Terminal V Podcast 055 || RUDOSA

Rudosa is having the best year of his life. Not only has he just got married on the White Isle, but he has also put out a lot of great quality music on some influential labels. Each new tune further cements his reputation as a core part of the techno new school, often with a hard edge that stands him out. The former Sankey’s resident also runs his own successful and increasingly large DJ school, heads up the Moments in Time label and continues to make his mark on the scene’s best dance floors.

This week he goes long on a powerful podcast that showcases what he does at peak time. It’s a high-thrill, high-energy selection with a big finish that will have you craving the weekend. Read on to find out why hard techno does it for him, where he had his wedding afters and about the importance of a proper warm-up DJ…

 

How has the first half of the year been for you so far?

It’s been amazing so far, I’ve had a really solid string of releases on Soma, Hekate, Bipolar Disorder, We Are The Brave, Moments In Time, and Exhale. Show-wise I’ve played some amazing gigs and I’m ready to smash the second part of the year 🙂

Hard techno seems to have been on the rise, particularly since the end of lockdowns. What’s your theory on why? What is it that draws you to the sounds?

I think lockdown helped give people time to discover new sounds and listen and consume music differently. The new generation saw DJs on live streams and TikTok and liked the fast-paced energetic style of music, which became a trend—great when it’s the style you produce. The new trend is now leaning towards hardcore sound, which you’ll hear in the mix I play a few of, but not all, as I find that style a little repetitive and prefer the more stripped and raw style of hard techno.

Tell us about Make Me A DJ, why you started that, who it attracts, what do you get out of it?

So I started the DJ school over 13 years ago, and it was done at first because I had a studio above Sankeys that I needed to pay rent for and also needed money for clothing, nights out, and equipment. A friend asked me if I would teach him, which then gave me the idea. In those days, not many schools were around, and not on a one-to-one level. I made a Facebook page and a website, and all of a sudden, bookings started rolling in. Shoot on to years later, I have 3 staff, 4 world-class studios, and a full building where we are based. It’s a lot of work, but we have taught so many successful artists, and it gives my staff the opportunity to earn a wage while focusing on music and shows at weekends.

Back in the day, you were a Sankeys resident. How important were those times to really hone your craft as a DJ? Should everyone be a resident somewhere, at some point, in order to learn some core skills?

100% I think it’s essential to have that experience as a DJ. The number of shows I turn up to, and the guy warming up harder than I would play. You need to do your research on who is after you. If I play before Amelie Lens, for example, the style I would play would be more hardgroove-based, and if I venture into Hard Techno, I’d make sure the last 30 mins I cool things down in speed and energy. This art does seem to be getting more and more lost, but at the school, we still make this clear to our students. Sankeys was a great opportunity for me to gain experience as I warmed up and closed the Fridays after so many different artists and styles every week would be different and require a new set to suit the event.

Tell us about your Moments In Time imprint – what’s the vibe, what’s the aim of the label, is it just about good club tunes or to grow a family and nurture talent?

Moments In Time is an outlet for me to showcase music from friends and artists who are regulars in my sets. A lot of the people on the label have been sending music or in conversations with me over a long period. I sometimes do, however, reach out to people and say, “Hey, I love this record, let’s work towards a release on the label.” As time goes on, I would like to do more Moments In Time events around the world, and it would be great to have regulars from the label play the showcase events.

What has been your favorite moment in time to date?

I’ve just got back from my Wedding in Ibiza, so that was rather magical, so going to have to say that. I’ve only just recovered from the afterparty we had at Pikes Hotel ????

What do you have coming up?

Over the next few months, I have quite a number of gigs in Europe, with one next month in Madrid at LAB club. Release-wise, I have two remixes dropping—one hard techno and one hard groove—then I’m currently working on a follow-up to my Exhale release, so fingers crossed that’s done soon.

Tell us about your mix, the aim you had with it, and what you wanted it to say.

So with this mix, I went full power. This is what you could expect from me peak time of my set. I went for a 2-hour podcast so I had time to create a story. It starts full on with some signature hard techno, schranz, and then I round it off with some really euphoric records to close.

What gear did you use, is that important to you in any way whether in the booth or studio?

With having the school, I’m blessed to have some of the best equipment and choices at my disposal. Sometimes on shows when you don’t have your rider, it makes you feel like your performance is a little subpar if I’m unable to do things as equipment is missing.

  • Pioneer CDJ 3000
  • Pioneer DJMV10
  • Pioneer RMX1000

Thanks for having me 🙂

 

Interview by Kristan Caryl