Rrotik

“Being a bass player and growing up around disco and house music made me very inclined to focus my music on bass-lines. I’ve always been drawn to the 4x4 beat. I was also listening to a lot of D&B music which is known for crazy bass lines and modulation. I wanted to put those two styles together. Back then it wasn’t bass house. It was more of a UK bass sound.”

Although he is known now for his bass house sound, Brazilian-born Rrotik had a unique introduction and upbringing. Growing up in Brazil, he was exposed to electronic music but in a different fashion than artists who grow up elsewhere. When he first stumbled upon the scene in 2007, the most popular sound locally was psy-trance.

“I wanted to become a local psytrance DJ. I didn’t have the connection to get good tracks though. There was no Beatport or anything. You had to buy albums or know someone who would send you music… I used to play in different bands which helped me learn music composition.” 

Soon after discovering the music, a friend introduced Rrotik to production software. He started producing music, and one year later, he was introduced to electro house. It changed how Rrotik viewed music and forever altered the path of his career. He started a project with a friend called Dirtyloud which is how he first broke into the scene. They got a gig at the Shrine in Los Angeles and ended up touring the US for two years. After experiencing some burnout from touring, he decided to go solo and start the Rrotik project. 

He first released music under the name in 2015, but really began to break out in 2019 with the track, "Ride or Cry" produced alongside J. Worra and Dances with White Girls. The track dropped on Mau5trap, and Rrotik was able to follow up the success with releases on Box of Cats, Spinnin’, and Night Bass. Despite the increased success, Rrotik found himself receding in the last year, struggling with depression during the Covid Pandemic. 

“Last year during peak Covid times I had a really rough time. I know I’m not alone in that feeling. I was never happy with the music I was making. I didn’t quite feel like it was worth putting out. I’ve struggled with my mental health for quite a while, so it’s been another challenge that I just work on every day… I’ve been saving up and building up a body of work so I can put out music on a more regular basis and have more strategy.”

Despite the struggles, Rrotik feels invigorated by how the scene in Brazil, and locally for him now in Atlanta has grown. After the EDM boom, electronic music became very popular in Brazil. Artists like Vintage Culture and Alok have helped to inspire a generation of young producers to follow their dreams. In Atlanta, Rrotik has noticed that local promoters have found a way to create strong brand identities, drawing people to their parties without having to spend top dollar for marquee talent. Moving to Atlanta from Brazil was a challenge, but one well worth it.

“I had family in Boston so I was familiar with being here. As an artist it’s always a goal to move to the US. I moved two years ago to be with my now wife who I met on Holy Ship.” After moving, Rrotik felt a new sense of inspiration in the studio.

“When I sit here in the studio, my creative process has always been to focus on the new. I’ve really tried to create new sounds and challenge myself. I started to listen to a lot of other artists and try to incorporate that into my music. Learning more about hardware and synthesis helps this as well. Having more hardware has changed how I make music.” embed