ROMARIO
Jamaican DJ/producer ROMARIO released his official remix of Theo Kandel’s single “Everybody Else” on June 5th.
I instantly loved this remix and it’s probably one of the best remixes I’ve heard in a while. ROMARIO created something memorable with this track. Despite what’s been going on in the world lately, I believe the world needs uplifting music and this remix does the work. It makes me happy when I listen to it and I hope it will have the same positive impact on people.
ROMARIO opened for Amine, Rae Sremmurd, Ty Dolla $ign, Kaskade, Zeds Dead, Chris Lake, Ekali, and more. This release is the follow up to his debut remix for Grammy award-winning artist Jane Macgizmo, on her track “One Away”.
“Everybody Else (Romario Remix)” is now available worldwide.
Artwork: Theo Kandel
Introduce yourself - what's your story?
I was born and raised in Kingston, Jamaica and was fortunate enough to attend school in the U.S. My father, who we sadly lost in a battle to cancer a few years ago, was a military veteran, brilliant businessman, and my hero. Growing up there was always music playing in our household. My family is low-key very musically-inclined, and they certainly instilled in me a love for music early on in my life. My mom’s radio station was always set to KOOL97, which is the “oldie’s station”; my house was forever filled with old disco, Jamaican Ska / Dub and Chicago House. Music was, and still is, an escape for me, which is why I like to make music that takes listeners on a happy but intricate journey. Being a black Jamaican and someone in an industry that mostly is not represented by black artists, it means a ton to me to be representative of black artists and excellence given the current issues that plague our society that have been highlighted by the events of George Floyd and outcry around that. Being authentic to me is always about acknowledging my truth; I’m a black Jamaican artist who is making music to unite people under one roof of happiness, creativity, and overall peace, no matter your skin color. Race, creed or belief that we can be together and embody (even though this is a trite term) PLUR. Which is what EDM is about and always has been about, at its core.
What did you grow up listening to?
I mentioned disco and “oldies music” before; a lot of the music I listened to when I was younger came from artists like Diana Ross, Bryan Adams, BeeGees on the radio and then live at home would be from Jamaican influences like Gregory Isaacs, Third World, Beres Hammond. When we’d have middle & high school dances (when I came to America), it was in the late 2000’s and early 2010’s, I was then exposed to everything from Vybz Kartel, Movado, Wayne Wonder, Sean Paul, Shaggy to top 40 international songs like Katy Perry and David Guetta, Lady Gaga etc. This eclectic mix in my early teenage years opened me up to the stuff in boarding school that was an extension of the pop music of the late 2000s early 2010s. In a nutshell, I always wanted to make sure my ear and taste for music was as diverse as my background and experiences... as a black Jamaican who attend school in America.
I have many music role models but right now one of my biggest inspirations is Noise Cans, who I’m good friends with. It’s absolutely crazy to say that we have a track coming out together soon. He’s super talented and in getting to know him I think he lives life as a person and producer very similar to me.
When did you start making beats? What made you want to start creating music in the first place?
It started when I went off to boarding school in the US. Two weeks into school, the guy who lived beside me from Switzerland (shoutout Hans) would, WITHOUT FAIL every morning at 7:45am, blast the Benny Benassi Remix of Shake it Out by Florence and the Machine as his as his alarm clock…I hated it (and him) at first but then once it became a ritual I surprisingly started really liking it. I learned that he had a Dance music blog with more of these kinds of songs. I started curiously listening and fell in love with all the songs that he was posting. So I then downloaded Serato DJ Intro (I believe it was the first ever version of it) and started to learn about beatmatching, doing it in my room but never really told anyone what I was doing…mostly because I didn’t think they’d like the blend of traditional house music with Jamiacan music. Sure enough, this combo that I was insecure about effectively became the sound that Major Lazer became popular for.
Leaving boarding school circa 2013, I began to make a few private mashups (they're hilariously bad and still on my computer somewhere) and after a while I decided to put them on soundcloud for my new college friends to listen to. After a while, shocking to me, people started playing them at house parties. I then began causally DJing at parties here and there. Once I saw people singing along to some of my original mixes, I was hooked on the fact that something I made, in my bedroom, had people I had just met (or, in some cases, didn’t even know) singing, dancing, and having a really good time.
A couple years go by, after production schools during the summers (the now defunct Dubspot) and many YouTube tutorials + bad songs later, I got A LOT better and was able to produce my own songs. In 2016, I even won a DJing contest and was on the mainstage at my university’s largest festival. After that moment, there was no turning back, I was absolutely obsessed with how making and performing music made me feel.
As I mentioned, my dad passed in 2017 and made me promise that if I decided to pursue the “electronic dance, dance music” that I like so much, seriously, that I’d give it everything I got, Now, here we are... many experiences, rejections from labels, sweaty frat parties (where I always had beer spilled all over my decks), gigs at bars later, and I’m finally prepared to dive fully into this. And it’s great to know my journey is just the beginning.
