First foraying into music as a heavy metal guitarist, Southern Californian
record producer and instrumentalist James Ruehlmann found success in the late
2010s after redefining himself as the mullet-repping synthwave producer Ace
Marino, shrouding himself in mystery and opting for a decidedly lighter touch on
his new material. Debuting with the ethereal EP Cocaine Flamingo in 2017, which
spawned a hit in the form of the sprawling, 80s-inspired “Communication”,
Ruehlmann signed to specialist label FiXT Neon in 2019. Thereafter, he promptly
released a string of singles, culminating ...