Interview: RipTide
Wednesday, January 13th, 2010
I’m sure you’ve all found yourself wondering about that “Riding A Bicycle In Amsterdam” tune, the one ringing all throughout 2009 with its coma-inducing, analog warming drop. I’ve personally witnessed the devastation this track has caused on dancefloors. But there is more to the man behind it than just a “one hit wonder,” and we are now going to expose that. In this interview RipTidE reveals his plans for the future, including an up&coming record label, a spacey disco side project, and a slew of new productions and remixes that will propel him even further as a globally recognized artist. Enjoy!
2009 was obviously a breakout for you, how has your life changed since the release of your Jennifer Delano remix?
Well as of January i’ve been able to quit my job, and focus solely on music, so it really has had a really big impact on me for sure. It’s such a cliche, but i’ve met so many amazing people because of that track, there’s people playing it out that i thought would never play any of my stuff out ever, so yeah, it really made my dreams come true!
I do feel that i also have to mention that Fake Blood playing my track F#M in his BBC Essential Mix was also very very important for my ‘career’, as that was the first real confirmation that i was doing something that’s actually pretty ok…
I find it hard to adequately describe your sound, how would you characterize your music?
Pfff, that’s a really hard one actually! I’ve been told by people that there’s something dark in there, which I can sort of understand, but i wouldn’t neccesarily call my music dark. The best way i heard it described was by Tommie Sunshine, who said that ‘it sounds like howdrugs feel’, and that’s the best way of putting it i think…
What influenced you to go towards this sound, were you deliberately looking for it, or did it happen by accident?
I’m influenced by stuff all the time, I think everyone subconciously is, even stuff you don’t want to be influenced by, as it influences you to make different stuff, haha. Of course for my ‘Amsterdam’-remix the influences are quite obvious, and in some other tracks of mine as well, I don’t mind people/bands wearing their influences on their sleeve, I look at it as a sort of homage, so if you hear something in my music that strongly reminds you of something it’s probably like that on purpose
But I hardly ever go looking for a certain sound that’s in my head anymore, as I always find that you always get sidetracked, and in the end even a little bit dissapointed by the end result. Because even though the song turned out good it’s not the same as it was in your head, so nowadays I mostly just fool around on my synths, and when i find a sound inspiring, or I play a melody that i like i just go with it and just see wherever it takes me.
Here’s a mix from UK duo,