Exclusive Interview: Robbie Rivera
Robbie’s talent is recognized across the music industry and he is the first port of call for many an artist wanting the Rivera sound on their releases. Throughout the years, Robbie has been commissioned as a remixer by a wide range of international artists such as Faithless, Felix Da Housecat, Funky Green Dogs, Moloko, Sonique, RES, Sinead O’Connor, Victoria Beckham, Madonna, Ricky Martin, Santana, Harry Romero, Puretone, Kylie Minogue, Carlos Vives, Pink and Brandy, to name but a few.
With his heart in his Miami based studio, Robbie began his own label “Juicy Music” which is distributed by Unique in London. Through Juicy, Robbie reflects his individual style and traits to form the sound of Juicy, whilst also giving him the opportunity to work with many of his friends and successful collaborators. A pounding, sexy house feel with a love of melodies and vocals. His label has featured superstars producers like: Superchumbo, Antoine Clamaran, DJ Flex, Saeed & Palash, DJ Rooster & Sammy Peralta, Willie Morales, Oscar G, Todd Terry, Steve Angello, Sebastian Ingrosso & Stonebridge.
The success of Juicy has taken Robbie to producing his very own album “Do You Want More” for Ultra Records and Independence in France. The first single “Which Way You Going” reached the number one position earlier this year in Billboard Magazine and it will be re-released this summer via the UK label Toolroom. This year Robbie starts his Juicy Mix compilation series with its first release, Juicy Music One, which will be distributed by the US power label – Star 69. Keeping himself even busier, in February 2005, Robbie launched two new branch labels, 24seven and Juicy Tracks, to please all djs alike.
Rivera’s studio work is inspired by the gigs he plays globally. The demand for Robbie as a DJ comes from the likes of Ibiza, Barcelona, London, Greece, France, Italy, Moscow, Budapest, Berlin, Amsterdam, Dublin, Canada, New York, Miami, and Latin America.
Talk about making the most of your time. The funky freaks of FHM hope you enjoy this extensive Q&A with one of house music’s true legends.
FHM: Describe to us how you fell in love with EDM, and how it all started for you’
RR: When I was 12 years old, I went to my sister’s senior prom dance and they had a dj playing freestyle / extended versions of pop tracks such as ‘Rock Me Amadeus’ by Falco. It was the first time I heard songs by New Order, Depeche Mode, and Erasure. It was 1988. The next day I started buying records and I never stopped.
FHM: What motivated you to become a producer that today, can easily be recognized as one of dance music’s most recognizable names?
RR: When I was 14 years old, my uncle gave me a set of drums and I started playing over the records in my bedroom. My neighbor loved buying music instruments for fun and he let me borrow his Yamaha RX 7 drum machine. At this time I noticed that I loved making beats with a lot of percussion. In high school, I was djing at parties and weddings. One day I asked my mother to drive me to the local music instrument store and I asked the employee if they had a machine that can take the vocals out of records. He laughed and said that did not exist and asked me why I wanted to do this. I told him that I wanted to do my mix, to add my new music, to remix it. I really don’t know what motivated me I just loved the music and the idea of how it was created.
FHM: For your productions, do you mainly use software, or are you an analog fan?
RR: For the past year I have used all software instruments with Logic Pro.
FHM: Have recent advances in technology allowed producers to create new sounds and effects that haven’t been heard before?
RR: Yes. The technology has helped make electronic music easier and faster. The plug-ins, the effects and automation are very cool and fun to use as well. There is also a lot of loop based music creation that are very simple to use.
FHM: We’ve heard that you live in the US for 6 months of the year, and the other half is spent over in Europe. How does this affect your life and your music?
Yes. I live in Miami in the winter, and from May – October in Barcelona, Spain. I play every weekend in Europe in the summer so it makes traveling easier, and the rest of the year in North & South America. I have a studio on both sides of the Atlantic.
FHM: We noticed you have a weekly satellite radio show on Sirius on Fridays @ 8 pm on the remix channel (PLUG!) – how did you obtain this opportunity? How do you feel about satellite radio’s potential? Has the feedback on your show been substantial? Describe.
RR: Yes. I have a weekly mix show on Sirius satellite radio on Friday nights at 8pm. I love doing this as it enables me to reach millions of fans every week and get a dose of upfront house music mixes with the ‘Juicy’ touch. Sirius contacted me to offer the opportunity, and I was thrilled. I real reason I do this is for promotion. Satellite radio is very popular in America now. You can now buy a car with the satellite radio pre-installed. I have two other weekly shows: Tuesdays on FG Radio in Paris, France and Friday nights on the mega-station in San Juan, Puerto Rico.
FHM: Pertaining your bi-monthly residency at Catwalk in Barcelona, Spain, how would you describe the scene in that city, and that country in general? What forms of specific house sounds do they dig most there?
RR: Barcelona is a beautiful city with a huge nightlife. Every weekend there are international djs playing, especially in the summer months. The radio plays electronic music all day and night, and house music is very popular. The Spanish know their djs and their music selection. Catwalk is the coolest club to play with the best crowd in Barcelona. I play twice a month to a packed crowd of locals and tourists. They love funky, energetic, tribal, electro house – the sounds that I love. When I play, it is like a concert performance. I start more vocal and chill, then more electro and dirty, and I always end with a different style of record. This year I have been ending my sets at 5:00 am (their closing time) with The Killers – Mr. Brightside (Thin White Duke Remix). The crowd goes insane and it is always difficult the tell them to leave! This summer Catwalk has the best weekly parties with label sponsored nights by Juicy, Subliminal & Defected.
FHM: Your recent production – “One Eye Shut” – was a massive hit internationally, to say the least. What inspired this choon? Or was it just a very effective session in the studio?
