Page 69 - Poze Magazine Volume 74
P. 69
Rinzen
Rinzen
Through selections and sequencing of songs, DJs If anything, I have a vast appreciation for the
tell stories. Their platforms enable them to worldbuilding that fiction authors do,
present thoughts and ideas within music and specifically science fiction or fantasy authors.
production. When the veteran DJ Rinzen The scale of the worlds and universes they are
continued to evolve into producing and building is hugely inspiring to me.”
composing, he developed a unique sonic style. In I asked Rinzen if he considers himself a
anticipation of his forthcoming ten-track LP, storyteller. He agreed. “Both as a DJ and a
Bend to the Light, I was blessed to speak with LA- producer, yeah, a hundred percent. Like I said,
based producer Rinzen about a variety of topics I’m such a lover of literature that I always want
surrounding storytelling and his first full-length to convey some type of story with all my work. I
album. Released on April 5, 2024, it’s a seminal think, at least for me, the art and especially the
work of tuneful craftsmanship. During our music that I most enjoy also has these other
conversation, we covered areas including his elements or some added context that enriches
career before music, his progression as an artist, the meaning of it.”
and methods aiding his creation of unique sound It makes sense. When I first received the
chronicles. concept for Bend to the Light, the description
Every artist has a backstory—settings through caused me to reflect on the works of William
which the creative parts of their soul develop Gibson, a favorite author we both share, most
and find bearing. Before becoming a professional notably his cyberpunk masterpiece,
DJ and producer, Rinzen studied English Neuromancer. I asked if this kind of comparison
literature at the University of California, is deliberate, and Rinzen shared these notes.
Berkeley. Originally, his plan was to be a writer, “The visual side usually comes to me after the
which he accomplished as a music journalist. I music is written.
inquired if he felt this training abetted his career I spend a vast amount of time writing music
as a musician. and try to work as deeply as possible, and not
“I got to read all these great classics of world with an intentional world setting in mind. I’m
literature. If anything, that imbued in me both just trying to get the best possible song written.
appreciation for great works of art—and the Afterwards, I start to envision what’s the kind of
patience and mastery needed to accomplish world all these songs are naturally inhabiting.
those—as well as an intuition for storytelling, and This album was definitely inspired by science
how to apply that to music. That eventually led fiction, particularly cyberpunk settings.” The
to me doing music journalism and writing about difference between creating a single, an EP, and
artists. I don’t necessarily think it helps my an LP feels staggering. Examining the creative
songwriting abilities, but it has helped me just procedures that support a conception of this
thinking about how to represent and articulate magnitude, I encouraged Rinzen to detail the
projects. process that ultimately led to the formation of
Bend to the Light.
