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Interview: Nick Pini - Session Musician from London
Nick Pini is a wonderful session and touring musician who has made a name for himself in the UK’s vibrant music scene. Despite coming from a family of classical musicians, Nick decided to pursue his passion for jazz and improvisation, studying at Trinity College of Music in London.
Nick's versatility and musical talent have allowed him to branch out into different genres effortlessly: jazz, improvisation and as a touring and session musician. Since then, he has worked with some of the most famous artists in the world, both as a session musician and a touring band member for some of the world's most well-known artists like Laura Marling, Ethan Johns, Nick Mulvey, Tom Jones, Mary-Chapin Carpenter, Gilbert O’Sullivan, Seth Lakeman, Ramin Karimloo, Will Butterworth.
In addition to being a talented musician, Nick has also recently moved into roles such as MD and in string arranging, and production.
RINARO: Can you, please, tell us how did you get into playing bass?
NICK PINI: I tried lots of different instruments as a kid. My parents were both violinists and so I started there but it didn’t quite stick, though I recently picked it up again to (attempt to) play folk music on. I tried piano but hated reading music - I would always get distracted by the sound and would then try and make up the next bar of music. Eventually I heard a Herbie Hancock record, The New Standard with Dave Holland playing double bass on it, particularly his playing on New York Minute and it was then that I thought, holy $#!+, I want to make that sound!
RINARO: What got you into jazz?
NIKC PINI: Well, jazz had been around throughout my childhood but mostly in the form of Fats Waller and some of the interlude music from the Goon Shows - we had a limited collection of music. But it was living with 2 Danish guys in London when I was 18 that cemented it. We used to stay up really late drinking coffee and smoking roll ups, playing poker betting with copper coins and listening to jazz records. Miles Davis, Herbie Hancock, Bill Evans, Freddie Hubbard, Wayne Shorter, John Pattitucci..Dave Holland, who I also thought was American.. I became aware of all these great jazz musicians around then. Funnily, I wasn’t really aware how great the UK scene was at that time. Which is a shame as I feel I missed an opportunity.
“Music is a language, at its core, and improvisation between two or more people is simply a conversation”
Image: www.discogs.com
RINARO: If you had to explain the improvisation to a non-musicians, how would you go about it?
NCIK PINI: I would say that music is a language, at its core, and improvisation between two or more people is simply a conversation. You can learn the basics of a foreign language and in a limited way improvise, saying hello, how are you and ordering a coffee. The more of the language you speak the more conversation opens up to you. But most important in this is listening to the other speaker and interacting with them. Improvising music is about finding your musical voice and working on how to express that, whilst listening, understanding and responding to your fellow musicians. You become very at ease with it over time. There have been moments when I haven’t known until we started playing that actually my friend was feeling very sad. These days it feels more like reaching out energetically for each other.
RINARO: How playing with different artists shaped you as a musician?
NICK PINI: Absolutely everyone has something to teach you, if you listen. I am a perpetual student and apprentice to the many wonderful artists I’ve had the privilege to meet. I just try to keep myself open.
RINARO: Could you tell us about paving your career in jazz & pop side by side?
NICK PINI: I’ll be honest, I don’t think I’ve done much paving in an intentional sense. I come from fairly humble roots - we really had very little money at times, growing up - and so as soon as I’d started paying my rent from gig money, I’d essentially achieved something I’d thought was going to be a real challenge and it’s just been really fun and exciting ever since. I have an inner child going, “wow!!” a huge percentage of the time. I remember looking up during a recording session not long ago and looking around the room at the musicians and just thinking, holy flying shitballs..I’m in a room with [name-drop-clang! X4]!!
I’m always very curious to play with people and I try to turn up with the intention of giving myself over to making music with the people in the room, whether it’s really complex or challenging in some other way. I suppose rereading that, I’m also saying that I don’t really draw much of a line between genres of music. Sure, there are differences but not in the way we’re led to believe: genres are just data points used to sell you more stuff. Don’t let them box you in and go explore!
RINARO: With which of the artists have you toured with the most? Could you please tell us about the experience of being on the road?
NICK PINI: I’ve been so lucky and toured with some fabulous artists. Laura Marling is the artist I’ve been on the road with the most, followed by Nick Mulvey. Both are wonderful, generous human beings and treat their musicians very well. Touring is like nothing else. You are a nomad but held to a fairly strict schedule. You get very good at finding coffee shops. I go for lots of exploratory walks and runs. Coming home can be very difficult as you’ve often lost your roots and need to rebuild them.
RINARO: What equipment do you currently use?
NICK PINI: Ah, for which project? - I tend to think like that. I really like older things.. I have a ‘63 Precision bass which I record with a lot. I bought a ‘67 Gibson EB2D (double pickup) specifically for use with Laura - it makes a lovely warm thumpy sound. I have a Rickenbacker which is one of the very few modern instruments I own but is very versatile and a useful different voice. I have a 1969 tele bass which I bought because George Porter jr from the meters used to use one. And some other unusual secret weapons which come out to play when required.
Double bass, I have a lovely old German bass from 1885. I also have one being made by a great luthier in S London called Laurence Dixon. It’s a recreation of the bass played by Ray Brown on the Oscar Peterson records. I’m extremely excited about that!
Amps, I have a ‘61 B15 which lives in a friend’s studio and a ‘64 Blonde Bassman.
I also own a couple of mandolins including a rare National Resonator Mandolin which sounds incredible!
RINARO: What are you currently listening to?
NICK PINI: Well, we just lost the incredible composer and saxophonist, Wayne Shorter, so I’ve been going back over his records.
US jazz saxophonist and composer Wayne Shorter performs on July 18, 1986 in Nice. (Photo by Christophe SIMON / AFP) (Photo by CHRISTOPHE SIMON/AFP via Getty Images)
RINARO: If you would need to recommend 3 albums for someone looking to get into jazz, what would you give them?
