Rebūke has built a reputation as one of the most forward-thinking producers in electronic music, constantly experimenting with the boundaries between techno, house, and rave culture since his breakout moment with “Along Came Polly” on Hot Creations in 2018. The track became a defining statement of his sound, showcasing his innate ability to craft a weirdly, wonderful slice of techno.
Hailing from Letterkenny, Ireland, Reuben Keeney created Rebūke as a playful jab at predictable music. True to his word, he shakes up the scene by blending gritty techno, heavy house grooves, ’90s rave nostalgia, and melodic club vibes. In addition to other club faves like the massive “Syren” – his 2023 collab with Italy’s Anyma – he’s remixed a who’s who of electronic acts, including Underworld, Green Velvet and Chris lake.
In 2022, Rebūke launched his ERA label/brand, which also includes his ERA Radio show and his immersive live show/audio-visual concept. His latest release, “Tears from Heaven,” is another change of pace, as it’s a tension-filled melodic banger on Cloonee’s Hellbent imprint featuring vocalist Hannah Boleyn.
We caught up with Rebūke to discuss his journey, his shifting sound, and the future of his live experience.
DJ LIFE: When did you first start DJing and producing?
Rebūke: I started DJing when I was very young, around 12, 13 years old. It was before DJing was cool. Now, these days, everybody wants to be a DJ. Back then, where I come from, nobody really knew about DJs. The only one they knew was Tiësto. I started watching YouTube videos of Tiësto playing and then I was asking, “How is he doing this?” I realized that he was using vinyl, so I started learning to mix that way. One thing led to another; it became a bit of an obsession. Around two years after, the production stuff came naturally. I got frustrated that a lot of the DJs were playing the same music as me, so I felt that if I made my own music, then others couldn’t play it. Which is kind of funny because now it’s the opposite.
DJ LIFE: What kind of tools did you learn on specifically?
Rebūke: I actually started on DJing first with a pair of super cheap CD players. They had no pitch wheel, so the only way to get a track back in sync was by pressing two buttons over and over. You’d just go, “c-c-c-c…,” trying to keep the two tracks together. At my very first gig at a teenage disco with my friends, every time someone walked past the desk, the CD skipped because they didn’t even have anti-shock! I was only 13 and didn’t have much money, but it was enough to learn the basics and save up for better gear over time. Production came around two years later: I started out on Fruity Loops – now it’s FL Studio – before discovering Ableton Live, which became my DAW of choice and I’ve that used ever since.
DJ LIFE: Do you play an instrument?
Rebūke: I play a bit of keys; I played a little bit of guitar, took some lessons and a little bit of keyboard, but nothing really ever gelled. I’ve never been the traditional musician in the sense where I could sit down and play a piano. It was more that I loved the idea of getting these ideas out of my head, and I didn’t really care how that happened. I was always a bit of a tech nerd as a kid. My dad owned a computer store, so I was always wrecking computers to see how they worked. When I realized that softwares like Fruity Loops and Ableton could turn that tech into music, I was hooked. Playing traditional instruments never appealed to me; technology was my way in.
DJ LIFE: What do you consider your breakthrough moment for you as an internationally recognized artist?
Rebūke: Probably in 2018, when I released the record “Along Came Polly.” Before that, I had some mini-breakthroughs here and there where cool things were happening, but I think that was the record that put me on the map and got me enough attention where people started to have eyes on me and then, I could express my other styles of music.
DJ LIFE: You mentioned in previous interviews that you are moving back towards darker and rougher sounds. What inspired you this shift? And how would you describe the evolution of your sound since your debut album, World of ERA, from last year?
Rebūke: Naturally, if you’re just a fan of music, you don’t tend to like the same songs for 10 years. We might all love dance music, but we go from listening to one genre to another, from one sound to another. And it’s the same as an artist. I’m always picking up new things, and I’m constantly watching people do things differently. I’m always like, “Oh, I quite like that.”
