DJ RUBY
This Mediterranean treat comes with high recommendations from the very active Maltese clubbing scene.
From humble beginnings in form of a mobile disco to Koh Phangan’s Jungle.
Along the way he passed the Swiss Chalet, where David Dee ( a friend from the local dance movement ) noticed his talent and made him resident at his Club.
This was Ruby’s first Resident DJ job.
In the early 90’ies the Maltese Islands took off in a Dance music Explosion and RUBY was among the most popular DJ’s.
Alongside with his DJ gigs he found extra energy to host a Radio Show on the Late Live FM radio working on a project to bring Dance music further into the mainstream.
This instrumental part he played in this project brought to him a huge fan base that to this day still follows him around for his performances.
Ruby seems to have numerous lists of local awards that stem from his performances both for radio and clubs from 1997 to 2003.
Ruby wins different awards such as:
Best Club DJ at the Malta Music Awards and Best House DJ at the Malta DJ Awards.
The most prestigious of them all was in 2004, when Ruby won "Malta’s Most Popular DJ" by the notorious TV network – MTV.
Ruby also scored big in the local awards area, namely in the best remix category at the 2005 Bay Music Awards for his interpretation of Ira Losco’s ‘Love Me Or Hate Me’.
His own productions ‘Pure Stimulation’ & ‘Modulation Error’ where also nominated at the same awards event and at the Malta Music Awards in 2006 & 2007.
Ruby went back on the winning podium in 2008 with 3 awards;
at the BMA`s with his production of Malta’s biggest dance single of that year ‘Living In The Dark’.
Also winner of Best Artist Website at the MMA`s and Best Radio Jingles in the world at the international ETAR awards.
Come 2009 Ruby won again at the BMA’s with his massive collaboration with Ira Losco; ‘Whats The Matter With Your Cabrio’.
A bigger award for Ruby was surely the 24 hour DJ marathon non stops sets he made to raise funds for Malta’s biggest charity organization ‘Istrina’ in December of 2007 & 2008.
Till today Ruby is the only Maltese club DJ to have achieved a venture of this kind.
However, these awards do not seem to be rewarded solely on Ruby’s local appearances alone.
Ruby has been spinning many places in Europe. Back in 1998 in Hereford’s Crystal Rooms in the UK, later on across Germany and also Eastern Europe has had the pleasure of RUBY.
His visits to Poland in particular saw crowds hit the roof with his regular sets at Warsaw clubs - together with the most prolific Progressive promoters in the country – Sentence.
Those appearances continued with regular visits to Plovdiv, Sofia and Sunny Beach in Bulgaria.
Together with the Electrica DJ Team, Balkan’s biggest promoters he made a name for himself also there.
Another international residency was his bi-monthly appearance with Eternity in Palermo.
The Millenium Club in Bournemouth (UK) and Nightlife Club in San Antonio (Ibiza) are other clubs that Ruby has played at - when his global gigs started to take off.
In June 2005 Ruby’s international career went on to another level!
He joined Dutch label/management ‘Fektive’ which now takes care of his international bookings.
Debut gigs with this renowned organisation where at Timewarp & Transmission festivals both held in the Czech capital Prague, together with Sven Vath, Mauro Picotto, Marco V, ATB, Markus Schulz, Above & Beyond and MIKE.
For these past 5 years Ruby’s diary has been more looking like an Atlas, he headlined events in Ukraine, Lithuania, Dubai, Hong Kong, Bulgaria, UK, Poland, Holland, Palm City, Thailand, Jordan, Russia, Elevate in India, Casino In Berlin, Es Paradis in Ibiza, Brown Alley, Roxy, Room 680 & Gaelic in Australia, Jacksons in Florida USA, New York and more gigs lined up in other countries as you read this!
Needless to say, publicity has been instrumental in elevating Ruby’s status.
European dance magazines seem to be fascinated with Ruby including DJ Magazine (UK) featuring him in four separate issues.