NICK PINI: Well, this is tricky. Jazz is a vast ocean touching many musical continents. As a word it also intimidates people, as if we’ve developed some sort of common preconception and misapprehension about it. But jazz is just sound, expressing what people are feeling. It’s “now” music. It is necessarily unafraid of the truth and as a result can sound raucous and raw. Approach it from that perspective.
If you’re interested in instrumental small ensemble music, start with Nightrain by Oscar Peterson. Kind of Blue by Miles Davis. Then I would say either Speak No Evil by Wayne Shorter or maybe Portrait in Jazz by Bill Evans for the utterly ground breaking (at the time and still now) interplay between Bill and bassist Scott La Faro.
If you’re coming from a classical background or like larger ensembles then try Music for Large and Small Ensemble by Kenny Wheeler and Sketches of Spain by Miles David and Gil Evans.
If you like vocalists then this is a whole other world again. Vocalists tend to require more organised music, possibly because of the technical challenges singing presents, possibly because the voice is capable of story telling in a much more direct way so it’s important the accompaniment doesn’t take too much attention.
You could try Nina Simone Live from Carnegie Hall. Also Tony Bennet/Bill Evans, Together Again for one of my favourite tracks, You Must Believe in Spring.
Visit Nick Pini website
Interview: Batukizer - DJs from Rio and Copenhagen
The two DJs, Carla from Brazil and Rasmus from Denmark, have made a significant contribution to the discovery of amazing and often long lost Brazilian music.
They share their finds through a series of mixtapes that reveal a treasure trove of rare dance records that are still not available for streaming.
We were glad to talk with Batukizer about their unique experience of digging into Brazilian music heritage, DJing and sharing their music around the world.
Source: Batukizer’s Instagram
RINARO: Can you tell us a bit about who Batukizer is, and what drives your passion with Brazilian music?
BATUKIZER: We are a DJ duo dedicated to play mostly Brazilian and diaspora sounds.
We have different backgrounds. Carla is Brazilian, she has an acting education from Martins Pena school in Rio and a Master in Portuguese Languages. She had a professional career as a dancer, singer and DJ - now also instructor at FFS - Future Female Sounds - International DJ Academy. Rasmus is Danish, has been a DJ, curated and arranged quality music events for over 2 decades. Rasmus has a bachelor in tourism and a brazilian guide education. Over the years he has conducted many private tours in Brazil mostly for schools, architects and musicians.
Batukizer was formerly known as Epic Vinyls from Brazil - a very explicatory name - but during the Covid lockdowns, we made the decision to change our name to an easier and simpler one - uniting the word batuque or batucada (which means Brazilian percussion) and the english ending -izer, known from words as energize or revitalize. So the name Batukizer means that we are rediscovering and activating the powerful Brazilian music.
The project started as a dogma concept wanting to prove that it was possible to DJ only Brazilian music in long, and highly energetic sets. Then in order to gain our grounds on the mixtape circuit, it became a strong challenge to find unknown Brazilian songs and artists between us. And you can believe that Carla knows A LOT of stuff. She knows not only the songs, but also the artists and often even the lyrics. And Rasmus from his trajectory provided the knowledge of how to make those tunes work on the dancefloors in Europe.
Our passion in it’s essence is to present amazing, unknown tunes to a open minded audience!
RINARO: How has this year been for you?
BATUKIZER: : We’ve come out of the bubble. We’ve had our residencies here in Copenhagen on/off throughout Covid, but in April 2022 we were finally travelling again and playing in France and we did a wonderful Brazilian tour. The summer has just been incredible with our residencies in Copenhagen - we play twice a month at open air venue Reffen - and we have played our first electronic gigs at Danish festivals this year. It’s been 3 tough years for culture and travel, but we are doing good - and our mixtapes are getting so many plays.
This year alone, we dropped two mixtapes on My Analog Journal, more on our own YouTube channel and did collaborations for channels in France, Palestine and Brazil of course.
Rasmus has just come home from another digging and reconnecting trip in Brazil bringing a lot of gems. We are gearing up for 2023.
We feel strongly that in 2023 it is time for Brazilians and people with a deep understanding of the culture and portuguese language should be highlighted more as representatives of Brazilian music. Until now the “Brazilian music DJ” circuit in Europe has been dominated by classical European structures and monetary interests as opposed to focus on heritage and culture. In this reality, we try to support and highlight DJs from Brazil and also support Brazilian and latin DJs touring in Europe.
RINARO: How has your DJ set evolved over the years?
BATUKIZER: : We’ve acquired more skills and the ability to play “deeper tunes” and trust in ourselves as we’ve built a massive catalogue of mixtapes. We can match the energy of many styles of music from all kinds of global grooves to funk, disco and house music. People often will book us for “brazilian” themed events, but we feel its no necessary. This music is so good that it is universal.
The long process of construction mixtapes, digging, listening, selecting the tunes, listening again and recording different versions of the mixes has been essential for our DJ gigs as well.
As our collection has grown, we can really dazzle people with the abundance of Brazilian music from the 60s, 70s and 80s by playing different (and epic) versions of the same songs, as well as remixes and strong percussive and capoeira tunes. Recently we started playing some hand percussion at the gigs and Carla sometimes adds vocal to our sets.
The mixtape tunes becomes a part of you, almost like your dear friends - and the audience can probably feel that love for the songs when we play them.
Source: Batukizer’s Instagram
RINARO: What was the first vinyl that launched your passion for collecting?
BATUKIZER: : We always found that record covers were more beautiful than CDs or jpegs. So to have the tangible experience of having a record in your hands is just great.
But the passion or dedication for collecting vinyl for us really comes from having music that has not yet been digitalized or is widely known.
To have and to play a great tune that lifts the dancefloor and only a few other people have is really something for every DJ. It was always a big part of club culture, whether is was bboy DJs hiding the secret funk break, the reggae “dub plate culture” or the electronic DJ doing edits and remixes.
