With Di Rugerio having new music out this week on One Of A Kind we catch up with him for the latest episode of 12 Questions.
1. How old are you, where are you living and how long have you been producing and Djing?
I`m 25 years old, I`m from Mexico and actually living in Puebla. I`ve been producing for 6 years and Djing for about 7 or 8 years.
2. Where do your musical roots lie, what are your first memories of electronic music and when did you know you wanted to pursue it seriously? Are there any particular productions or artists from the past that really made you think to yourself ‘this is what I want to do.”
I think my musical roots were born in my parents’ house where I listened to very good music from rock ‘n’ roll of the 50s, flamenco, jazz to psychedelic rock and metal. I remember a electronic music concert in my city, my older cousins took me I was around 14 years old I remember it was a show that I excited me, a lot of colored leds, lasers and people dancing. I think I decided to follow this lifestyle when I started to listen to House and Techno music, my cousins listened to Digweed, Sasha, Carl Cox and I started to get involved with this new type of music to later learn how to mix with a midi controller of my cousin, from there everything started.
3. How difficult was learning to produce for you in the beginning? Did you take any Audio Engineering programs or production courses to help you out or are you pretty much self taught? And did anyone give any advice early on that really helped?
When I decided to make my own music it was difficult because I had to get a proper DAW, a good computer and get a keyboard or something where I could play and I had no idea how to produce. At first I never took any course, I just have the things I learned in the Conservatory like music theory, harmony and composition. I decided to take the DAW of Ableton and I remember watching online tutorials about Ableton tools and how I could start producing. I began to familiarize myself with some tools but didn´t use them properly, until after a good friend Miguel Nacer who had already taken courses in production taught me to use them correctly. Later I took some courses of production but most of them were things that I already knew but I learned a little about other subjects such as the business of music, music industry, record labels and more that have helped me to my training as a professional producer.
4. What parts of the production process do you find the most difficult and what comes easiest for you? When you do hit a creative block what helps you through it?
The mastering process is currently the most complicated for me, since it´s a more detailed process where you have to occupy analog tools that I don´t have for now. The simplest part is the musical composition, regularly when I start to produce something I have already in mind some idea and I begin to test sounds with the synthesizer or with some VST after I start to record, I think it’s the most fun part for me.
I think listen to quiet music between breaks when I don´t work in the studio helps me to take musical ideas, I also like to read things related to science fiction, mythology, aliens, galaxies, these things inspire me to give a version about life and according to my point of view that human being is the most wonderful creation of cosmic origin so I try to capture that ideas in my music. Also from day to day events from good to bad help to inspire me to create musical ideas, I prefer pleasant moments like being with my girlfriend, my family or friends, these are the moments that I most appreciate in life and that inspire me very good things.
5. What’s a normal day like for you? Do you have a job outside of electronic music? And what do you like to do when you’re not working on music?
A normal day in my life is to wake up early to go to school I am currently finishing my music career in the conservatory of my city, then I return home at noon to work in the studio and if is a weekend I prepare my music for play in local clubs or travel for my gig. I have no other work that is not related to music, sometimes I teach production courses every time I have time. When I dont work in music I like to spend time with my girlfriend, family or my friends, watch movies or series, visit museums or art exhibitions, go out to some nearby town.
6. Apart from electronic music what other genres do you listen to and who are your favourite artists outside of electronic? and do these genres or artists have a direct effect on your own productions?
As I mentioned since I was a child I grew up with good musical influences and I like other genres of music from classical and baroque, flamenco to rocknroll. I have many favorite artists outside the electronic music I will try to mention the most important: Jim Morrison of The Doors for its exponentiality and poetry, guitar technique and creativity of Jimmy Page of Led Zepellin, Paco de Lucia also for his guitar technique , Louis Armstrong for his virtuosity and fine music, I also really like J.S. Bach for his arpeggios and fugues so well developed and Mozart for his musical immensity in his masterpieces, I really like listening to all that kind of music when I bathe or when I try to rest and of course it should influence something in my music.
7. What was the first and last physical (CD, Vinyl, Cassette etc) piece of music you bought?
I don´t remember exactly which was the first record I bought but I guess it was from The Doors or Led Zepellin when I was a teenager and the last one I bought was a Double Vynil called Couple Affair 03 from Steyoyoke, btw I’m waiting for it hehe.
8. Tell us something about yourself that might surprise people?
Well it is not something that surprise people but I study music, I´m about to finish my music career in the Conservatory of Puebla, there I specialize in the guitar and I am learning piano. And that I´m the happiest version of me, for doing what I do.
9. Which producers in your opinion get consistently overlooked?
There are many producers who are really very good and talented, I have many friends in Mexico and in different parts of the world who are doing really good things, I think that at some point they compete with the quality of artists of big names but sometimes sadly the industry are worried about making money and artists without talent but overrated or with an old hit in some important label are there, but many times it turns out that they are friends of the promoters, there should be artists who deserve it, not them. In spite of that, many we are doing things well, we support ourselves, we work constantly and we let everything grow organically, we are the power in ascent.
10. Which producers consistently inspire you? And where else does your inspiration come from?
I have many producers that I admire at the moment and I think they inspire me like Nick Devon, Betoko, Einmusika, Dizharmonia, Third Son, Rafael Cerato, Jonas Saalbach, Ran Salman, Edu Imbernon and many others. I think that practically from here comes much from the influence on my productions and from ideas or special moments as I already mentioned.
11. There are countless producers out there trying to find their way and create their own unique sound, what advice do you have for them?
I believe the main thing is that be sincere with themselves, that they do this with love and dedication and not do it by fame. Another thing I recommend is that listen a lot of music, of all types, genres and styles, and find what they like and what not, that deepen the style with which they feel more identified. Also that take some courses or watch tutorials on the internet about production. Get suitable equipment to produce: audio interface, good and fast computer, VSTs, Plug Ins or if possible Midi controllers or synthesizers. And most importantly: that they spend time in the studio for this I recommend to buy a comfortable chair because they must spend a lot of time sitting in the studio, experiencing and finding the sound that they really want.
12. If the final DJ/live set of your career was next week what would your last track be?
I don´t really know which track I´d play, I have a lot of very good music working now that it doesn´t even go on sale or recently releases that are really good, one of them `Vuoto’ coming out in One Of A Kind next week, I think this would be the track.
‘Vuoto EP’ is out now on One Of A Kind, you can purchase the release: here
