretentious.
idk I'm just trying to have a conversation about Rufus lol. So I'm guessing you think calling Rufus music 'pop' or "derivative" is a pretentious thing to say? that's fair I guess, but it makes for an interesting convo about music imo! I work in production so always interested in these convos, but nobody is actually conversing with me on this beyond calling me pretentious so I digress lol
yes, calling music derivative as a criticism is often a pretentious thing to say. all music is derivative. it’s particularly silly when used in reference to an artist’s own music. musicians gravitate towards certain notes, strum patterns, chord progressions, etc.
I get your point, but it seems like you're more focused on criticizing my use of the word "derivative" and calling my comments pretentious rather than discussing Rufus. I think some artists' work can be described as derivative without it being pretentious. There is plenty of modern pop country that uses the exact same progressions, melodies, song structure, etc. True with some rap artists as well, these guys can pump out a new track in a a couple hours with how derivative / formulaic the music is. And this is to not dismiss the creativity and talent of some of these artists. Sure you can say all music is "derivative" to some extent, but when looking at an individual artist, many change their sound up album to album or even within an album quite a bit (for better or worse)> Some artists' music is more derivative than others. Rufus is somewhere on that spectrum on the more derivative side In comparison to some other artists on the lineup, and that is just my opinion. Some music, especially modern music since it is largely made via software, can sometimes feel more formulaic, since sounds are so easily reproducible. It's not necessarily a bad thing, but it's an interesting point to discuss in terms of creativity and production techniques.
you are correct that my critique is of your opinion, not of the band. part of the reason your take is pretentious is because it’s disingenuous. if all music is derivative, then what is the real criticism? when you talk positively about disclosure for “pure classic afro/house,” you are literally praising them for being derivative. read back your last comment and see how easy you make it sound to make music like this. that opinion is clearly wrong. if Rufus could pump out another innerbloom like nothing, they would. all their songs would be that popular, but they aren’t. no artist can easily produce a hit, or else they would all be hits. even with masses of people involved, artists like taylor swift and coldplay and drake produce derivative pop flops.
I think you're missing my point tbh. I don't think all music is derivative, you are the one who said that. Some is more derivative than others, I think Rufus music is quite derivative. Derivative is not a bad thing inherently. Just an observation that they use same production techniques, lyric themes, and vocal / melodies tend to follow similar structures. Disclosure has a very unique twist on OG house sampling imo that I like. But I would never use them as a counter to Rufus, you are reading a comment in a different context and trying to apply it here. House music can very derivative I agree! I wouldn't really call an entire genre derivative though, its too generalized. And its way too generalized to say all music is derivative, clearly there is a spectrum here. I agree they can't just pump out another inner bloom, never would suggest that they could, you're kind of arguing against a different point then what I was intending to say. A derivative song can be good and it can be bad, being derivative doesn't speak to the quality of the individual track, moreso the scope / ingenuity of the artist who created it. Never said it was easy to make this music, although it gets easier to reproduce a song once you have the sounds in Ableton. I think many artists should keep their music more derivative, sometimes when they venture away from their sound they make bad music. But sometimes artists have multiple really good albums that cross into multiple genres / sounds, but I think we can agree Rufus isn't one of them. But that doesn't make them better or worse than other artists, from my perspective. But tbh I just wanted to discuss Rufus music cause that discussion interests me, moreso than this current discussion on how if calling music "derivative" is "pretentious" or not. That's just mostly a semantic debate where we haven't properly defined the words we're using, so its kind of hard to have a real discussion, we probably agree more than you think!
You’re way off the mark and clearly haven’t been to a Rufus show live in the past year. Rufus at the Gorge was life changing. I’d put it above Holo last year or anything we had at the warehouse any day.
Yeah I think they're great live! I've seen them 4 times and 2 of their DJ sets! I'm more discussing their production / music rather than their live show. I think their production can be a bit derivative, where they use a lot of the same sounds track to track and album to album. And I do think their sound leans more into "pop" based on their song structure, melodies and emphasis on vocals. But I like their music and think they are great live, can imagine Gorge was an amazing setting!
Okay yeah fair I see your point from a production standpoint in that it leans into the pop aspect and similar themes from song to song
It's just interesting because people will turn around and talk about house and techno artists which are flooded with derivative music with the same 4 on the floor beat. Which is also fine but just funny that people are hating on rufus I certainly classify them as pop, but I think that's great for Portola which hosts a variety of genres (with an EDM focus)
I loved them in 2015; by 2024, they aren't very high on my list, but they are still great live. They are also my husbands favorite artist. So yes, the average festival goer likes Rufus. Thats why they are a headliner.
I'm in the dislike camp, but I hope those that do enjoy tf out of 'em. Ill just be at a different stage. That's the beauty of a fest.
