Best known for his song and music video "These Days Are Old", Spookey's songwriting and eccentric production techniques often contrast high and low vocals, analogue keyboards, found sounds, sampled beats and stringed instruments such as electric and Spanish guitar.

It was at this time that he received his nickname "Spooky", a result of high-school friends teasing him for his long hair and "Satanic T-shirts".

[3] Spookey's home recording experiments led to the making of his solo debut album Modes of Transportation Vol.

1 (TVT Records) which was partially engineered and mixed by Gadi Foltys, Don Kerr, Brad Nelson and Mark Plati[4] (best known for his work with David Bowie).

[3] Eventually, in 2002, Ruben simultaneously released two separate CDs entitled Bed and Breakfast (Hi-Hat/Zomba) that were later repackaged as a double album.