DUHKQUNT – REUBEN S

DuhkQunt’s 2021 finishes with the release of the third single from their EP, Space Communion – and amidst the sardonic, tongue-in-cheek nature of the video lays a more serious message.

“It’s called Reuben S; it’s a homage to an incredibly special individual that the music community lost last year” the Leeds-based producer reveals. “He was this incredibly talented, loving guy who used to play some All Ages shows in Auckland. I felt absolutely helpless when I heard we lost him.”

“It’s a very small homage amongst the waves and waves of tributes, love, and emotion that still resonate to this day. It sucks – I still remember talking to him online about video games and music.

“He was a big supporter, believe it or not. It’s easy to believe though because it was Reuben.”

With that in mind, DuhkQunt also would like to draw to everyone’s attention Fibromyalgia Aotearoa New Zealand and FMA UK – its British counterpart.

“I’m married to someone I love who suffered from symptoms of fibromyalgia. I lost someone I love who had to deal with it. I think it is important for everyone to recognize the condition because it is heartbreaking to hear firsthand about.”

On a less serious note, the concept behind the video – once again by Urethra Franklin – was to create a late-night, post-pub video that has a cryptic, hypnogogic element to hypnotize viewers.

“Or, I essentially wanted to make a low-budget Lateralus era Tool video” DuhkQunt admits.

“The music is very chilled out, sort of spacey (…) which was the concept behind Space Communion. I remember coming home from a night out, chucking on Channel 4 which played The Magic Roundabout or a host of other off-kilter shows for that time of the morning.”

“They knew their audience. I don’t know mine, but I know that if I came home and someone popped that on while under the influence of… something… then I’d get lost in the imagery as much as the song itself.”

“Plus, it’s all a heap of free-use videos, chopped and screwed around by Urethra. So it was cheap.”

“Reuben S” is the final single to emerge from what is set to be DuhkQunt’s final EP: having from the outset always imagined his works to be a trilogy, Space Communion is perhaps the jerkwaver’s most accessible work to date.

“I don’t know how to top it. Probably by doing an album in a studio or have stuff mastered properly.”

The Genesis of Space Communion

Space Communion did not emerge from a vacuum. DuhkQunt had been toying with the idea of a trilogy since his earliest releases, each project deliberately exploring a different facet of his production style. The first EP leaned heavily into abrasive textures and confrontational rhythms, while the second pushed further into experimental territory, often described by listeners as "difficult but rewarding." With Space Communion, the intent was to soften the edges without sacrificing depth—a balancing act that DuhkQunt approached with both caution and curiosity.

"I wanted this one to feel like floating," he explains. "Not in a cheesy, new-age way, but like that moment when you're half-asleep and the room starts to breathe. The tracks are slower, more melodic, but there's still a pulse underneath. It's still me, just maybe the version of me that's had a cup of tea and a lie-down."

The EP's title came to him during a late-night session, staring at a screensaver of distant galaxies. "I thought about how music can be a shared space, even when you're alone. Communion isn't necessarily religious—it's just connection. And space is the ultimate backdrop for that. We're all just floating out here, sending signals."

The Making of "Reuben S"

Musically, "Reuben S" is built around a slow-burning chord progression that DuhkQunt describes as "accidentally hopeful." The track began as a simple piano sketch, recorded on a battered MIDI keyboard during a period of insomnia. "I wasn't trying to write a tribute at first," he says. "I was just trying to stay awake. But the more I played those chords, the more I thought about Reuben. It was like the song knew what it wanted to be before I did."

The production process was unusually minimal for DuhkQunt, who often layers dozens of sounds into a dense collage. Here, he deliberately left space—long reverb tails, sparse percussion, and a bassline that sits low in the mix like a warm undercurrent. "I wanted it to feel like a hug, not a handshake," he says. "Reuben was the kind of person who made you feel at ease, so the music had to do the same."

Urethra Franklin's video treatment complemented this restraint. Using only free-use footage—vintage nature documentaries, abstract light patterns, and slow-motion crowd scenes—Franklin created a visual stream that mirrors the song's hypnotic quality. "We talked about not overthinking it," DuhkQunt recalls. "The brief was basically: make it look like a dream you'd have after eating cheese too late. He nailed it."

Fibromyalgia Awareness: Why It Matters

DuhkQunt's decision to highlight fibromyalgia charities was not a casual one. The condition, which causes widespread chronic pain, fatigue, and cognitive difficulties, remains poorly understood even within medical communities. For those living with it, the lack of visible symptoms often leads to skepticism from employers, friends, and even family members.

"People don't see the bad days," DuhkQunt says. "They see someone who looks fine and assume they're exaggerating. But the person I love has had to fight for every diagnosis, every treatment, every bit of understanding. And Reuben dealt with the same thing. It wears you down in ways that have nothing to do with the physical pain."

Both Fibromyalgia Aotearoa New Zealand and FMA UK provide resources, support groups, and advocacy for patients and their families. DuhkQunt hopes that by mentioning them in the context of a music release, he can reach people who might otherwise never encounter the information. "If one person reads this and thinks, 'Oh, that sounds like my sister,' then the song has done its job," he says.

The Trilogy Concludes: What's Next for DuhkQunt

With the release of "Reuben S," the Space Communion EP is complete, and with it, DuhkQunt's original trilogy. Fans have speculated about whether this marks the end of the project altogether, but the producer is characteristically evasive. "I said it was the final EP, not the final anything," he says. "I've got folders full of half-finished tracks that don't fit any of the three EPs. Maybe they'll become something else. Maybe they'll stay in the dark forever. Either way, I'm not done making noise."

One possibility he's mentioned is a shift toward more collaborative work. "I've been talking to a few people about doing a split release or a remix project," he reveals. "Space Communion was very insular, which was intentional. But now I'm curious about what happens when you let other people into the process. Could be a disaster. Could be brilliant. Probably both."

In the meantime, he encourages listeners to explore the full EP, which is available alongside his earlier work on the EPs page. For those new to DuhkQunt, he suggests starting with "Reuben S" and working backward. "It's the most approachable thing I've done," he says. "If you hate it, you'll definitely hate the rest. But if you love it, there's a whole weird world waiting for you."

Community and the Jerkwave Scene

DuhkQunt's music is often associated with the jerkwave movement, a loosely defined genre that blends elements of electronic, industrial, and avant-garde pop with a DIY ethos. While he's reluctant to claim any specific label, he acknowledges the scene's influence. "Jerkwave is more of an attitude than a sound," he says. "It's about making things on your own terms, even if the result is messy. That's always been my approach."

The Auckland all-ages shows where Reuben performed were a vital part of that community—spaces where young musicians could experiment without the pressures of commercial venues. "Those shows were everything," DuhkQunt says. "You'd see a noise act followed by a pop act followed by someone playing a Game Boy. Nobody cared about genre. They cared about expression. Reuben embodied that spirit completely."

Though DuhkQunt is now based in Leeds, he remains connected to the scene through online collaborations and tape trading. "The internet has changed how we find each other," he says. "But the core idea is the same: make something, share it, support each other. That's what Reuben did. That's what I try to do."