Inside Five: Endor [Ruff Cutz Records]

Endor quickly emerged as an influential figure in the underground music scene after launching his project in 2013 while studying Graphic Design at Central Saint Martins. He has an impressive discography, releasing music on notable labels, including Defected, Repopulate Mars, Solid Grooves, Island Records, and Simma Black. He has also created official remixes for Madonna, Dido, and Faithless.

More recently, Endor has expressed his most authentic musical self via a stream of well-received releases on his Ruff Cutz Records label project. A home for explicitly underground and free-thinking dancefloor heaters, the label continues to set a precedence for avant-garde house music. 

Endor heads to MADE Festival this weekend, joining the likes of Ben Hemsley, Hannah Laing, Latmun, Oden & Fatzo, Wheats, Seb Zito and many more of electronic dance music’s top flight at Birmingham’s Digbeth Triangle. Since debuting in 2014, MADE Festival has become a cultural institution in the Midlands. Initially based in inner-city Birmingham, the event has moved across several regional venues. 

Featuring the usual blend of the region’s finest street food, street art displays, installations and live demonstrations, world-class DJs and live acts – the 2023 edition celebrates its ninth year with the biggest and most exciting production. 

Ahead of his headline set on MADE’s CNTRL X ESVDRA stage, we caught up with Endor as he joins us for a quickfire Inside Five interview: 

Hey Endor, thanks for joining us. Tell us about what you’ve been doing over the first half of 2023.

Yo! Cheers for having me. I’ve been working full throttle on material for my new imprint Ruff Cutz. I think it’s some of my best work yet, but I guess the dancefloor will be the judge of that! Other than studio time, there have been a good amount of gigs, plenty in London at spots like Studio 338 and Ministry. A couple of trips out to Amsterdam and one to Dublin. 

You’re playing at MADE Festival this weekend. What are you most looking forward to about your trip to Birmingham?

That’s right; it’s in Digbeth, which is always a pretty hectic spot. There’s never a dull gig in Brum; the ravers go hard!! No matter what type of groove you’re into, be it minimal, techy, old school, or even bassy – there’s a scene here for it. And they all sort of come together for MADE Festival… There’s no snobbery. It’s that sort of vibe that I’m hyped for.

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A post shared by Endor (@endormusicuk)

Are there any other artists or experiences you’re hoping to check out whilst you’re at MADE?

Yeah, certainly, there are a few DJs I wanna catch, but mostly the wizard; Ryan Nichols. He opened for me at AFTA DARK one year, which is a party that goes on from 2am – 6am. His set was absolutely popping. There was nothing tearout, only cleanly mixed grooves. I’ve never seen a dancefloor so united. I need to see if he can do it again or if it was just a fluke!

You have released music on many well-respected labels and, more recently, your Ruff Cutz imprint. How has your sound evolved over the last couple of years, and where can you see it heading in the future?

I think that as I’ve matured as a DJ (and as a human), my tastes have naturally changed – so the music has moved with it. As I’ve become more experienced, I’ve adopted a “less is more” sort of mentality. This doesn’t mean minimalism to the point of anonymity, where music no longer has an identity – but it does mean stripping a song back to its core elements. Nowadays, I try to refine one single component of a track to its perfection and base the song around that, rather than having 3 or 4 competing elements. It’s a work-in-progress, and I’ll be the first to say I’m not there yet. But I know where I’m going with music, and I think I can get there.

Lastly, what can we expect from the world of Endor for the rest of this year and beyond?

Hopefully I can turn Ruff Cutz into the powerhouse that I one day hope it to be and really showcase my style. Other than that, I just want to have fun with it. I’m on this planet for a mere fraction of time in the grand scheme of things, so if I can just bring a bit of enjoyment to other people’s lives as well as my own, then that’s fine with me. I’m not trying to be the biggest DJ or the best; I just wanna do my thing.

Endor is performing at MADE Festival on Saturday, 29th July. For more info and tickets, visit https://www.skiddle.com/festivals/MADE-Birmingham.

Endor
https://www.facebook.com/endormusicuk
https://twitter.com/EndorMusicUK
https://www.instagram.com/EndorMusicUK
https://open.spotify.com/artist/6F3vLfyutkUhpM50G84eMt
https://soundcloud.com/EndorTracksUK

MADE Festival
https://www.facebook.com/madefestivaluk
https://twitter.com/made_festival
https://www.instagram.com/made_festival
https://www.made-festival.co.uk