After last week’s spotlight on Paji, we’re excited to talk about another Katermukke artist and EP. We’ve wanted to share Roderic with our community for some time now, and this Friday’s release of his album remixes marks the perfect time to plunge.
Roderic is a Mexican producer navigating warm, hybrid waters of electronica with modesty and marvel. Never fully downtempo, never fully deep, hinting at jazz and blues through lush arrangements, he hails from a musician family. This transpires in his sound, which harmonizes different ideas and influences to Latin and African foundations.
Roderic is a resident of Mexico City’s Departamento, a hub for music lovers to casually gather in an apartment-type stripped back venue. When he plays there, the line spills over well onto the street.
His work indirectly captures some of the Mexico City’s own music, a sleepless medley of vibrations and expression. Sonically, he’s able to mirror different facets of the city; the frenzied rhythm of summer rains sweeping the streets, the transient stillness that follows, the spontaneous resuming of activities.
The artist has been adding flavor to Katermukke since his first release three years ago, Perfect Mirror. This EP digs into loosely traced textures of downtempo psychedelia, surfacing them with emotion.
His latest work, Pestalozzi, was released earlier this year on Dialtone, in collaboration with fellow Mexican Alex Galvan. Beautifully sculpted, Deep Into Your Skin is a curling slow release evolving into the transportive rings and vocals of You Know. The EP was distributed alongside a prose excerpt by ‘Sophie’, titled ‘Perspective’:
“It’s perspective,
You are too.
This world is blank,
and made of all the things you do.”
As a Hispanic speaker could say, this artist’s sound is “fino”. Balanced, impactful, elegant – to which we gladly tap on groovy and weird.
Roderic’s 2018 album “It All Depends” saw him travel to Dominican Republic with friend and album producer matt.i. They rallied local musicians and recorded everything on-site, in an all analogue run. From the glowing plucked strings of Let’s Talk to the piano swivels of Choses Qui Se Passent, to subtle earthy funk and blues of Jacaranda, the album tells the tale of a peaceful trip.
A remix EP is set to see the light this week-end, with re-interpretations by Niconè & Dirty Doering, Acid Pauli, matt.i, Kris Berle and Pilocka Krach.
Roderic’s minimally communicative on social media, simply touching on the essence; so we’ll leave the words at that, and take up our headphones instead – hope you enjoy.
–
Cover Photo: El Rallador
Article: Lola Baraldi
Comments