Insight Interview: Rodrigo Rodriguez

Combining their love for the Japanese Shakuhachi flute and chilled electronica, we’re today proud to announce the ‘One More Night / We’ll Meet Again’ EP from Rodrigo Rodriguez.

Their first official Insight Music release is today available on all digital platforms, all of which can be found here. We’re excited to bring you this fantastic 2-track EP alongside an aspiring Insight Interview with Rodrigo himself. We really hope you enjoy! 

 

Hey Rodrigo! Please tell us about yourself in a few words (who you are, where you’re from, what you do etc.)

My name is Rodrigo Rodriguez, I am Spanish composer, Shakuhachi musician and musical Producer, living in South Asia. I was born in Argentina in 1978, but my family moved to Spain in my childhood. I lived in Spain until the ages of 20s and then moved to Japan for study Shakuhachi and traditional Music form Japan.

My mainly works are performing shakuhachi, teaching music, producing and composing.

How long have you been writing/producing music?

I start to compose around the year of 2000, but in my youth (90s) I was playing in some punk rock bands, and also composed some songs.

Since I was little, pay close attention, how the music you were listening to was developing, how the harmonic, melody, and rhythmic structures interact in a musical work. I remember that I was about 7 to 8 years old when I was fascinated by Maestro Mauricio Ravel.Classical music was always present in my youth.

Tell us a little more about your amazing talent in playing the shakuhachi flute. How did you first come across the instrument?

O was child also, around 10 years old when I got cassette from Japanese traditional music, in that moment I feel very attracted with this sound. After many years when I was about 20, it was when I had another encounter with this instrument, and I don’t know how to explain it well, but it was a fall in love to such an deep feeling that I decided to leave everything in my country of origin and go to study in Japan.

 

 

When writing electronic music, what approach do you take?

Composing electronic music, in the genre of ambient, future garage or chill has an approach and shares similarities with the ancestral music of shakuhachi. Writing music to express deep feelings, introspective and spiritual emotions is one of my priorities in this work.

Japan is a highly traditional nation but at the same time modern and technological, perhaps this was learned all the years I lived in Japan, as there is a balance between the modern and the ancient. In the case of my music, it is the same, using electronics, which is a modern and technological element, with this instrument with more than 800 centuries of history.

 

 

Tell us a little about your current studio setup.

In my studio the most are gear for acoustic instrument recording, my base as a musician comes from classical music. I am currently working on electronics, with Libraries for Kontakt and synthesizers like Omnisphere that are quite complete for the development of ambient music. Some midi controllers, Maschine +, are also the ones that accompany as good companions for music production.

Do you have a favorite piece of studio gear?

As acoustic musician always my favorite gear are the microphone I use for record my Shakuhachi, usually Neumann.Also Maschine + for electronic.

Who are your major musical influences?

My master Kohachiro Miyata, is my main inspiration in sound and music.

How has your music evolved since you first began writing/producing music?

Music has a totally empirical relationship with the time and space of our life. As time passes, this phenomenon affects the music. In my personal case, since I started with shakuhachi, it is a process of discipline, a lifestyle that requires time for its evolution. Something similar happens with electronic music, but in this case what potentially interacts and influences is music technology.

I don’t just work in one musical genre, I have always been linked to various genres of music. The demand for concerts has been reduced, due to these times of pandemic.I took this opportunity to return to produce and dedicate myself to this type of ambient music, Chill, Future Garage that requires being inside your studio.

Do you have a particular piece of music you’ve written that you’re most proud of?

In the classical works there are some pieces I composed and others arranged that I am proud of, one of the arrangements that was a challenge and honour. The famous Concierto de Aranjuez composed by Joaquin Rodrigo. I adapt this master musical piece for Shakuhachi and Guitar.

For the modern music like Future Garage or Ambient, definitely my latest works, including those published by Insight Music.

‘Changes (Ambient & Shakuhachi)’, ‘If I Adore You‘, ‘Hold My Hands Till The End’ and ‘Outside’.

 

 

Any particular artists you’d like to work with?

Many years my dream was to record with my teacher Kohachiro Miyata, Until in 2018 I had the honour of recording the famous duo piece for shakuhachi Shika No Tone (The Distant Call of The Deer) in Tokyo.

What’s on the horizon for you musically?

Music is an artistic expression that extends beyond what language and words cannot express. Use it as a tool to awaken emotions, states of mind or spirit. It will always be my horizon that I want to address.

Any advice for those looking to start producing ambient chillwave music? Is there a particular setup or process that may help those artists?

For the creation of electronic music, auditory intuition is essential. But it can always be better accompanied by musical theory, this is simply my personal opinion.Sound architecture requires time and dedication. Being up-to-date is always highly recommended, since we live in a world where everything seems to be going fast and constantly changing.

What are three singles you would recommend we definitely check out?

Heading Towards You (Ambient & Chillstep), Dancing Whales (Dreaming Shakuhachi Music) , Sorrow (Shakuhachi Emotional Chillstep)