It is only a small part of our live DJ audiences that really care about the fact that we play vinyl, but when people come up and ask to hear a specific, super rare Brazilian “compacto” (7” single) that you have - that’s just a great compliment in itself. For us it’s important.
We don’t collect an artist's entire catalogue or take pride in finding pristine, clean copies. Unfortunately original, tropical vinyl have in general suffered significant wear from heat, dust and sun. It’s a fact. But we care about sound and always prioritize the media above the packaging (cover), we also play reissues and digital from time to time.
Source: Batukizer’s Instagram
RINARO: With vinyl becoming rarer, where do you go to dig for new records?
BATUKIZER: : We don’t think vinyl is becoming rarer as such, but unfortunately it is becoming a lot more expensive! Both new and old vinyl is seeing radical price changes these years and it’s always harder for (young) vinyl DJs that are beginning in the game to start a collection of original stuff unless they dig into the 80s, 90s or start 00s.
For digging it has always been about finding the unusual place with records.
We really appreciate most sellers and dedicated record stores, but also head out to smaller cities and flea markets and street digging.
We are not so much into “want lists” and private sellers you meet in hotel lobbies or airports. Too expensive and often too passionate about themselves.
In Brazil, where we dig a lot, Rasmus does a lot of street and market digging and sometimes I’m lucky, sometimes I’m not. Carla is more the deep researcher and sometimes she finds something that she MUST own. So the advice would be to be on top of your Discogs game, and remember to always look no matter where you are or how tired you are. We’ve found super rare and cheap records out of the blue in both Bruxelles and Manaus.
RINARO: How did the place you grew up in shape your musical outlook?
BATUKIZER:
Carla: The unique Brazilian sounds, ritualistic, soulful and rhythmic all the way, is practically why I am who I am. It shaped the way I move, think, and the way I communicate with the world.
Rasmus: I grew up in a house with a decent record collection of Danish, Swedish, US and UK pop music, but then I discovered hiphop and DJ’ing when I was 10-11 years old and that was the beginning of this journey going through hiphop, electronic and ultimately more organic music from all over the world. I speak fluent portuguese as well as decent french and spanish, so music has been a way for me to develop my language skills as well.
RINARO: What DJ equipment do you currently use?
BATUKIZER: At home we have Pioneer PLX-1000 record players. It’s a new and heavy version of the Technics 1210. We use a selection of Danish Ortofon DJ needles and our mixer is the Berlin hand built Resor Electronics model Darth (2500). It is based on Japanese components and delivers a clean and pure sound with a touch of warmth that really goes well with the majority of our records. Our amp is a Creek 5250 and our speakers are decent bookshelf models.
We have a listening set-up in our country house - also all 1990s units with a Pro-Ject turntable for digitalization of rare records. Sometimes we go there for some long cleaning and digitalizing sessions.
We also have a Pioneer XDJ-RX3 as Carla teachers digital DJing. Rasmus uses Danish AiAiAi headphones for DJing and Carla is a Sennheiser HD25 fanatic.
RINARO: You are well versed, playing at some incredible festivals all across the world. What’s the most memorable festival or music event you've played, and what made it special?
BATUKIZER: Three great 2022 experiences.
Rasmus: For me it was to DJ at the open air Azymuth (Brazilian jazz kings) concert in Copenhagen in August of 2022. Covid was far gone, the crowd was electric and the city was warm and beautiful. He prepared a special one hour set of non-shazammable tunes for the music lovers.
Source: music.metason.net
Carla: Super memorable festivals this year was “Bass under Buen” - the one day bass music Festival in Copenhagen - the bass sounds from Brazil are so groovy and I believe that we made a real difference in the lineup.
Carla at Bas Under Buen
Source: Batukizer’s Instagram
Carla: Definetly also Biarritz Latin Film Festival: The most amazing vibes, love to play with my DJ partner, and explore all our knowledge, competences to move the crowd and enjoy ourselves fully at the same time
RINARO: Rinaro Isodynamics is an Ukrainian company and as far as we know you once visited Ukraine to play at the festival. Could you tell us about this experience? Ukrainian culture is largely different from Brazilian culture due to its geographical distance, so what was the reaction of people to Brazilian music?
BATUKIZER: Rasmus actually went to Ukraine to see the FloorWars breakdance battles, with whom he worked with for a decade. It was amazing to see the amount of talent and dedication that Ukraine has within the culture. I also DJ’ed at 20ft Radio, at The Alchemist Bar and raved at Closer. I went for an extensive digging trip at the big Sunday market with 2 kilometers of street vendors - even though it was snowing! I met with a collector and swapped some Brazilian records for some really nice jazz, funk and breakbeats from the Soviet era. A nice experience.
I really loved Kiev. People were friendly and the coffee was cheap and crafted with love. Alchemist is a small bar but it was packed and people danced like crazy. I would love to go back!
RINARO: You have taken extensive digging trips through the Rio and São Paulo and through South Brazil, Northeast and the Amazon states with the mission to uncover rare gems and forgotten songs and present them to new and curious audiences worldwide. What interesting discoveries did you take from this trip?
BATUKIZER: There have been so many trips. To hear the discoveries, you should just listen to our mixtapes. Most of them are available on both Youtube and Soundcloud.
From the Amazon, there’s the Carimbó style mixtape.
And from the Northeast we have a mixtape on My Analog Journal with some amazing rarities.
We are still sitting on a lot of gems and many more mixes are to come!
RINARO: If you had to recommend 3 albums for someone looking to get into Brazilian music, what would you give them?
BATUKIZER: We selected four records from female artist with four years between each of them.
They are all groundbreaking in their own sense and are not obvious starter records if you don’t know Brazilian, but we want to promote a broader perception of the Brazilian musical heritage. All the artists except Dila (that tragically died after the release in 1971) are still alive and should be treated as royalty ❤️
Dila: S/T (1971)
Mythical rediscovery put out in 2019 that unites bossa, samba and raw soul with a voice so great and sincere that it moves mountains.