How would you define ROMARIO, the artist?
Genuine. Unique. Memorable. Simply put, memorable lyrics, melodies and drops that embody a good time. I’d like to think that my music is an escape from the realities of life and can unite people from all corners of the world. In every song and performance, I strive to give you a flavor of who I am… I’m an authentic person that wants to see fans, both new and old, always having a good time. I always pride myself as a DJ being able to read crowds and elevate the energy of any room I’m in through my music.
You recently released a remix for Theo Kandel's track "Everybody Else" - how did this collaboration come about? What made you want to remix this particular song?
I was in a writing session with Theo and to learn more about what inspired him I went to his Spotify.
Everybody Else is his biggest song and as soon as I heard his “oo,oo” adlibs, I stopped the session and said “you gotta send me these stems.” I wasn’t sure what his reaction would be to be honest but being the amazing human being that he is, he said of course, and after a couple of versions and sessions by myself, we came up with the Everybody Else Remix.
Could you describe to us the production process for this remix? What was the inspiration?
I started with the Bassline which commonly found in Dancehall / Caribbean Dance music, which I ended up keeping that runs through entire song and then started messing with his vocals because I’m a big fan of using vocals as instruments; I used the ooo loop and started pitching his voice and destroying it as best I could (his voice is actually the lead drop instrument). The song is inspired by Valentino Khan and DJ Snake tracks that they’ve released and who are also big production inspirations to me.
How long did it take you to finish this remix?
I wrote the track in about 3 days, going back and tweaking mainly the elements of the drop and ensuring that the continuity of the song was consistent. Then I sent the rough files to my mentor, sensei, spiritual guide (lol) and Grammy Winning Mix engineer, Ariel Borujow and he took the entire track to another level on par with the top 40 radio dance pop mixes that we all love. Ricardo Gutierrez (my other sensei) went ahead and then made the master punchy and ready for mainstage and mainstream radio. That’s the story of how it came together.
What do you like the most about this remix and this song in general?
Mostly that it sounds completely different from the original, sonically and in its feel, but the essence of Theo’s message is still there (which is that it’s a fun record) and most importantly, it’s true to me and my style.
What can you tell us about the artwork?
Haha! Ask @TheoKandel. It’s a variation of the original artwork with myself in a cowboy hat space suit (a nod to Nashville) and he did an incredible job of it.
In your opinion, what makes a "good" remix?
I always think that the best remixes re-imagine the original song (it’s important to me to use elements from their original to pay respect to the artist) but also take it in a completely new direction, while staying true to the original artist and to the remixer. It’s a delicate balance that I’ve learned is not easy to get right (see the billions of bad remixes that flood the internet).
As a producer, what equipment and softwares do you usually use?
Ableton is the DAW I use, which stands for Digital Audio Workstation (any program you can produce in). Speaking software: I am a big user of Nexus, the Waves plugin suite as well as Massive and Serum. Those are my go to’s. And for samples, I feel like Splice has become the industry standard now for digging through sample packs.
What advice would you give to new producers?
The biggest thing that Ariel (who, again, also mixed this record) used to tell me when I was in production school was “stop stressing about what equipment and plugins you do and don’t have. Your ear rules above everything else: any book, any tutorial, any number or video; even if you break a “rule,” if it sounds good, do it.”
I try to follow that as much as I can and trust my ears above everything else. Use the knowledge as the tools and your ear as a guide to get to the destination, which is, an amazing record.
What do you feel when creating music?
A range of emotions. Starting a song from a blank canvas is scary, but also amazing, because you can always remember that you started with nothing and you ended up with something. Even if it’s not a smash hit, you took yourself from 0 to somewhere. I kind of apply that to other things too; Any progress is good progress, what’s most important is that you actually started it.
How do your Caribbean roots impact the music you are making?
In ways that are both easy and super difficult to explain. I think people typically say the sounds, the rhythm, but for me it’s literally who I am. A friend of mine in the industry told me, “don’t be someone you’re not. People see through that shit.” I’m not trying to conform so I can become mainstream, I’m trying to make carribean x house mainstream.
I am Jamaican and everything about that affects literally everything I do... from rhythm to melody section. People don't realize that Jamaican/Reggae + Dub melodies are prevalent in almost every pop song you hear nowadays, so I can’t point to a specific thing that’s like “ohh yes I used these guitars here and there” ...to me that’s forced.
If you’re from the islands, you know the vibes.
In your opinion, what would make the world a better place?
Understanding this amazing phrase: do the right thing, no matter how difficult or inconvenient it may seem.
What message do you want to give to the world?
“Nobody Cares, Work Harder” - Ravens QB Lamar Jackson’s T-Shirt.
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