Over the past few weeks, we've started to see a number of our favorite artists hitting the road to perform at residencies, events and more! It's so exciting to see how we have begun getting into a modified new normal. We caught up with RIOT TEN, a producer and DJ who we have enjoyed including his songs in our playlist. We wanted to find out how he got into the industry, how he stays inspired when making his music, about his new album that launches next month on Dim Mak's label and his upcoming performance at Lollapalooza.
ATHLEISURE MAG: When did you first fall in love with music and when did you realize that you wanted to work in the industry?
RIOT TEN: For as long as I can remember I always loved music. But it wasn't until the start of high school that I began experimenting with it. That's really where it all started. From then on, I knew I wanted to make music for the rest of my life and there was no one that could tell me otherwise.
AM: How did you get your start?
RT: Well, I guess it depends how you would define "start", but I'd say mine was when I first downloaded FL Studio. I was introduced to it by a friend of mine, Jack Bass, during my sophomore year of High School. The rest is just history.
AM: How would you define your style of music?
RT: I'd describe my style as loud, obnoxious, and high energy. Haha I know it doesn't sound very inviting, but when you're playing in front of thousands of people, and you feel the energy, it makes a bit more sense.
AM: Who would you identify as your mentors musically?
RT: That's a hard one to be honest. As far as producer mentors, I never really had anyone take me under their wing so to speak, but influences are a completely different ferent story. I still draw influence from so many artists, all different genres and different sizes. I also had some artists supporting my music early on that played a big role in my growth. I toured with Yellow Claw, Adventure Club, Excision, and others early on.
AM: You’ve been producing music since you were 15, when did you realize that you wanted to DJ and at what point did you feel that you made it in the industry?
RT: I was around 18 I believe, playing at house parties, when I realized I wanted to DJ. The energy from those parties was something I'd never felt and I was addicted to it. And I'd say I was around 25 when I began feeling "legitimate" in the scene. I know I still have a long way to go, so even though I may be on a larger stage, I still don't necessarily feel like I've "made it"... If that makes sense. When I start headlining festivals, and my music hits #1 on Billboard, maybe then I can rest.
AM: You’re known for dubstep and hardtrap, when you’re not making music, who do you enjoy listening to when you’re just relaxing at home?
RT: I'm a big fan of rap and hiphop, so when I'm driving I'm usually listening to that. Some Smokepurpp, DaBaby, Ludacris, Lil Jon, etc. If I'm relaxing at home, some chill house music does the job. Artists like Kaskade, Deadmau5, stuff like that. But if I'm in my feels, I love some Hans Zimmer, Jóhann Jóhannsson, Ryuichi Sakamoto. That might come as a surprise to some.
AM: Creatively, what’s your process like when you’re creating your music?
RT: It really varies. Sometimes I have a concept of what i want to do and other times I just play around with sounds and see if something cool comes out of it. There are also times where i'll just sit there for hours and nothing good comes out of it. Patience is key.
AM: This past year or so has been one that we couldn’t have scripted. With the lack of being able to tour and with plans being in the air, how did you approach continuing to make music?
RT: It was a hard time for so many of us, but I really do think I wrote some of the best music I've ever made. It gave me so much more time to really experiment, hone in on my craft with different sounds and styles, etc... Although financially difficult, in hindsight it was everything I really needed to continue my career.
AM: What did you learn about yourself during the pandemic?
RT: I realized that I wanted to help others more. I wanted to do more good deeds and be a better person overall. I've always believed in good energy, so the time off at home really helped me actualize it.
AM: We have been playing “Don’t You” on loop as it’s cool to listen to when you’re relaxing but is also awesome for working out. This song has such an ethereal quality to it, what inspired you in creating this?
RT: Honestly, this song was a bit of an accident. It was just one of those times when I was messing around with random sounds while warming up. I started to catch a groove and it literally all came together in the same session. For me, the vocals really opened up a lot of possibilities in the song and sort of became the glue.
AM: You’re releasing your latest album, Hype or Die: Homecoming in July on Dim Mak, tell us about the album and what can we expect?
RT: It's my best body of work, hands down. As far as expectations, you can expect a lot of different styles of bass music. Some of the songs are slow, some fast, some high energy, some more melodic, some aggressive, some tame. I think overall the listening experience is the best I've put out and I am beyond excited for this release.
AM: Who are 3 people that you have yet to work with that are on your list?
RT: Honestly an easy #1 for me is Meek Mill. The energy and rawness he has is something I've always wanted on a song of mine. For the more melodic stuff that I make I would love to work with Maroon 5, or at least Adam. His voice is A1. And on the production side, however cliche it seems, Skrillex would be the ultimate collaboration.
AM: With things reopening again, you’re back on the road performing and you have a number of festivals coming up – you’re playing Lollapalooza – how excited are you to play this festival as well as to get back to juggling a schedule?
RT: I think excited would be the understatement of the century. Haha playing at Lollapalooza has been a bucket lister of mine since I began touring and I'm going to make a major statement with that set. Overall though, don't get me wrong, I did enjoy being at home with the family, so I'm going to miss that a lot. But nothing beats delayed flights, airport food, and crying babies on a plane every week. I'm so ready for it all again. haha
AM: Are there additional projects that you have coming up that we should keep an eye out for?
RT: Sitting on A LOT of unreleased music right now. We have a new single this month with a music video, a full length album in July, and I just about have the follow up EP finished as well. In addition, I have a side project that I'll be announcing soon as well. We've released a handful of singles already under the alias, but I've yet to disclose my involvement. Excited to see the reaction to this!
AM: When you’re not making music or hitting the road, what do you do in your downtime?
RT: I'm at home with my 2 boys and my girlfriend. I really don't like to go anywhere when I'm not traveling, so you can catch me spending time with the family or playing Xbox with friends. I'd consider myself a gamer, so I definitely like to escape sometimes and play some Apex Legends and Rocket League.
PHOTOS COURTESY | RIOT TEN
Read the Jun Issue #66 of Athleisure Mag and see In the Zone with RIOT TEN in mag.
