Rod Notario [Interview]

Hailing from Argentina, Rod Notario first emerged in 2020 with a contribution to 3rd Avenue's 'We Are The Future' series. Immediately noted for his nostalgic progressive sound, the Buenos Aires resident would go on to record an EP for Antrim's Strangers Beats, a release which would firmly establish Rod as a new artist to watch as 2021 began. Further success came across the next two calendar years, with an EP for long-standing Serbian imprint Balkan Connection being the highlight. Now, embarking on the most anticipated release of his young career, Rod adds Musique de Lune to his resume with a two-track showcase entitled 'Unknown'.

Progressive Astronaut caught up with Rod to learn more about the release of 'Unknown', his background, nightlife in Argentina, creative process, DJing, and more. Enjoy.

Hi Rod, thanks for joining us. What is your current mood and what was the last piece of music you listened to?

Hi! Thank you so much for having me. I’ve been doing really good! I’ve been listening a lot of mixes from great Djs from organic to melodic house, passing through progressive house of course!

How has your year been and what are your plans for the coming week?

2023 was a different year! Settling down to the city (NY) and focusing more and more in producing. Big plans for 2024. Next gig the second week of January in Brooklyn (stay tuned to the social network). New release in Musique The Lune; so glad to be part of this family. It’s an EP with 2 originals and a Dj mix coming also!

How did growing up in Argentina influence your music taste and direction? Or did it all?

Of Course! The scene in Argentina has been growing a lot during these past years! Most of the biggest Djs love to play over there and it’s for a reason! I was lucky to be in a lot of underground and big shows in different venues for different amount of people. Argentina became a cradle of incredible music producers and it’s so nice to see how big Djs support our productions.

If you were a tour-guide for nightlife in Argentina, what would be the clubs you’d take the people to see and what local DJs do they need to hear?

There are a lot of places from the bottom to the top, side to side, of the country, but if I have to start from Buenos Aires of course I would recommend Crobar, Club The Bow, La Biblioteca. And Djs like Fernando Ferreyra, Sebastian Busto, Ezequiel Arias, Mariano Mellino, Mike Griego, Nicolas Van Orton, Nicolas Rada, Cocho, Polo, Simon Vuarambon!

Being a Buenos Aires resident, how would you say the nightlife differs from Buenos Aires to the other major cities in Argentina? Or is there a difference at all?

I don’t think that any other major city has anything to envy to Buenos Aires or any other big city in the world! There are many incredible parties in Corboba (like Forja), Mendoza (Palapas), Rosario (Metropolitano) to put some examples. You can see the crowd and the sets are amazing.

When we ask most artists what is responsible for the popularity of progressive music in Argentina the overwhelming answer is Hernan Cattaneo, would that be your feeling also? And if so please speak on that, also to add to that, who else from Argentina inspired you when you first discovered the music.

That is totally true! Hernan is my number 1 influence; for his career, his support, his mixes, his different type of shows, his worldwide representation. But as I said before, there are a lot of incredible gems and talents! I have a really special affection to Fernando Ferreyra as he was my first electronic music show I went to and also for his different sound.

You have a new EP ‘Unknown’ out now via Musique de Lune. Tell us a bit about the release and how it showcases your current sound.

I’m so glad for this upcoming EP on Musique The Lune because it’s a label that I love the sound and the great producers that had signed there! JFR was one of my mentors back in the days! Is going out on 12/29 through all platforms and it shows a mix of different sounds and elements that I’ve been going through lately, like congas, bongos small percussions from organic til strong and groovy toms and basses.

Let our readers inside your studio for a moment, what is your current setup and what studio tools are featured heavily in your recent productions and more specifically your EP for Musique de Lune?

Since I got to the city I was building my home studio little by little! I’m very grateful and happy for what I have now! I’m currently using a MacBook Studio with Ableton Live Studio 11. A Minilogue XD from Korg, a Subsequent 37 from Moog. Apollo Twin X from Universal Audio and some Adam Audio as monitors. My favorites plug ins are the Arturia Collection Prophet 6, mini V, Repro 5, Roland Jupiter. Soundtoys, Waves, Fabfilter and Valhalla packages are great!

How did these tracks find a home on Musique de Lune and why was the label a good fit for this particular project?

I had the chance to met Jordy (Founder/Owner) when he was in the city and had a fun moment with friends and music. Also JFR that was my mentor and gave me some music production classes a few years ago! I thought that the label would be a really nice home for the tracks because they have some similar melodic elements that I heard in previous releases!

You seem to have added some organic qualities to your sound on this release, talk to us about that and what can we expect from you going forward in terms of sound.

Yes I love those kind of elements, specially because it gives the track some breath and special soft groove. But also I love the strong elements like the bass and mid bass, plucks that tend to turn the track a little bit darker. So I found it as a good balance!

What is the task you enjoy the most when producing and what would you prefer someone else to do?

I really enjoy the first steps! when you are jamming and introducing/choosing the new elements, find the right sound for each section. Then the arrangement and the mix are things that I prefer to give the track a few hours or days and come back to do that. And the mastering yes! I prefer that someone with fresh ear and more experience in that handle it.

You have a soundcloud mix series by the name of ‘Epicsode’, tell us about your approach to DJing. What can people expect when they go to see you perform at a club?

Yes I have been releasing the EPICSODEs on my channel for a couple of years now and I will keep doing it more often in 2024 for sure! Depending every event but I like to go progressive from something quiet and little by little reaching the peak.

How much prep do you put into the tracks you choose to play? Or are your sets totally spontaneous?

Can you tell me a bit about how your work as a DJ has influenced your view of music, your way of listening to tracks and perhaps also, your work as a producer?

Recently I’ve been using 3 or 4 channel in my mixes so I can use loops and make every set special and different. So is more spontaneous. But of course I listen music 24/7 to discover new tracks and get inspired for future gigs and productions.

If you could set up an event with a line-up of five artists of your choice, who would you book and what set times would you ascribe to the artists?

This is difficult! But from Main to Open:

Guy J
Hernan Cattaneo
Lee Burridge
Simon Vuarambon
Fernando Ferreyra

If you are not DJing, producing or socializing at clubs, where do we find you? And doing what?

For sure going out discovering the city, new food! Try to find places to eat Ramen (love Ramen!)

If you were not a DJ/Producer what do you think you’d be doing with your life?

For sure something related to the music, like playing the bass guitar in a band (like I used to do) or also working in the hospitality/service industry.

Current top five tracks?

Nicolas Viana - Come Closer
Hole Box, VITE - Midway
Fran Garay - Relumb (HAFT Remix)
Lucas Zárate - Silk Serenade (Original Mix)
Hermanez - Never Ending

What are some of your favorite TV series?

Game of Thrones, Suits, Designated Survivor, Undercover, New Amsterdam, The Mandalorian, among others!

Apart from music, what makes you happiest?

Spend time with my friends and talk to my family!

What does 2024 hold for you in terms of releases and gigs? Anything you can share with us?

I’ve been working in some new tracks that I hope to finish them in the next couple of weeks. Also finish and release new Djs mixes.
Next gigs:

12/31 NYE and 01/14 in Williamsburg Brooklyn NY.
All the info in my social network!

'Unknown' is available now via Musique de Lune: http://tinyurl.com/29wmpyae