RR: I wrote the music for this tune last summer. I wanted to do a tribal track with a strong synth melody and big climatic breakdown. It worked and during the summer I gave it to my songwriter, Ned Bigham in London, and he wrote ‘One Eye Shut’. It has been a big hit in Europe, Canada, and Australia, and now is getting popular in America.
FHM: In relevance to the previous question pertaining “One Eye Shut”, did you choose the remix artists for the project? What are your thoughts on outfits such as Steve Angello & Sebastian Ingrosso, and their impact on dance music recently?
RR: I own the label 24seven, and I chose all the remix artists. Stonebridge was the first producer to remix it, and his Swedish friend Steve Angello heard it and loved it! Steve had already remixed ‘Shake It’ by DJ Rooster & Sammy Peralta, and he offered to remix ‘One Eye Shut’ with Sebastian Ingrosso. Their sound is very popular now, and I like them a lot as they remind me of my early ‘Funk-a-tron’ style mixes! This remix has given them a lot of new work as a remix team. They just did Deep Dish and a few others.
FHM: Your label, Juicy Music, has churned out an extensive, and impressive if we may add, list of quality dance numbers. The label’s sound seems aimed at large, main room, and peak hour sounds with heavy influences from the tribal, progressive, and house genres. What is it about this sound that you feel so strongly about? Elaborate.
RR: My label Juicy Music enables me to release music that I play in my sets every week. I love playing big room peak music. I just love seeing the hands in the air and the happy faces on the clubbers every week. The label is growing now and we are releasing more electro and vocal tracks. But we will still be releasing those big room anthems that most labels don’t have the ‘cojones’ to release! Even if vinyl sales are horrible at the moment, I don’t care. There is a demand for this music.
FHM: A few years back, you released a very influential dance track on Subliminal records by the name of “Funk-A-Tron”, that went on to become a truly international club anthem with house & progressive house djs alike. The track showed a side of your production that a lot of new school djs may not know about, but you used to produce much funkier (we use this adjective loosely), filtered numbers. What caused you to move away from that side of house, and position yourself in today’s scene (and your current sound)? Do you feel that side of house (funky / disco) is losing ground, and may not have a place in the future of dance music?
RR: When I created ‘Funk-a-tron’, I was tired of sampling old funky records and doing filtered disco house. I wanted to use the same concept in a much more intense track. One day I started building a simple drum pattern, and I found the bass line sound on an accessory cd of the Kurzweil 2600 keyboard. I was like ‘holy shi*’! I consider myself an innovator and this sound was something fresh. It influenced many of today house producers. I have not gone back to doing filtered disco house, but I have a new tune that will be released this fall on Virgin with a sample from the 90′s band – Jesus Jones.
FHM: With respect to your experience with Eric Morillo’s organization – Subliminal, what is your opinion on that label’s variety of house releases these days – from funky, vocal disco, to dark, electro tribal? Many dance music labels seem to have strayed away from focusing on a specific brand of release stylings, and now release tracks that are
completely different from one another. Why do you think that is?
RR: I think Subliminal is a great organization and record label. I like the fact that they release all types of house music. It is all dance music to me, as long as they don’t release trance!
FHM: Is it true that Juicy Music is a sub-label of Subliminal? Does this have any affect on the type of music you choose to release?
RR: Not anymore. I was with them for a year, and I decided to move to a distributor in the UK. It was a business decision.
FHM: Do you spend considerable time in Ibiza during the summer months? Describe the summer isle for our readers that have never been there before, from a performance perspective.
RR: I play 2 to 3 times every summer. I play at Pacha, Amnesia, or El Divino. Ibiza has a true club life vibe. Playing in one of these clubs is not so different than any other true club city except that it’s packed with djs and music fans from all over the world. You are playing to Spanish, Russians, Germans, Italians, eastern Europeans and more. They are all there because of the djs that bring the new up front club tunes, and to see you create a pumpin’ uplifting dance experience. It is a lot of fun. Playing Subliminal Sessions with Erick was massive. Also, playing Cocoon on the Amnesia terrace was amazing.
FHM: Tell us about your craziest experience (or one of them at least) performing on the road, from unexpected surprises, to happy endings’
RR: Well, last week I was playing at a beach party in Sicily, Italy. I was on a stage facing the waves with about 1000 clubbers. At 3:00 am, I played Steve Angello’s mix of Moby ‘ ‘It’s Raining Again’. Well, it started raining with thunder and wind! Everybody went nuts and the vibe was amazing. Happy smiles and hands in the air while getting wet!
FHM: Describe what Robbie Rivera has in store for the world in the short-term, and long-term future via productions, and tours.
RR: Here is a list of my new tunes:
Robbie Rivera – Miami EP Vol 2 – Juicy (Pure tribal drums in your face)
The Rivera Project – Some Kind Of Heaven – Juicy (Uplifting soulful piano house with remixes by Scumfrog, David Guetta, Matteo Esse, Sant & Nu Frequency)
Robbie Rivera Featuring Jesus Jones – Right Here – Virgin/Nebula
Remix Projects:
David Guetta – In Love With Myself – Virgin
Superchumbo – Everybody – Twisted
Basement Jaxx ‘ Do Your Thing – XL
My Tour Schedule:
October ‘ January: Touring in North & South America.
February: Touring Australia
March: WMC and touring in Europe and USA
FHM: Is there anything else you would like to add?
RR: Thanks to all the fans that have supported my music for all these years. Much love and appreciation! I ain’t gonna stop making music so get ready kids.
Thank you for taking the time to accept our interview, and for supporting the Funkyhousemusic.com mission. We truly appreciate your effort, and wish you the best of luck with your future endeavors.
To learn more about Robbie Rivera, please visit: http://www.robbierivera.com/
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