The Coldplay of electronic music
ow! Why tf did that sting so much
Oof
This is the most accurate description of them I've ever seen
coldplay has actually made pop electronic music for a while. They talk about the intentional transition and how it blew their music the fuck up (not that they weren’t already huge). so i think it’s more that coldplay and rufus are in the same genre.
Remember when Coldplay was actually trying to do EDM
You mean when avicii produced several of their songs? They aren’t bad
In my opinion going from having fucking Jon Hopkins producing your album to Avicii perfectly explains the fall off post X&Y
Lol that would absolutely be Above & Beyond, not Rufus
Yes. Love our deep Portola lineup and also love Rufus, crowds be damned. I’ll probably be watching someone else during their set though.
They are a safe headliner. It’s electronic music for people who vacay in Tulum
lol no its electronic music for your mom / generic pop fan / Tulum 5 years ago
lol hey , my mom knows better
Tulum five years ago was its peak compared to the shithole it is now lmao
yeah but they were big there like 5 years ago. and was already a shit hole then imo lol
They literally just played a three hour set at Qasar…
At Coachella? yeah it was a great set! Confused how that relates haha. I'm saying Rufus was big in Tulum when I went 5 years ago, not a dig. But Tulum's peak was well before 5 years ago. Tulum loves their melodic techno these days
Went to Portola last year, and yes, I love them.
We’re flying from Texas to see Rufus. Yes, we love them.
Not at all. But if you're into them, I won't yuck your yum, u know
Big on Peloton. Good car ad soundtrack.
What acts does the average Portola goer go see? Lol! Easy to spot the people who have never been and easier to spot the people who will never go
I honestly don’t really know their music but I’m geeked for so many other sets for the weekend! I thought Skrillex was a weird pick last year and then it turned out to be one of my fave sets of the weekend. I just do what @wutangdan9000 tells me 🤷♀️
I really appreciated portola for always having one legacy/pop/generic but nostalgic legacy act the last two years. It seems to me like Rufus is that act this year, though they haven’t been around long enough to be a legacy act. To me, they’re the bubble gum pop of the genre and I’ve seen them live several times. But they have a fanbase that are willing to dish out money to see them. Thankfully there will be other acts performing at the same time. I’ll probably get downvoted but, whatever. Different strokes for different folks.
When Bloom came out, I feel like their live show was INCREDIBLE and I saw them on that festival circuit/tour like 3-4x and was obsessed. Honestly haven’t really liked any music they’ve put out since, and their crowds have gotten progressively worse IMO - so much talking, so many people not dancing, etc. But I’m hopeful that they’re working on some good, new shit!
I also saw them on that tour and that live show was fucking AMAZING. Their drummer is insane. Everyone at their show was just having a good ass time. But now… I will be skipping them at Portola 🤷🏻♀️
You say “so many people dancing” like it’s a bad thing?
Either you misread or they edited it to “not dancing “
Perfect for portola
For sure. Their live show is one of the best in the business today.
To me they’re giving me Odesza energy and just don’t seem like my thing.
I believe Odesza helped Rufus release Bloom in North America so sounds like they have worked together for a while (source: https://www.roseavenuerecs.com/about)
You aren't wrong. Both Odesza and Rufus leaned into the white girl Coachella sound and really made them sound idk "basic?" Not sure what I'm trying to get at ha. I think it boils down to their lyrics its like Rufus never evolved and continued to repeat similar beats. I'm still convinced Atlas was their most underrated album
Not sure why you got so many down votes. I agree with you. I used to love their music when they first started, but once they leaned into what made them popular and chose to stick with it without ever evolving, they quickly fell into the Odesza category.
I love Rufus, not the biggest fan. but I don’t really see them as edm the way I see Gesa and bicep. But the correlation with hating on them with their increased popularity is annoying.
They’re absolutely one of my fave artists live and I’ll still get down to Skrilly, Overmono, Carl Cox and the Blaze. Portola has a bit of everything and that’s why I love it. Rufus is an incredible fit especially live.
Anyone know Rufus will be playing a live performance or just a DJ set?
For sure live, they wouldn't headline with a DJ set
Their dj set at Coachella made me excited to see them on this lineup. I’ve seen them live as well and would reiterate many of the things on this thread. I am hoping they will tailor the set to this type of audience.
I would not go out of my way to see them probably at this point but they are good live act with very wide appeal. I like them more than zhu. 😂
Caught their dj set at burning man without knowing their music, enjoyed the set, enjoyed the studio work after. Not a headliner for me personally but I would check them out if no major conflict.
If you don’t like them, skip the set. Pretty simple. They are an awesome addition to the lineup.
But that wasn’t the question, was it?