Geovana: Quem Tem Carinho Me Leva (1975)
Roots samba that talks about life, desires and heritage. Very strong grooves and excellent mid-70s stereo production.
Catia de França: Vinte Palavras ao Redor do Sol (1979)
One of the strongest Brazilian debut albums from the late 1970s. Northeastern music, folky vibes, epic lyrics and forró rhythms are brought together on this epic LP.
Sandra de Sá: Vale Tudo (1983)
Lincoln Olivetti / Robson Jorge who were the Brazilian kings of shimmery post-disco sounds, produced soul singer Sandra de Sá’s 1983 boogie masterpiece. An album full of dancefloor bangers and city life descriptions that are on point to this day! Guest feature by the mighty Tim Maia himself.
Interview: Tonka - Ukrainian IDM band
Tonka is a Ukrainian intelligent dance music project (IDM) consisting of vocalist Olena Karas, sound producer, and keyboard player Yaroslav Tatarchenko and drummer Denys Shvets. The band features minimalism in music and visual images, trying to emphasize dynamic rhythm and vocals. The band often put their sounds to lyrics of famous Ukrainian poets, which empowers Ukrainian society to be strong, especially nowadays.
Since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine into Russia, they have been actively participating in charity concerts throughout Europe. Today, in our interview, we talk to their vocalist, Olena Karas, about their music style, inspirations, and transformation of Ukrainian music during the war.
RINARO: There's a great variety of vocal sounds and rhythms in your music. Do you use any techniques to process your vocal material?
TONKA: We are supporters of the aesthetics of minimalism. Therefore, we usually hardly use vocal processing. We like the purity and openness of the sound as if you are talking to your listener and nothing makes this conversation false. Honesty is our foundation.
RINARO: At the heart of your electronic music are a dynamic rhythm and fresh, modern experiments with vocals. Where do you get the inspiration to create your sound?
TONKA: I have always been surrounded by inspiration, ideas, and my wish to create music. I can find unique inspiration in the eyes of a stranger or even go deep inside myself. And I, as an artist, try to educate myself so that my mental door is always open to new things, experiments, and interactions with my creative inner self.
RINARO: Can you let us know what was the key point in the creation of your music style?
TONKA: The key point in creating Tonka’s music style is frank communication between two people. Together with my musical colleague Yaroslav Tatarchenko, we always try to be frank with each other, look for better musical solutions, and to nurture courage in each other, strive for progress. This cooperation is what makes us “Tonka”.
RINARO: We know that you are currently traveling around Europe with charity concerts to help Ukraine. Please tell us about this experience. What is the main message you try to convey to the world at these concerts?
TONKA: Right. Since the full-scale invasion of Russia into Ukraine started, we have been actively participating in charity concerts in Europe, and sharing Ukrainian music with European listeners at different music festivals. Moreover, we always report on this horror that our country is experiencing.
During the first few concerts, it was excruciatingly painful to sing, but I was never embarrassed. From the deep of my soul, I have the honor to be a part of Ukrainian culture.
Now my voice belongs not only to me, our music sounds for all Ukraine of all times, for all artists, for all cultural figures who are inconvenient to the system, for all people - killed, tortured, starved, for all those who died in the Russian-Ukrainian war. Nowadays, at every concert in Europe, we see our people with Ukrainian flags and try to give them all our love so that they feel at home at least for that moment.
We appeal to the European community not to get used to war, to continue to support us with donations, and to continue to do everything to finally end this war with our victory. Despite all the pain, we urge Ukrainians to believe in a blooming future.
Tonka band - archival photo
RINARO: Your latest album is called Youth Never Happen Again, released on the poems of famous Ukrainian poets of the Executed Renaissance*, Oleksandr Oles and Mykola Khvylovyi. Why were these poets chosen for the album?
*Executed Renaissance - is a term used to describe the generation of Ukrainian language poets, writers, and artists of the 1920s and early 1930s who lived in the Ukrainian Socialist Soviet Republic and were subsequently persecuted, denied work, imprisoned and, in dozens of cases, shot during the Great Terror (August 1937 – November 1938).
Source: Wikipedia
TONKA: When my eyes read Oleksandr Oles's "Charms of the Night"*, I felt a strong resonance.
* “How the spark still burns in you
And it had no time to burn out, -
Glow! Life is a single moment
When for death there is a whole eternity.”
TONKA: Musicians are always a mirror of the mood of society and are able to reflect what is relevant today. We think this album is so pertinent, we feel it. Upon finishing the album, we realized the value of this work, applying the poems of the great artists of the Ukrainian Executed Renaissance decade. They inspire us to be culturally richer, stronger, wiser, and more conscious.
RINARO: What is the most important thing for Ukrainians at the moment, what kind of music do you think they want to hear?
TONKA: In recent decades, music was perceived as an entertainment genre, all charts were saturated with danceable, sometimes frivolous songs in Ukraine.
Now for all of us, music is an amazing thing that has the ability to uplift, heal, distract, console, and empathize. Music is an instrument through which a person can cope with his emotions. That's why Ukrainians need this kind of music right now.
RINARO: How do you think the war has affected Ukrainian music, including your band?
TONKA: As a matter of course, we couldn’t be not affected by the war. And there are songs in our compilation that are a pure reflection of these terrible events.
But also, we understand that music can incredibly inspire and support, it can be a great educator for generations. Therefore, we will continue to try to enrich ourselves culturally in order to convey this to our audience. Indeed, we plan to continue creating music in the direction of IDM, we hope that everyone will be able to hear our new material already in the autumn.
Ukrainian music now has a new powerful wave, many new names are appearing. It is noticeable that the lyrics are now only on the war subject, it is something natural. This is the truth, that is widely broadcasted by Ukrainian musicians.
Lately, a lot of songs in Ukraine were composed and performed in russian to get more listeners and broaden the audience. However now a historical event and a cultural rebirth are happening and there is no place for vulgar russian language.
Tonka band - archival photo
RINARO: What is next for you as a band?
