Biography:
Bringing It All Together Under One Roof
DJ Ruben Mancias is changing the way people
listen to House. With his heart-pounding, rhythmic drums
beats, sparkling grooves, overlaid with sultry vocal lines
and staccato treble kicks, Ruben has attracted packed houses
of partiers up and down the West Coast. For over a decade,
Ruben has seduced them with sweet, beautiful musics. His
intelligent, seamless mixing, and sincere passion for dance
music, goes far beyond any DJ booth or studio. Proving that
dance music comes from the soul, Ruben's talent of expressing
human emotion, spirituality, and life's lessons through
his tracks has allowed him to gain a huge following of devoted
fans. This intimate connection has also helped build an
appearance schedule, often extending across the entire week.
Devotion, his current Sunday night weekly,
at the legendary EndUp in San Francisco, is the mecca for
deep house fanatics straight, gay, locals, tourists, slicksters,
club kids, whatever. The turntables, in his control, become
a unifying force to the city's often-disparate underground
scenes.
Growing up in Pennsylvania, Ruben's passion
for music started at an early age. Listening to his brothers
and sisters’ record collections, he became infatuated
with different musical styles and sounds, including reggae,
r&b, and alternative. But it was his deep connection
to Jerry Garcia of the Grateful Dead that greatly impacted
his own approach to spinning, shaping his own idea about
what music is. Rather than "thinking" music, Ruben
feels it. Like the Dead, Ruben's sets are free-flowing,
jam sessions.
Moving to San Francisco in 1990, he was
introduced to a thriving dance scene, an underground musical
playground. Falling in love with house and Latin music,
Ruben's strong desire to spin and fuse together different
rhythms and beats allowed him to finally get his foot in
the door. After landing his first gig, at the internationally
renowned 1015 Folsom, Ruben's career soon took off, making
him a "household" name in San Francisco. With
guest spots at clubs Tilt, The Corduroy City, Universe,
and Spundae, he quickly established residencies at acclaimed
parties Lift, PleasureDome, and the notorious Sunday T-Dance
at EndUp, A self-produced radio mix show, showcasing Bay
Area house talent, "Nocturnal Transmission", on
Wild 107.7, was not far behind.
With his clubs Breathe Deep and Anthem,
Ruben is credited with keeping the San Francisco underground
scene alive during the economic boom and turmoil of the
late 90s. One of the most memorable House clubs in West
Coast memory in terms of pure innovation, Breathe Deep,
helped solidify the careers of fellow DJs, while Anthem,
brought a deeper, more intimate feel to the city's then
- retro lounge inundated larger clubs. Playing with top
deejays around the world, including Teddy Douglas, Timmy
Regisford, Louie Vega, DJ Spen, Luis Radio, Miguel Miggs,
Joe Clausell, Danny Krivit, and Tony Humphries, Ruben's
sincere support and fresh talent has helped him form relationships
and gain respect of fellow artists worldwide.
These days he can be found weekly at the
internationally renown Devotion, which is earning a reputation
for expanding San Francisco's knowledge of the global scene
through guest DJ spots and Ruben's smooth yet eclectic style.
From the smiles and hugs, to the hyped crowds, the party
radiates a positive energy that vibrates through the club,
like the drum-induced speakers. Along, with a radio spot
on Wild 94.9's "House Nation" every week, as well
as a weekly internet mix show Cyberjamz, Ruben is doing
what he loves and giving his fans what they want: good ass
house music.
Appearances at top House Music parties
throughout the world such as "Goa" in Rome, "Purple Music"
in Zurich, various events throughout the States and Mexico,
and most recently, at New York City's famed Club Shelter
help keep his style fresh and exportable. Ruben's acclaim
and exclusivity are bringing him back to Europe and on to
Asia, for several "Devotion Tours" throughout 2004!
With many new projects in the works, Ruben's
career is in full force. His mixed cd After Midnight quickly
became a best-seller across America. After forming Devotion
Records, the debut release "Peace" climbed the
charts on both sides of the Atlantic. With more releases
scheduled in the coming year, including I Just Wanna Be,
produced my Jay Sinister Sealee, and My Devotion, along
with a lucrative merchandise plan, Ruben is a man of many
hats. Wearing them proudly, it's Ruben's love for House-deep,
garage, classic and joyfulthat keeps his hands on the tables
and ours in the air. His youth, fierce energy, and immense
talent insure a long-lasting career in the music industry
which makes Ruben Mancias a huge chapter in the wonderful,
timeless story that is House.
"True House Music involves feeling the
heart and soul in the deejay's performance. It's the thing
that moves you to want to dance. Ruben Mancias.