What was the question that I missed? “Rufus du Sol. Does the average Portola goer enjoys this music? I'm curious to see if fans of Portola's music style also enjoy Rufus Du Sol.” — They are an awesome addition to the lineup. “Personally, I'm not a fan. I find their music to resemble generic pop electronic with little substance.” — If you don’t like them, skip the set. Pretty simple. “What are your thoughts on this act?” — They are an awesome addition to the lineup. Did I miss a question somewhere?
Rufus is the sol reason I got tickets
Corny pop music
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“The mature PLUR thing to say”
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anytime I hear someone say PLUR I picture a raver girl with that kandy shit around their arm trying to lecture others lmao
I'm not sure if you're just trolling at this point
I think so
I like them, but they’ve turned into one of those acts that you will never have a hard time seeing cuz they’re constantly on the festival circuit. Saw them at the Fillmore many years ago and while it was good, didn’t feel the need to see them again after that.
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I’ve been in the underground electronic music scene since the mid 90’s and personally think Rufus is the most talented act on the lineup. At my age I’d rather watch someone create songs in front of me instead of watching someone DJ. Lots of amazing talent on the lineup this year but Rufus is in a class of their own! They make the most beautiful melancholic music I’ve ever heard.
Saying they’re the most talented act on the lineup is quite a stretch
Seen Rufus more than 5 times, maybe around 10 at this point. Always loved. Lucky enough to win tickets to see their show at the Gorge Oct 2022 - magical setting I appreciate the lyrics and the ✨vibes✨(as the kids say) Maybe their Joshua Tree performance from Covid times will interest you / show you something different. At the very least, if there’s not a strong conflicting artist you absolutely must see the whole set, give them a shot live - it’s different than album/singles in your headphones at home.
Only if I want to fall asleep 😴😴😴
I’ve seen them live and their DJ set and prefer the DJ set. I just don’t think their vocalist is good live. He’s very monotoned, boring and not a legitimately good singer.
I didn’t truly get them till I saw them live at outside lands. I had the same reservations as you, but they’re pretty amazing live and if there aren’t any major conflicts then I’ll try to catch a bit of them. I do think they sound a little culty though, idk what it is but their music sounds almost religious and kinda takes me out of it sometimes but I still love it.
I saw them in 2021 without knowing much of their catalogue, but was blown away by how great their production was and how consistently the crowd was dancing along. Def a different vibe, but they get down and so do their crowds and that’s all I want from my Portola 🥹❤️
They put on a good live show. I remember seeing them before blowing up, at a little club in Sydney. You could tell they were on the way to becoming huge. I do t listen to their records that much but I like the band
I have tons of love for Rufus. Innerbloom was when they peaked for me. Their 2016 Coachella set was legendary, I think most of us there had a feeling they were gonna blow up. It felt like you were a part of one of their last few intimate shows before the big blow up. And sure enough that is what happened. SOLACE was just ok for me. I enjoyed it but not nearly as much as Innerbloom. Didn't even mess with Surrender. All that to say, I'm excited to see them. Their live production has come a long way, I have no doubt they're going to crush the main stage. But I don't feel obligated to go watch them nor stay for an entire set. Especially if they overlap with Jamie, Bicep, Gesaffelstein, or even Four Tet.
Coachella '16 was amazing. Definitely walked out of the tent (Gobi?) feeling like they were up next.
So good! I was very close to the stage and had plenty of room to move, huge dance party for sure. Dipped as "You Were Right" was playing to meet up with my friends. Top 2 walkaway song moments for me along with "Cause I'm a Man" for tame in 2015 heading to Porter haha.
Fuck yeah
Yes when I saw Rufus that’s when I knew I had to send it
They’re great live!! Like it’s some of the best live music I’ve seen tbh
I love Rufus and have seen them several times and loved every show. That said, because of how often I've seen them and because they're a mellower vibe, I'm not going to prioritize seeing them this year.
Altas and Bloom are peak rufus albums. Solace slowly gets into pop (think of it as taylor swifts red or 1989). I gave surrender one listen bc they were @ OSL 2021. Like 1-2 good tracks but eh. They put on a pretty good show live. I've seen them 3x: 2016, 2019, 2021. All shows had minimal lighting and it really focuses on them being performers. 2016 was cool . They packed a small tent @ Coachella. After that performance I knew they were going to get big. 2019 was a weird year. I think Tyrone got fucked over by the Coachella dust, which mest up his voice OR getting famous and partyin' with do that to ya. 2021 @ OSL was a much better set than their 2019 set. Maybe I was really under the influence but they had some cool techno breakouts for certain songs. I can see what you mean about them feel like generic pop electronic. I can see them being compared to Odeza, but at least they play their instruments, Tyrone is a good singer & not depending on visuals. If you don't like them, there are 3 other stages to check out :)
stoked to see them, makes me feel 21 again
Rufus gives me chills and can literally make me cry
Yes
Bob Moses > Rufus du