TONKA: Right now we believe in the future where we can sing without pain. A future, where we, as representatives of the independent Ukrainian music scene, sound loudly and powerfully for years to come.
Globally, we really want to get to more people, who are passionate about IDM, both in Ukraine and abroad.
RINARO: Thanks for taking the time to talk today. The last question is: what streaming platforms can you be found on?
TONKA: Our music can be found on all streaming platforms such as Apple Music, Spotify, YouTube, and more. On our Instagram, we share our latest releases and announce news about the next concerts.
Interview: Matt Randall - Guitar luthier and technician
This month, Rinaro Isodynamics spoke to Matt Randall, a guitar luthier and technician who has toured with famous bands worldwide such as Queen, Mumford and Sons, Royal Blood, Bloc Party, Ben Howard, and many others.
We talk about Matt's journey into touring as a guitar tech, his inspirations and experiences on his career path, and the exact process of crafting his beautiful guitars.
RINARO: We know that you originally studied musical instruments at university and have focused on making lap steel guitars. Do you have an affinity to guitars and why the lap steel variety?
MR: I grew up playing piano and was drawn to playing guitar at 14, like a lot of kids. It certainly didn’t make me as cool or popular as I’d hoped! I was fascinated by how they worked - that a piece of wood could transform into a musical instrument. Unlike a piano, it felt much more accessible. There were screws to adjust, and parts to swap out.
There was a luthier in Southampton where I grew up called Vince Hockey who let me sit in his workshop and watch the acoustic guitars he was building and repairing. I didn’t really know anything about instrument making until then but it totally opened my eyes. I made my first instrument - a scrap wood ukulele - in the shed around that time. A couple of years later I went to study instrument making at university in London.
My first experience of a lap steel guitar was in my teens; a friend’s dad was a musician and played a lot of slide guitar. We dug out his 60s Fender Studio Deluxe and tried to figure out how to play it. I built my first few lap steels around that time; I was maybe 18 or 19.
The sound of slide guitar has always spoken to me, and the unique limitations of a lap steel continue to fascinate me.
RINARO: How did you get into touring and becoming a guitar technician?
MR: I played in bands for a few years and quickly realized I didn’t want to be the focus of anyone’s attention. A friend’s band was doing well at the time so I offered to look after their gear on tour. I didn’t really know what I was doing but I had some tools and was keen to learn! That was 2007 and I’ve been consistently busy since then. It’s a word-of-mouth industry and reputation counts for a lot; I’ve been very lucky to work for the level of artists I have.
Matt Randall - Model 1 Guitar
“There’s no ‘perfect’ guitar - something which is great in the studio might not work live, or a guitar which suits my playing style won’t necessarily suit someone else. It’s all about context...”
RINARO: Touring with bands such as Queen, Mumford and Sons, Royal Blood and Bloc Party, must be incredibly exciting. What is an average day for you like being on tour?
MR: Once a tour is rolling, there’s a lot of routine and repetition. My day begins at 9 am on showday when my gear comes off the truck. Normally by that point, the stage will have been built and the lighting, video and audio crews will have set up their gear; often the day before.
On some tours that’s half a dozen guitars, though I’ve had as many as twenty which needed re-stringing every show.
The equipment is checked, set up and tested with the audio team. Consistency is the main priority with tours at this level so making sure everything is exactly the same as the previous show is paramount. Both for the comfort of the artist, and the enjoyment of the crowd.
The band will normally soundcheck early afternoon which might involve working on new material or reworking parts of the show. There’s a little downtime after that to get some dinner, then making sure everything is ready for the show. During the show, I’ll be changing guitars, controlling effects and troubleshooting any problems. As soon as the show is over, we pack down and load everything into the trucks ready for the next show. On a good day we’ll get all the backline loaded within an hour of the last note, though not always so lucky.
Then it’s on to the bus to relax and get some sleep before we do it all over again.
RINARO: Previously touring with bands as a guitar technician must have shaped your approach to making instruments now, what did you learn from working with musicians?
MR: Having access to great guitars was the best education. I’ve been lucky enough to look after artists with some amazing instruments. Getting to know what makes an instrument shine; whether it’s the string spacing, the pickup height, neck angle, or the particular combination of every part of the guitar working together.
Over time, understanding what musicians need from their guitars has taught me a lot about the instruments too. There’s no ‘perfect’ guitar - something which is great in the studio might not work live, or a guitar which suits my playing style won’t necessarily suit someone else. It’s all about context: the environment it will be used in, the aesthetics, the playing style, the other instruments in the band…
Trying to identify what kind of guitar will suit a particular musician is a challenge, but immensely rewarding when it works out.
Matt Randall - Model 3 Lap Steel Guitar
RINARO: Can you talk us through your process for making a guitar?
MR: If I’m building a model I’ve made before, I have templates and designs all set up. If it’s a bespoke instrument, there’s a lot of designing, drawing, measuring and planning before I cut any timber.
The next stage is material selection. I’ve collected a decent range of domestic and exotic wood to choose from. Depending on the design and specification, I’ll choose the appropriate timber. Weight, colour, tonality, stability are all considerations and balancing those can be tricky.
After that, it’s a lot more measuring and planning then the body is cut to shape, and hollowed out to reduce the weight and improve the resonance of the instrument. The top and bindings are attached and it begins to resemble and instrument. Once the body is complete, I’ll work on inlays which are either pearl, stone or wood and can easily double the build time. Some instrument makers use CNC to automate some of the processes but I enjoy being in contact with the material from start to finish.
I French polish all of my Model 3 instruments and the quality of the finish relies on the sanding and surface preparation. There’s so much sanding. Probably five to six hours of fine sanding before any finish is applied.
The French polish process is time-consuming but the results are certainly worth it. Finishing will normally take a few weeks on and off. After that electronics are fitted, the bridge is glued and strings go on. I let the guitar settle for a few days before the final setup then I finally get to hear it.
