I have been going all around Cleveland checking out the local music scene and this cool guy whom I am glad to call a friend of mine that goes by the name of Rio the Mechanic caught my attention. He's a producer who I have been checking out for years and I got the opportunity to link up with him for a interview. So to know more about who "Rio the Mechanic" is check it out after the jump.
LeiRock: Who is Rio the Mechanic in five words?
Rio the Mechanic: Creative, crazy, respectful, kind, and loyal
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LeiRock: Where do you rep?
Rio: I'm from Cleveland, Ohio- South Euclid to be exact. My hometown is Youngstown, Ohio.
LeiRock: How did you get your stage name?
Rio: It's known by a lot of people that if you put a piece of machinery in front of me, then I could figure it out in less than 2 hours flat, with no manual. My name comes from me knowing a lot about analog equipment. My first sampler was an Ensoniq EPS which is a 12 bit sampler. That is how I came about the name "12bitmechanic". Then I changed it because it didn't describe who I was, it was too cliche. So I changed it to just "Mario The Mechanic". I felt like people who were listening to my music, needed to know who I am along with the music and my lifestyle. It's more than just a name. I'm the same guy with or without the music.
LeiRock: Who or what influenced you to become a producer?
Rio: I was already into music at a young age. My grandparents were into alot of jazz. My father played drums and could sing. Growing up I was always exposed to it, so it stuck with me. Later, I started listening to rap music and I was heavily influenced by the culture. I listened to Souls of Mischief, Hieroglyphics, People Under The Stairs, and the Wu-Tang Clan. Later, I got more into music production. I was bumping The Alchemist, The Rockwilder, DJ Premier, Havoc, Kanye West, The RZA, True Master, etc. The Alchemist and Kanye West had the biggest influence on me and still does.
LeiRock: What's the best & worst experience of your come up?
Rio: The best experience has been grouping up with CLVND.CTY.CNQRS(Keyel and A/V) SHOTSFOREVERYONE, F/C(FRENCH CONNECTION), The Grand Mechanics(DJ Corey Grand) and The Varsity Squad. The reasons being that they motivate me to make my best, and allow me to watch great people grow into what they are doing. It's a privilege and honor to work with them. Also linking with artist like Darren Anthony, Sted Lee, Ray Cash, has been a great experience.The worst experience...I haven't had any bad trips yet (laughs). Thank the lord for that. But if I did, I would have to say the haters. That's a good experience, too, because you see who's really into what you are doing and who's not trying to do business with you. So it's all for a greater advantage at the end.
LeiRock: What are some releases that we should be looking out for and where can we find them?
Rio: My first piece of work was called "Wine and Cheese Vol.1" which is not available for download anymore so whoever has it is very lucky, because I don't even have it (laughs). "Abstract Cocaina" by The Grand Mechanics which is a remix project mixed by DJ Corey Grand. That's one of my favorites so far. It's available for download still, and it's somewhere on the net. We also have something coming soon. This time it'll be a lot smoother and cleaner. I think you will enjoy it.I have a project called "#papercake" coming soon. No specific release date at the moment. But you can find collabs from Cleveland artists and other states that I have done work for on this project soon.
LeiRock: Describe the type of music you produce?
Rio: I make hip-hop, rap, R&B whatever you wanna call it. I stopped focusing on a genre and started not to categorize my sound. It puts a damper on what you can do for other artists down the line. I'm an overall producer, I can work with anything you put in front of me.
LeiRock: Do you prefer cutting samples or being original and starting from scratch?
Rio: I chop samples all day long!!! Sometimes I do original, but hardly. I'm a backpacker at heart so I'll never leave sampling alone. You can always expect a sample in my production even if it doesn't sound like one
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LeiRock: Where does your inspiration come from when producing a song?
Rio: There's no intrinsic inspiration. I'm kinda weird. There's 2 reasons why I do music. I wake up hearing music, not actual songs. But I wake up to sounds and noises that trigger how I feel for the day which trigger my mood also. And that causes me to make the music that I make. Second reason is my ex girlfriend. I should have been married years back. If I was, nobody would have known me for doing music. So I do it in order to not go crazy. Music is no longer fun, but I consider it as medication to heal my broken heart. Sounds like some sucka sh!t, but everyone asks me my reasons and I keep it real 200% of the time.
LeiRock: If I were a fly on the wall, what things would I see in the studio as you produce a track?
Rio:(Laughing) A lot of Black & Mild smoke, A/V probably rolling up, Keyel lounging. Tons of records, old samplers from 1985 collecting dust. My laptop and MIDI controller. Lots of conversations and building.
LeiRock: Do you plan on expanding on the musical side other than production?
Rio: Yes. I see myself songwriting for people in a year or two. I never had a plan to just be a producer, but to grow into more as the time changes. I wish I could leave music alone, because I do not want to go crazy. But at the end of the day, I just want to be a personality associated with what Ohio has to offer. To represent what people don't get to see, and what WILL be imminent in the future.
LeiRock:Is there anything or information you want to share with the public audience/readers, such as websites, or youtube links?
Rio:S/o's to jukeboxwithleirock.com
If you want to check me out you can hit me on Facebook- "Mario The Mechanic" Follow me on twitter - @Riothemechanic and check out my homies too @SFEVERYONE also catch me on shotsforeveryone.com http://soundcloud.com/mario_the_mechanic and if you want to buy beats/collabs or have other inquiries you can contact me at
themechanic@shotsforeveryone.com
F/C x CCC x The Grand Mechanics x shotsforeveryone.com
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