Spending time living in both the States and Panama, Rell the Soundbender , aka Eduardo Morrell, has quite a sonic background from which to draw. His start in the music industry as a hip-hop producer for the likes of Lloyd Banks and Jim Jones ended oddly enough following a trip with his sister to see Skrillex . Rell was awestricken that an entire room could go off so hard to non-mainstream tunes produced by the performer. And with that, he left behind a world he felt was creatively stifling and began crafting a unique bass-forward sound he describes as “a battle where lasers and drums fight to the death.”
You could hear it in his latest track, “Ramp Up” with B L A N K, a genre-blending swirl of style, swag and bass reckoning. The track is featured on the newly released Insomniac Records Presents: EDC Las Vegas 2016 compilation, and Rell brings it to life at EDC Las Vegas this weekend, where he’ll preach the funk to the masses at upside-downHOUSE Friday, June 17, during a day’s worth of forward-pushing music curated by the Insomniac Records crew.
While his Panamanian background had him planting his feet first in moombahton , Rell doesn’t allow genres to define his sound. His exclusive mix is full of the eclectic styles you can expect from him at this year’s EDC. Trap and moombah feature heavily, but he isn’t afraid of dropping some house, big room or breakbeat, either.
We caught up with the budding producer to chat about his hearing loss and about how he remains positive in life all the time.
When you made the switch to electronic music, you said you did so to attain more creative freedom. Do you think producers will have their creative freedom stifled as the majors continue to commodify electronic music?
Only if we allow it to happen. I think it’s important for producers to remember why we started making music in the first place and hold on to that. As for me, if I don’t enjoy doing something, I won’t do it at all. That freedom is something I value and makes this all worth it.
You’ve been deaf in your right ear since the age of 8. How did that happen? How have you adjusted to make it work when you DJ?
I had a bad ear infection hit me one night, and by the time I got to the hospital, the infection had already eaten away at the nerves in my ear, which was the horrible pain I was feeling that night. That ear was already weakened from a friend’s little sister stabbing me in the ear with one of those little green army men—busted my eardrum and all that. So that infection had a field day.
When I DJ, it does sometimes become a handicap, so I have to rely on vibrations in my legs when I mix. It can be tricky sometimes, depending on the size of the venue, but I’ve adapted a formula to help me. I also always request a monitor to be placed on my left side only; two monitors sometimes throws me off.
Soundcheck is the absolute most important thing for me, because I have to go in there and see what I’m working with to make my adjustments for that set. I can’t just hop on there without soundcheck like most [DJs]. I’ve done that a few times, and it’s nerve-racking.
If there’s one thing that radiates from your social media presence, it’s positivity. How do you manage to stay so positive all the time?
I’ve gone through a bit to understand that you can’t take anything for granted. I try to show love and gratitude whenever I can, not just when things happen. I believe in karma and energy; that’s my “religion.” You get back what you put out into the world, and in a world full of distraction, I’m just playing my part putting out good vibes. We all have demons, we all have dark days; I choose to embrace that and control it, not allow it to affect me. It’s tough; I still go through it, but in the end, you have to appreciate what is around you and the chance you are given being alive on this earth.
In 2014 while in Panama, I was diagnosed with cancer. The doctor pretty much told me I had 48 hours to decide if I wanted to come back to the US or stay in Panama to do my treatments, because I was fighting time. I chose to cancel all my upcoming shows and stayed. February 2014 was the darkest time of my entire life, but I think that’s when I was “reborn.” I decided to take it as a lesson and rebuild. I’m so thankful for my family, friends, and management team who took care of me during that whole episode. That has a lot to do with how I present myself—not only online, but more importantly, in real life. I try to surround myself with genuine, good-spirited people.
You spent the majority of your youth in Panama. How did living there inspire you musically?
Growing up, I went to school here in the US, then would go to Panama for the summers. I did that all the way up until middle school, when my grades started to drop and I had to go to summer school [laughs]. Panama is full of music and culture; I love it. Just being there brings out a different creative side of me. The nightlife alone is so influential because of the variety of music being played. That, mixed with the culture and environment, creates an atmosphere I can’t really put into words—you just have to experience it for yourself.
How do your parents look at what you do? Are they also musically inclined?
My family supports me 100 percent. Of course, when I first started, there was some doubt. But as time went on and they saw how serious I was, they all supported me. My taste in music today is actually greatly influenced by my parents. Growing up, I listened to everything because of them: salsa, rock, merengue, reggae, pop. You name it, and my parents had it playing in the house. Those who know me personally can cosign with the variety of stuff I listen to.
Catch Rell the Soundbender at EDC Las Vegas 2016 Friday, June 17, at upside-downHOUSE, hosted by Insomniac Records . A limited number of VIP tickets and shuttle passes are available now . For more information, visit the official website .
Alexander Dias snacks on synths at lunch. Follow him on Twitter .
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