Ruben Hein is a celebrated pop artist, composer, presenter and orchestra leader. He has been the conductor of the National Youth Jazz Orchestra (NJJO) and has four studio records to his name: Loose Fit (2010), Hopscotch (2013), Dressed Up (2014) and Groundwork Rising (2018). He released a live album with the world- famous Metropole Orchestra in 2011. He was also a member of the well-known British indie formation Fink.

For his latest project, Ruben reconciles his two greatest fascinations: music and nature. In early 2020, just before the pandemic broke out, Ruben found himself on a boat at the South Pole, surrounded by endless ocean waves, penguin colonies, whales and abandoned settlements. During this enrapturing Artist In Residency he captured the first ideas for his upcoming project in the hub of expedition vessel Hondius. This unique adventure in Ruben’s artistic pursuit was documented in an upcoming film directed by Hubert Neufeld.

Ruben’s single 'Guard Down' offers the first sonic glimpse of that euphoric, emotionally charged time adrift at the ends of the world. Ruben's bewilderment was accompanied by a deep realization: no matter how overwhelming nature can become, it’s simultaneously a fragile cycle of life that can easily be disrupted, with disastrous consequences.

During the recording process of fleshing out the ideas he hatched at sea, Ruben embraced the comfort and wonder of being always on the move: a constant intuitive movement. Instead of carving out a specific framework and theme, he follows the impulses that naturally welled up in the presence of producer Ferdy van der Singel and studio collaborators Wessel Herbschleb, Julian du Perron and Nicky Hustinx.

More than ever, this collection of songs brandishes Ruben's stirring versatility and raw talent as an artist. It expresses a complete surrender to the oftentimes volatile currents of life. The excitement, the fear, the distance, the closeness. Ruben Hein lets his curiosity fully take the reins.

“A storm here is like free jazz or a rock concert. The icebergs are like cellos, double basses, deep synths. The life I’ve seen on this trip is a joyful piano bar. Nature and music give me a sense of direction and purpose. There’s a clear goal in learning and discovering more about them. And that curiosity is like an elixir to me. It’s mine… and I’ll always have it, no matter what happens.” - Ruben Hein