RINARO: How long does the guitar-making process take for you?
MR: It varies depending on the specification, but for my Model 3 lap steel I estimate it’s around 50 hours. There’s a lot of variation and I rarely have the opportunity to work uninterrupted on one project. Touring and parenting are both very time-consuming!
Matt Randall - Model 3 Lap Steel Guitar
RINARO: Do you have any other instruments you would like to create?
MR: So many! I’m constantly inspired, whether it’s by a vintage instrument I’ve tried, or a piece of timber that I want to use in a build, or refining an existing design. There will never be enough time for all of the projects I’m planning but I want to give each one enough time and space to do it properly.
RINARO: What is your favourite album?
MR: Pet Sounds. There’s something new every time I listen. Honourable mention to In Rainbows too, which is completely sublime.
“A friend once told me that a good craftsperson is just one who has made all the mistakes before.”
RINARO: What are you currently listening to?
MR: I’ve been in rehearsals with an artist for three months so I’ve done a lot of listening to them! Often we’re trying to replicate particular sounds made in the studio which is one of the more creative parts of my job and requires a lot of very detailed listening.
Outside of work, I’ve had the new Low album - Hey What - on repeat. I’m a huge Low fan and the last two albums (Hey What and Double Negative) have moved in a great direction. There’s so much distortion and saturation but it’s still so clear and defined. It’s a magic that I don’t want to understand.
I listen to a lot of podcasts too, especially while running. Broken Record with Rick Rubin and Twenty Thousand Hertz are favourites.
RINARO: What traits should someone possess if they want to get into guitar making?
MR: Patience and attention to detail. A friend once told me that a good craftsperson is just one who has made all the mistakes before.
Some of the processes in instrument making are very slow and trying to rush really compromises the quality. Settling into a three-hour French polishing session with a good record or podcast is almost meditative.
Perfectionism is a dangerous trait, and I’ve definitely fallen victim to it a few times. Having said that, some things are either right or wrong. A miter join can’t be ‘good enough’, it can be right or it needs to be done again.
I want to make the best instruments I can possibly make, that will inspire musicians to create the best art they can.
To discover more about Matt Randall head to his website here
Interview: Marian Mentrup - Sound Composer
To start our interview series we speak to Marian Mentrup a sound designer and composer based out of Venice.
Often an overlooked art, when its done well sound design can transcend mere instrumentation to become an integral part of storytelling within film. We talk to Marian about his process, his technical setup and what is important to him when it comes down to sound reproduction.
RINARO: Could you tell me a bit about your background and how you got into Sound Design for the film industry?
MM: I grew up in Berlin and was always interested in creating things myself. As a child I liked building and drawing all kinds of things, and I tried to use the computer for that as well, creating animations, little games, funny videos on a VHS camcorder or whatever interested me. On the other hand I had the chance to learn clarinet and piano when I was young and in that way study classical music. In the early nineties more and more electronic sounds found its way into popular music and that fascinated me. I started experimenting composing and processing sounds with my parent’s computer at the age of 13 when I got a sound card for my birthday. Then I managed to save up for a synthesizer and a Sampler (Akai MPC). After finishing school I studied 2 years at the Technical University in Berlin which inhabits an experimental sound studio. I then decided to apply for a place at the film university Konrad Wolf in Potsdam (close to Berlin) to study sound engineering. Here I started working on bigger projects creating soundtracks or doing the sound design or mix for bigger projects. It was much more project based and I got to know a lot of people with whom I still work.
I was then involved in different kinds of collectives and collaborations in Berlin, then several years in London and later in Venice, where I live now with my family.
Today I partly run a video production in Venice together with my wife and continue working in my studio on sound projects with clients and artists from all over the world. Those might be commercial projects, documentaries, feature films, sometimes multichannel sound installations. And I regularly teach sound design to animation students at the Royal College of Art, which is nice because it gives me a reason to come back to London on a regular basis.
RINARO: Can you explain a bit about your process on a project from start to completion?
MM: There are different approaches. I usually start with sketches and improvisations, very spontaneously. They need to sound like final products, though. I tend to produce and mix my music or sounds immediately. I hardly do rough edits or sketches that still need work afterwards.
Campaign film audio for Stella McCartney & Adidas
“For working long hours… it is good to use open headphones. The high frequencies shouldn’t be too sharp, the mids should be present but not aggressive. The bass is always difficult to judge with headphones. There should be transparency.”
RINARO: What software or hardware do you use in your work?
MM: I am using Pro-Tools for sound design and mixing, Logic for composition. I also like using other programs like Max or Sound Particles, which allows me to render swarms of sounds. Regarding hardware I am using a lot of analog synthesis not only for music but also to intensify recorded sound effects or ambiences when working for movies. I have a few eurorack modules by Cwejman and Macbeth which I like a lot. I use them in nearly every project.
For mixing I am using some custom analog equipment, mostly a unit based on the EMI TG-Limiter (from Abbey Road Studios) for bus compression and limiting and several equalizers. I got in touch with Michael de Albuquerque from S.V.A. Audio in Oxfordshire. He built those for me in his workshop and I am very incredibly happy with them. He let me add features, we discussed the components and I also helped to design the faceplates and the overall look. I don’t think I could get a sound like that with plug-ins it was a real eye(or ear) - opener. I can be very aggressive with compression and overdrive the transformers of those units and it is hard to make them sound bad or wrong. I am also working on a sort of console project with Michael.
RINARO: What sound signature and qualities would you look for in headphones / IEMs when composing?
MM: I think for working long hours with headphones it is good to use open headphones. The high frequencies shouldn’t be too sharp, the mids should be present but not aggressive. The bass is always difficult to judge with headphones. There should be transparency.
RINARO: What has been your proudest project so far?
MM: Hard to say! I am very proud of my music for a norwegian documentary TV series called “Petter Utteligger”. It deals with the life of homeless people and drug addiction in Oslo. It became a hit in Norway and actually had an impact on a lot of peoples’ lifes. The music is very unusual, minimalistic and quite sad. Not at all the music you expect in a TV-series.