I think this was the way my sound has always evolved, from the early days of doing more hard Creation stuff, to more drum-n-bass records, eventually it pivoted to more melodic techno music. Now, these days I’m getting really excited about more groovy kind of house music again. I just follow what I feel interests me, and I don’t try and stick to one lane.
This freedom keeps things exciting for me and I guess for the fans as well. They never know what to expect. Unlike a lot of artists, I’m lucky enough to pivot sounds without losing my audience. It’s great, because when other artists chose another direction people are like “What the hell, man? Why are you playing this house record when you’re a techno DJ?” Right now, I’m loving going back to my house roots with a darker, clubbier feel, and the reception has been incredible.
DJ LIFE: What genres are you most interested in at the moment?
Rebūke: Right now, I like the weirder side of house music. Beltran and Mochakk are bringing back that original Dirtybird sound, which was massive when I broke through in 2018. It went away for a bit when things got too serious, but these Brazilian artists are making it cool again. I’ve always loved that sound, I even recently put out “I’m Just Calling” with Claude VonStroke. It was around four years old. We let it sit around for a while and now that we felt like this sound is making a comeback, so we released it. I’m hyped to be part of its comeback.
DJ LIFE: You have a lot of exciting collaborations coming up, for example, with Patrick Topping. You’ve collaborated a lot with Anyma as well. How do you choose your collaborators?
Rebūke: Usually, it’s people that I genuinely like as individuals – they’re just really cool. I’ll work with them if I connect with them personally. I have a lot of respect for artists who create something original. If somebody is doing something a little different or something that tweaks my ear, I’ll always reach out and start a conversation.
Patrick Topping, for instance, we’ve been friends for around 10 years, and we broke through in the same world back in the day. He’s also going back to his old style where he came from. We thought it was a good idea to come together and do something fresh. With Anyma, he first reached out three years ago – his sound felt so fresh and technologically forward. I also enjoyed the technology side of it and the sound-design parts of the work. Our collab was pure experimentation, what we called “chaos.” No traditional vocal hooks, just raw sound design and pitch bends. For me, the best collaborations are with anyone pushing boundaries and making me ask: “Oh, how did they do that?” Then that’s the kind of guy that I like to work with.
DJ LIFE: About the audio-visual part of your productions, are you planning to continue that direction?
Rebūke: Yes, I think so. Last year, it got to the point where it overtook the music a lot because I create my own visuals myself. Two years ago, I started to learn how to make visuals. I was working with a 3D animator very early on, but when I couldn’t fully express my vision to him, I got frustrated. Then, I decided to learn the basics myself only to be able to communicate with them on a level. At that moment, I got a bit carried away. Eventually, I was making the music, I was creating the visuals. I was doing the whole thing, which was just way too much.
To put it into context, an Anyma show is up to 20 animators; I was doing it on my own. It’s a whole different world, and it just got too much, so we put the brakes on it this year. We’re going back just hard on the music and going back to clubs, being able to do festivals and playing cool lineup, which last year, I probably wouldn’t have been able to do that because we were focusing on the visual shows.
We will go back to the visual format at some point, probably in a year or two. We will revise it and do something fresh. It was super-fun, though. I loved it. It’s great to see your vision come alive. That really tells a story more than just a piece of audio.
DJ LIFE: How do you feel about your audience focusing on filming the visual production instead of just enjoying the music itself?
Rebūke: I’m used to it now. In Ireland, where I come from, it’s the opposite; people are just losing their minds, going crazy, and fully immersing themselves in the experience. Then you play the visual shows, and it becomes a different experience. People have their phones in the air, but it’s to be expected because they’re admiring the production.
For me, it’s OK, because I could always find a balance. I would play a visual show, then I would do a club show afterwards. If people pay their ticket and they want to use their phone all night, that’s their thing. I can’t tell them what to do and I can’t preach. I think it’s just the way the scene’s developing. You can’t stop it.