South African sludge n roll wizards Ruff Majik have unleashed All You Need Is Speed, the first single from their upcoming full-length album The Devil’s Cattle, which is set for release later this year via Mongrel Records. The track is a high octane, riff fuelled, round-house kick to the head. The video is visually captivating with unique illustrations by local artist Llewellyn Van Eeden and includes all sorts of Occult, Norse mythology, Americana and Africana imagery. Ruff Majik are pioneers in every way and are set to bring a distinct flavour to the new world.
When asked to comment on the inspiration behind the track, vocalist and guitarist Johni Holiday laughed, “Sometimes you just want to drive really fast and get wasted on the cheap stuff”.
All You Need Is Speed captures that feeling perfectly!
Ruff Majik was originally formed in 2012 when the band moved from Lydenburg to the realm of Pretoria. They entered the city as a three piece (Holiday, Glass, Manchino) and conquered the labor force together with no real experience in the scene, but a certain drive and ambition that only gods could counter. After three years of adjusting and playing only a few shows, the band finally made the decision to release some music.
Fast forward to 2015 when The Bear (an EP roughly inspired by the DIY ethos of Black Metal recording techniques) was released and got the band some mild forms of recognition. The Bear was recorded with two mics in a garage which ultimately explains its grit and distortion. Soon after the release of the first EP, Bobbejaan pushed the band onto a few line ups which put the band on the map and introduced them to Temple of Doom and other folks in the scene.
Shortly after the release of The Bear, The Fox was recorded and released which led to more shows and a spot in the then newly established South African doom/stoner scene. 2016 was also the year of the Wax Wizard, a crowd favourite until this day. The Fox also presented the band with their first small touring opportunities.
The Swan stuck its neck out the following year,2017, which lead to more touring and a busier schedule for Ruff Majik and talks of touring the globe came about. Seasons came very soon after and attracted somewhat attention internationally. Freak Valley festival reached out and it led to a German/Austrian tour with The Devil and the Almighty Blues in early 2018. That same year Ruff Majik played Sonic Blast Moledo in Portugal. The creation of Tǻrn started after the tour and was recorded in October 2018.
Seasons was released through Rock Freaks Records (Germany), while Tǻrn was released through Lay Bare Recordings (Netherlands) which led to a lengthy Europe tour and a nudge in the right direction during 2019. The tour included festivals like Smoke Over Warsaw (Poland), Rock in Bourlon (France), Bevrijdigings Fees and Sonic Whip (Netherlands). The band circled back to South Africa for a brief intermission before heading back to the EU to play shows like Desertfest (Antwerp) and Keep It Low (Munich). After sharing the stage with bands like Black Pyramid, SLEEP, EyeHateGod, All Them Witches, and other acclaimed acts, Ruff Majik headed home to work on a rebrand which included switching to a modular band agreement. This means that members can be switched out to fit into touring schedules. Ruff Majik therefore added Cowboy Van, Evert Snyman, and Tommer Wallace to the brew to meet the demands of touring.
Ruff Majik is currently signed to Mongrel Records, an imprint of Just Music, and will be releasing a new album in due time. The album is equal parts Johni Holiday and new member Evert Snyman and was recorded late 2019.
All You Need Is Speed is available now on all digital platforms here