But all the films that you can find on my website are films I am proud of.
RINARO: Is there one that has been your most challenging?
MM: Not one particular project. Commercials can be challenging, especially when they go on TV. You need to find something that works for the creatives and the agency but also that represents the client - and works for a broad audience. Often in the edit another track has been used and people got used to it. So sometimes the early sketches need to compete with big productions. Very “artistic” or experimental films with passionate directors can be very challenging too. In terms of planning and on a psychological level.
Marian in his studio photographed by 'The Estate Office'
RINARO: What music are you currently listening to?
MM: I am a bit less curious to learn about new music than I was in the nineties when I was a teenager. I think the first two albums by the Chemical Brothers influenced me a lot, and a lot of other music from the UK. I also love Beethoven, I come back to listen to Beethoven again and again. I think good music always has some mystery, something that you can’t describe easily. Maybe some elements that are in conflict, some friction, some rules that are being broken.
RINARO: Who has been an inspiration to you in Sound Design or Composing Industry?
MM: I think Walter Murch is still an inspiration for a lot of sound designers. The way he used sound to draw you into the story and to manipulate the audience is incredible. And David Lynch for his individual approach to sound. Without sound design his films are completely useless. We had a professor in film school, Martin Steyer, who had worked on a lot of german and international feature films as a re-recording mixer. He has a great attitude and experience and it was good to get to know people like him and see how they work and also talk about projects not only the technological side, but the artistic and creative process.
“Be very critical with your own work and compare it with others… Why does this piece of music evoke certain feelings, why this one not? Why does it make me tap my feet to the beat.”
RINARO: Could you advise on how to start a career in sound design?
MM: For me it helped a lot to work on many different projects, like I did in film school. And to observe other students, listen to their work, presenting your projects in front of others. But I guess every career is different and depends on so many different things. One piece of advice I could give is to be very critical with your own work and compare it with others. If you put your work next to a recording or track that you like and start comparing its components in detail you learn a lot. Why do the drums sound better than in my track? Is it the snare, the hihats, the bass drum, the room, the distortion. Why does this piece of music evoke certain feelings, why this one not? Why does it make me tap my feet to the beat.
RINARO: What personality traits or communication skills are essential for sound designers?
MM: There are different kind of jobs or projects. Some require good team work, patience, high concentration (for example if you work in a team of sound designers for a feature film). If you are working directly with directors you need to find a good way to talk to them about their art, it can become very sensible and it is easy to say something that might hurt them. On the other hand you need to assure them that you know what your’re doing and understand when they are uncertain and need to be guided. Other projects require a lot individualism, creativity and fearlessness.
To discover more about Marian Mentrup head to his website here
We stand with Ukraine
As some of you may know Rinaro Isodynamics is a Ukrainian company that proudly manufactures our technology out of our research facility in Lviv. Like everyone else in our country we have been deeply affected by the war. As with many other companies and individuals in our country we are continuing to work and find some normality in an unbelievable situation, our passion for what we do is a lifeline for many of us.
For those who have been kind to ask how you can help, please continue to spread the word of what is happening in our country and keep this conversation alive. For those that wish to donate their are lots of great ways to do this which we have listed below.
Finally we want to say how proud we are of the people of Ukraine who have shown such bravery in the face of adversity. We stand with you all.
For those that want to help
MZ4 Liric Isodynamic Hybrid Array Driver
The Meze Liric is the first closed back headphone in the world to be powered by Rinaro’s Isodynamic Hybrid Array driver technology. Created exclusively for Meze Audio the MZ4 driver offers the same dual shaped voice coil array seen in the flagship Meze Empyrean headphone in a scaled down size. Over 30 years of research and development have gone into the Isodynamic Hybrid Array technology resulting in one of the lightest and most advanced planar magnetic drivers on the market.
The MZ4 combines individual switchback and spiral shaped voice coils in the one driver, their unique shapes allow sound to be targeted with more accuracy around the natural form of the ear. This combination has allowed for an increased exposure of direct sound wave frequencies over the 10kHz range and improved imaging and localisation by decreasing the impact of short wave time delays caused by diffused field reflections.
A new innovation to the MZ4 driver developed in-house by Rinaro Isodynamics is the Phase-X™ system which improves ambience and spatial sound imaging often found to be a problem in closed back headphone designs.
An Isodynamic Hybrid Array Driver in a portable size
The scaled down Isodynamic Hybrid Array Driver in the Meze Liric headphone delivers the same audio quality as its larger counterpart found in the flagship Meze Empyrean headphone. Two independently shaped voice coils are combined within the same diaphragm delivering more selective acoustic performance to the various areas within the structure of the ear.
Dual drive efficiency at higher frequencies
At frequencies above 10kHz, where sound wave length is smaller than the cushions inner cavity, the sound field becomes diffused with an amount of the direct and reflected sound waves within the ear canal.
A significant increase of direct sound waves can be achieved by positioning the most efficient part of the diaphragm in mid-high frequencies directly over the ear canal resulting in improved 3D imaging and spatial localisation.
Revolutionary Phase-X™ technology delivers immersive spatial sound imaging
An innovation to the MZ4 driver is the Phase-X™ system created by Rinaro as a way to minimise phase distortion issues, typically found in closed-back headphone designs. This patent-pending technology helps deliver immersive spatial sound imaging.
The Phase-X™ system improves the accuracy of spatial imaging, in line with its open back counterparts, especially noticeable on binaural recordings.
ORIGINAL SOURCE RECORDING
Absolute linear phasing offers the listener the original spatial image as it was recorded. This includes information from the instrumentation as well as the recording environment itself.
NON LINEAR PHASING
Phase distortions, typically found in the conventional closed-back headphone designs, noticeably affect the reproduction of the spatial image of the original recording.