Ruby has also put his fair share of journalistic work throughout the years via local music publications Dansezee, Tune In, Juice magazines & recently on the interactive site DCode with a monthly video blog.
Ruby’s status as a celebrity personality in Malta reached its peak in 2009 were his profile was featured on the ever popular trump cards and played the main role in Malta’s biggest ever blockbuster movie; Maltageddon.
As for promoting, … say hello to Pure Promotions.
Co-owned and driven by Ruby himself, since 1999 Pure Promotions events have steadily risen, attained and maintained a standard.
Every Pure Promotions event, is a night where the DJs within these events walk out of the DJ booth impressed with the organisation and packed out venues.
Pure Promo’s legendary parties have already featured renowned DJ`s & promoters such as Paul Van Dyk, Hernan Cattaneo, Daniel Portman, and many many more!
Together with an immense list of massive events and big dance music shows at the Eden Arena they have had quite a success.
Ruby is also a recording artist with a vast list of regular underground releases.
Maltese no.1 hits and award winning tracks such as ‘Living In The Dark’, ‘Accident Prone 09’, ‘What’s The Matter With Your Cabrio’, ‘Heart Desire’ and his own remixes of ‘Love Me Or Hate Me’, ‘Get Out’ & ‘I Need You’.
He also released four tracks under the National League imprint (together with Holland’s DJ San); ‘2am’, ‘What Goes Around Comes Around’, ‘Don’t Touch That Dial & ‘Nightmoves’.
Ruby, thank you very much for making this with us!
What is your connection to Phangan?
For me Koh Phangan is like heaven on earth. Have been coming every year in January for the past 5 years and planning to keep on coming till the day I die!
You played at the Jungle Party on the 25th of January and made a Super nice Video. What do you think about this party?
Amazing event and wicked location...
It was my debut gig at Jungle Experience and certainly one of biggest gigs I had outside of my country Malta.
Where have you played on Phangan?
I usually play at Anahata Lounge…
it’s a smaller gig, but love the venue and the crowd there is amazing.
Do you have any more upcoming gigs on Phangan on this visit?
I visit Koh Phangan every year in January, so yeah I will do Jungle Experience again in early 2014.
Would love to perform at Guy’s Bar too... been there once for an afterhours… was very impressed with the quality of the music.
Ruby's set from the Jungle Experience Party on Jan. 25!:
The best thing Ruby have ever done apart from being a DJ and a music producer for nearly 20 years, was when he last year found another media passion, Film Making & Videography.
Which music did you bring in your record bag for Phangan?
Ass-shaking groovy tech house/ tribal…. which is purely my sound.
He is producing and releasing music nonstop!
Present Ruby streaming his schedule mostly to guest appearances both in Malta and worldwide as a solo artist and as a duo DJ/VJ show together with DJ San from Holland.
His successful “Ruby’s Vital Grooves” radio show which pioneered the dance music scene in Malta, is now aired on the world’s leading streaming network DI.FM and as a podcast on iTunes which is a must listen for any dance fan out there!
Right now he is Touring Australia and if you want to catch him TODAY you should try in Queensland!
He consider himself as a very artistic person and he get inspiration from anything he hears and sees.
People who takes life too seriously makes him laugh. Phanganist went through his Laptop to see what else makes him laugh. A small hack into his laptop and we found what we were looking for:
It’s an 80’s Japanese manga cartoon called Daltanious
Do you find Koh Phangan to a good place for you?
I DJ a lot in different countries, I’ve been around the world but Koh Phangan remains my best place on earth.
His favourite place in Phangan is Koh Ma.
Do you see yourself playing on Phangan in 10 years from now?
For sure.... in 10 years I will certainly be still DJing and of course returning to Koh Phangan every year.
If Ruby had a Super power he would use it to move Koh Phangan closer to my country Malta.
He would admire any Super Hero that can do so.
His simple life philosophy is to be positive and work hard. This way we are sure he will reach far!
Thank you Ruby for your insights on Phangan life and for sharing your tunes every year here!
Greets to the Malta Mafia for renting out one of their Top DJs!!
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