Celebrating Life with Rio Dario at Tribal Village – A Psychedelic Adventure
Reported by Tara
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Submitted 27-04-16 19:38
With every new edition of Tribal Village – A Psychedelic Adventure, Free-Spirit Records head honcho Journey aka Jay Om introduces London to a new wave of incredible international artists. The forthcoming edition of Saturday 7th May at The Steelyard is no exception, as Croatia’s Rio Dario makes his London debut alongside a plethora of psychedelic talent from around the globe.
DJ, producer and promoter of Life Celebration Festival, Rio Dario has been in bands from an early age and is a driving force of the dance music scene in his home city of Pula. He first got into electronic music in the early ’90s, discovering psy trance in 1997 and has been actively producing music since 2010. In short, his first London appearance is going to be well worth checking out. As the excitement builds, we tracked down the man himself for a chin wag…
Hi Rio, thanks for taking some time out to answer a few questions for your fans old and new.
You first started out playing music in bands, playing the drums, guitar, bass and even singing. Can you remember when you first fell in love with psychedelic electronic sounds and decided to cross to the dark side?
I was never into the dark side, actually… black metal, death metal, yes, but darkness is something we cannot see. Our eyes always search for the light, by our nature. In light we can see, in darkness, we cannot... that is why we look at the fire, sitting beside it.
I started playing the guitar in 1988, bass in 1991, drums in 1994, dj-ing also in 1994 and producing actively at the time. I only gained the equipment and knowledge needed 5 years ago in 2011. I was always a rebel and the musical approach was also that vibe, as well as always seeking different sounds and admiring the original, real artists.
When? That’s a really hard question. It would be like you asking me, when did you start to think?
Do you still play instruments or is it all about electronic music now?
I’ve never stopped playing the instruments and I will never do so. I have side projects, and will mention Zgobe?ena Shagoma (check it out!), where I play the drums, bass and do the arrangements and the production with my ‘brother’ Kume.
What have been your main sources of inspiration over the years? And now?
Artist, real artists. The ones who make the difference, through their imagination, through the talent of creating their own style, or their way of expression...
How would you describe the Rio Dario sound?
Rio Dario music is into daylight, mostly. It is all about love, light, understanding and all kinds of positive emotions, feelings and vibrations. It’s not about tensions and expectations, like I have to do what I have to do, so I sound like the ‘main’ artists. It is all about love, compassion, about you, because love is all we need, admitting to ourselves, or not. If you have love, you are rich. If you haven’t you are lost, poor... it is why we are here, on this planet and what mother nature, the moon, the sun, the universe, created us for.
Has your music changed and evolved much since you first started DJing and producing?
I cannot say that. I’ve only enlarged my horizons, views, the knowledge into creating the sound... but, I think, what I wanted to give has never changed. I want to give the best I can to my music. It would be like a positive message to humanity, but also the universe, and all the creatures having part of.
Also, because what we give, is what we will take...
What does the ‘psychedelic’ in psy trance mean to you? Why do you think you’re attracted to psychedelic sounds?
In psy trance, psychedelic sounds are the fx’s, or the driving melodies, turned into ‘psychedelic’ sounds, through instruments... or not?
Back then, psychedelic was underground. Now, it’s even a business, not only mainstream. But lucky is the artist, covering the costs of living, with what he loves to do, the most...
Psychedelic is a point of view, the real definition doesn't exist, or no definition is valuable to describe it well.
How did you learn to start producing your own Rio Dario tracks? Are you self-taught or did you have a good teacher?
Vladan Jaric (Pion, Subliminal Codes), Slobodan Gacesa (Vertex), and Marko Grbac (Greenscreen), helped me a lot about progressing into what I would like, or want to sound. The rest is all about being really but really really persistent. Never enough work and practice. Producing music is an ocean of possibilities, and like someone said (Borut Skok), the artwork is never finished, it is only abandoned...
Which do you prefer: the moment your track has the dancefloor going off, or those moments in the studio where the sounds all come together to make a tune?
When I see that people get my message, and I can feel that the listeners are happy, feeling good, I feel like my mission is accomplished and I know that I am doing the right thing. Making people happy is my main ambition. Producing in the studio is the path to that. It would be something like an effort to make this planet a better place, where people love, understand, and respect each other and never fight. Living a fairy-tale? Why not? You are what you believe you are.
What have been the highlights of your musical career so far? And what goals do you still have for the future?
Live for the moment and give as much as I can give. The past is something we cannot bring back and the future will be as the universe decides, and make the groove flow...
Be good to others, take care and live in harmony with mother earth... (at least try to) avoid the supermarkets, capitalism. We are rich already. Just see it that way.
As well as DJ’ing and producing, you’re also promoter of Croatia’s Life Celebration Festival, which is approaching its seventh edition this July. What’s the ethos behind the festival? Please tell us a bit about it.
This year, the 7th edition of the Life Celebration festival is held at a new location, and you will be amazed at its beauty. Our aim to make you feel comfortable, safe and happy is something you will notice for sure. We are really trying to give our best, so come and support our project, so we make this planet a better place, with the universal thoughts of living in harmony with all the good creatures of this planet so the not-good becomes good and we all together live happily ever after.
How is the music scene in Croatia these days? If I come to visit, which other events and festivals should I check out?
There is a scene in Pula and also Zagreb, Osijek, Rijeka, Pazin, and I’ve heard it’s growing bigger, so cities like Split, Zadar, and Šibenik are also into it. Lately I’ve heard about some events going on in the psy trance scene. Respect and support!
This year, Life Celebration (mostly progressive), the 3rd Modem festival (mostly dark-forest-full on), and Tides Of Youth (1 of the 3 floors is psy trance), will take place. Future Nature will not happen, but only as psy trance floor on the Seasplash festival, Lost Theory has moved to Spain and Oddvod (mostly Goa trance) seems not to happen, too. Sorry to the organization, if I’m not well informed.
As a DJ, producer and promoter you must have a busy life. What do you get up to in your down time – if and when you have any?
I am also a father of a beautiful three-year-old daughter Aurora. There is really a strong lack of free time, but... everything is like we make it to ourselves, and complaining would be only showing not having the strength, to go over the style or the way of living, that I have created to myself. So, I am happy, very happy, with what I have made, and I will do my best, to be the best father in the world, and give the most I can, to her, to my music, everything, and everybody.
The love given by the ones I love, will be the wind in the back, for never quitting at producing music, and always going further.
You’re making your London debut on Saturday 7th May at Tribal Village. What can we expect from your set?
Sharing positive vibes. Who feels it, or wants it, take it. Who doesn't, has the choice to choose, what is better for him (or her)... no expectations. Live for the moment, and love.
Aside from playing at Tribal Village next week, what else are you looking forward to for the rest of 2016?
The parties I will play at and dance, but first, the Life Celebration Festival.
Many thanks for your time! Looking forward to seeing you at Tribal Village next Saturday!
Links
Rio Dario Soundcloud
Tribal Village event page
All images courtesy of Rio Dario. Not to be reproduced without permission.
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The views and opinions expressed in this review are strictly those of the author only for which HarderFaster will not be held responsible or liable.
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