Phase-X™ SYSTEM
With the addition of the Phase-X™, LIRIC achieves a correct phase response and a faster transient response decay. This allows for a more faithful reproduction of transient sounds and improves ambience and spatial imaging for the listener, taking them closer to the environment of the original source recording.
Rinaro MZ3SE Isodynamic Hybrid Array® Driver for Meze Audio Elite headphone
Meze Audio and Rinaro Isodynamics continue their collaboration for the release of the new Elite Isodynamic Hybrid Array headphone. The combination of signature technology and acoustic engineering by Rinaro with outstanding mechanical design and ergonomics from Meze. The result sets a new benchmark in ‘top of the line’ headphone performance and builds on the success of the revered Empyrean headphone released in 2018.
The new Rinaro MZ3SE driver is the result of 3 years of research and development into material sciences to build a new flagship sound for Meze Audio in the Elite headphone.
The MZ3SE driver features Rinaro Parus® a completely re-engineered diaphragm which been created after extensive research and development into material sciences. Paired with this is Rinaro’s signature Isodynamic Hybrid Array Driver technology which allows sound waves to be targeted with more accuracy around the natural form of the ear.
The performance increase of the MZ3SE has resulted in improved definition, speed and accuracy over the entire reproduced frequency range. This has been achieved whilst maintaining the same engaging character of the sound signature found in the original Rinaro MZ3 driver from the award-winning Meze Empyrean headphone.
Introducing Rinaro Parus® a low mass diaphragm material that sets a new benchmark in acoustic performance
Rinaro Parus® is an innovative low mass acoustic diaphragm built on an ultra thin biaxially oriented semi-crystalline polymer film. The custom polymer is produced with bespoke sequential biaxial lengthening technology, a process that involves stretching the polymer in transverse directions at elevated temperatures to improve structural performance.
This result is a complex semi-crystalline micro structure developing in the material, which exhibits remarkable strength, stiffness, and stability combined with an extremely low acoustic mass. This allows the Rinaro Parus® diaphragm to set a new benchmark in ‘top of the line’ headphone performance.
Audible benefits of a dual driven system
One of the problems with conventional planar magnetic arrays is coming from reflected signals entering the ear canal with different time delays, thereby worsening the focus of 3D sound imaging.
Combining different voice coil configurations makes it possible to create a better sound intensity distribution across the sound wave front at high frequencies when directed at the auricle and ear canal.
Dual drive efficiency at higher frequencies
At frequencies above 10kHz, where sound wave length is smaller than the cushions inner cavity, the sound field becomes diffused with an amount of the direct and reflected sound waves within the ear canal.
A significant increase of direct sound waves can be achieved by positioning the most efficient part of the diaphragm in mid-high frequencies directly over the ear canal resulting in improved 3D imaging and spatial localisation.
Isomagnetic® ear cushion coupling technology for Meze Audio Empyrean and Elite headphones
An innovative design feature developed by Rinaro is the Isomagnetic ear cup attachment which utilises the demagnetizing field generated by the driver to hold the ear cup in place whilst also redirecting the magnetic field back into the driver and improving driver efficiency.
Isomagnetic stray field reduction and benefits
Patented ferromagnetic plates channel the demagnetizing field back into the driver increasing efficiency by 1db or 12% and deflect 95% of stray fields away from the head.
Rinaro MZ3 Isodynamic Hybrid Array® Driver for Meze Audio Empyrean headphone
Rinaro have collaborated with Meze to create a new standard in planar magnetic audio with the MZ3 Isodynamic Hybrid Array Driver for their Empyrean headphone.
The MZ3 is an Isodynamic Hybrid Array Driver that has been created exclusively for Meze audio. Over 30 years of research and development in the field of Isodynamics have led to the creation of the first dual shaped voice coil array to be seen in the field of planar magnetic headphones. The resulting technology is one of the lightest and most advanced planar magnetic drivers on the market.
The MZ3 combines individual switchback and spiral shaped voice coils in the one driver, their unique shapes allow sound to be targeted with more accuracy around the natural form of the ear. This combination has allowed for an increased exposure of direct sound wave frequencies over the 10kHz range and improved imaging and localisation by decreasing the impact of short wave time delays caused by diffused field reflections.
Higher efficiency through weight reduction has been key to enabling longer listening sessions without increased discomfort. This has been achieved by maximizing active driver surface area while keeping the weight down to just 67g per driver. The result is an ultra efficient driver that punches above its weight, putting user-comfort at the same level of priority as audio performance.
Constructing a Isodynamic Hybrid Array Driver
The first of its kind the Empyrean Isodynamic Hybrid Array Driver combines two independently shaped voice coils within the same diaphragm delivering more selective acoustic performance to the various areas within the structure of the ear.
ISOPLANAR® Diaphragm MATERIAL
The diaphragm is manufactured from a custom developed isotropic thermally stabilized polymer with a conductive layer. Through unique processing methods an ultralight yet rigid diaphragm has been achieved.
An ergonomic approach leads to a new way of thinking about driver construction
To create an audiophile headphone that is powerful yet light the driver needed to maximise power output while reducing weight as much as possible. Weight was minimised by optimising a magnet structure around an ovoid shape that fits the ear more closely, reducing unnecessary inactive surface area (and weight). Power output was increased through the use of a completely bespoke coil and magnet array design that optimised the active usable area of the driver within it’s ovoid shape.
Audible benefits of a dual driven system
One of the problems with conventional planar magnetic arrays is coming from reflected signals entering the ear canal with different time a, thereby worsening the focus of 3D sound imaging.
Combining different voice coil configurations makes it possible to create a better sound intensity distribution across the sound wave front at high frequencies when directed at the auricle and ear canal.
Managing short sound waves
At frequencies above 10kHz, where sound wave length is smaller than the cushions inner cavity, the sound field becomes diffused with an amount of the direct and reflected sound waves within the ear canal.
A significant increase of direct sound waves can be achieved by positioning the most efficient part of the diaphragm in mid-high frequencies directly over the ear canal.
