Introducing R.Girardin

Where are you from?

I grew up in Manhattan Beach, California - just outside of Los Angeles

When did you start djing and why?

I was living in San Francisco going to university.  I bonded with a co-worker over punky disco records and we decided to start a night at a bar on SF’s skid row. I continued to dj disco when I moved to New York then sold all my records after having to move apartments 6 times in one year. Since then I’ve been djing digital files and cdrs. With Ashland Mines at the legendary deep house/smooth jazz party Grown when I moved back to LA and online, where I made a series of Memphis rap mixes for which I’m probably best known.

For me it’s always been about hearing music I love played loud in a room. That’s the greatest joy.

As a Dj, sometimes people might forget that the music you play at your set is not necessarily the "only" thing you listen to on your own. What is your morning go-to track?

I usually work out in the morning so that’s when I listen to club music - SoundCloud mixes from dj’s like Beneath, Kate Miller, Jeff Mills, Mala. As the day progresses I transition toward jazzier softer stuff culminating in a fluffy ambient come down as the day ends.

What inspires you and drives you to create?

The music I compose these days is my attempt at a "pure music of the soul", not referential, conceptual or belabored, simply bringing to life the sounds I feel are inside me.  As such, I'd say its a compulsion more than anything else.

What do you think is lacking in nowadays music industry, and what positive progress have been made lately?

I'd like a better rave culture in America, and especially in Los Angeles, where I currently live.  Better sound systems, dancefloor etiquette, DJ's.  But it's improving.  I think the internet is helping a lot in bringing in top quality DJ's from Europe and elsewhere.  Regional dance music can be great if you live in a place like Chicago or Baltimore or Newark but not so nice if you're on the West Coast and the regional heritage is Mark Farina.  But overall I think this is maybe the most exciting time to be into electronic music.  The amount of quality stuff coming out is staggering.  Selling records is a different story, but luckily for me, I like my day job. Listen to R.Girardin Mixtape here