Metronome #137: rrotik

Insomniac’s Metronome series features mixes from some of today’s fastest-rising electronic stars, as well as championed legends. It takes listeners deep across a wide range of genres, movements, cultures, producers, artists and sounds that make up the diverse world of electronic music.

A Brazilian DJ/producer who already has several years of experience under his belt producing dubstep and electro as part of the Dirtyloud duo, Eduardo Nascimento, aka rrotik, produces slamming house music infused with the bassiest possible flavors. While those beats might be four-on-the-floor, it’s not hard to hear the influence of bottom-heavy rumbles in his productions.

As Eduardo explains to Insomniac, it’s got a lot to do with his background of playing bass guitar, and he says it’s actually an identity he couldn’t leave behind, even if he wanted to.

“I don’t think I’ll ever be able to escape from it,” he says. “For instance, if I ever one day sit down to write a movie score, it will still be inescapably wompy.”

He’s showcased these bass womps to full effect on his Metronome mix, which should offer you an accurate idea of why he’s a hyped name currently on the rise. To get an idea of what makes him tick, we decided to throw a few questions out to the man known as rrotik.

We’re near the end of the year. What have been the standouts for you throughout 2017?
It has been such an awesome year! The highlights have definitely been playing the Shambhala Music Festival in Canada, Truth Club in Johannesburg, and being invited to play Holy Ship 10.0 early next year. Also, in the second half of 2017, I started to find myself making inroads into the world of songwriting, and it has been magical to learn a new trick every now and then.

You have a history in dance music that stretches back a few years, though the rrotik alias is a little more recent. When did you develop the concept?
To me, it doesn’t really feel like there’s an overarching concept. The tracks, sets and mixtapes are pretty much about me expressing who I am and showing people what I’m into. After a couple of years of succeeding in the dance music scene, I reached a point where I felt I no longer had to prove myself to anyone, and instead decided to have fun making the music I love.

There’s definitely an eclectic mash of different styles in the mix you’ve completed for Insomniac, drawn together with huge amounts of bass.
I use humongous amounts of bass in my tracks because I am, before anything else, a bass guitar player. Ironically, though, I’ve never actually managed to record myself playing it (despite having a couple of nice guitars at home), so I try to make up for it, being extra creative with my synth work.

There’s a lot of talk about the dance scenes blowing up in Brazil, as well as the rest of Central and South America. How would you describe what’s going on over there?
Brazil is the birthplace of globally successful artists that include the likes of Marky, Alok, Felguk, Tropkillaz, FTampa, Gui Boratto, Sugar Hill and Victor Ruiz, who, for a while now, have inspired kids and helped them realize that it is actually possible to have a career in dance music. And seemingly overnight, there’s been an explosion of music production schools and workshops that have popped up, along with the ease of access to laptops and production software. So, the bigger artists are getting even larger investments and everyday, there’s a new kid killing it with fresh beats. Brazilians are known for doing a lot with little resources.

What’s coming up next for you?
With regards to new music, I’m really excited about a collab with VOLAC and Stace Cadet that’s coming out on Insomniac’s own IN / ROTATION label in early 2018. I’ve also got a track coming out on Mad Decent before the end of this year, and a remix for Boehm that will come out on Dim Mak. Gig-wise, as well as playing Holy Ship—which is going to be so nuts—I’m also shortly going to be announcing a tour in Australia and New Zealand in early February that I’m buzzing for.

rrotik Metronome Mix Track List:: Khia “My Neck My Back”
Fisher “Ya Kiddin” (Solardo Remix)
Destructo “Renegade” (rrotik Remix)
Offaiah “Run This Town” (Riton Remix)
Jay Robinson “ANBG” (Original Mix)
Friendless “Crazy” (Maximono Remix)
rrotik “In Between”
ID - ID
Christian Martin & Ardalan “Supermoon”
Litek, rrotik - Faasti vs. Alex Mills “Sleeptalking” (EDIT)
Back Talk ft. Idris Elba “Paradise” (Patrick Topping Stone Radge Remix)
Walker & Royce “3 4 Shake It”
Murder He Wrote “Watch the Tempo”
rrotik vs. Lliam Taylor “Bounce Back” (rrotik Flip)
Biscits “Real Low” (Billy Kenny Remix)
Phlegmatic Dogs “Serious Frankie”
Dillon Nathaniel “Dance Machine”
LO’99 “From the Start “(rrotik Remix)
Overthinking & Confesser “It’s Fear”
Taiki & Nulight ft. Hervé “IAEATD”
Lenny Kiser “Where’s the Bassline”