Redefining the word "remix", Mariaelena "RiRi" Garcia is a renaissance woman indeed. A vocalist, lyricist, drummer, producer and DJ, Ms. Garcia’s multi-talents have taken her to many stages. Working as a professional DJ since 1997, she has played for thousands at such places as the legendary Nectarine Ballroom (now called The Necto) in Ann Arbor, Michigan and the 2006 San Francisco Pride Festival. She also holds several residencies in SF Bay area nightclubs. Truly mastering the technique of "Reading the Crowd", earning the moniker, "Rimarkable", her style can range from everything to Northern Soul, New Wave, Deep House, Grime and even Polka! "If it’s got a beat, I WILL make you dance", she says.
As a certified "Beat Junkie", Ms. Garcia, a self-taught-drummer, mentored by some of the industries finest, is the current "drummer-on hiatus" in the Detroit-based, underground Punk Rock band, "Retard Floor-Hockey". With a background in funk and rock drumming styles, she is presently in the classroom, studying jazz technique.
With the return of the industry’s demand for multi-faceted artists, Ms. Garcia also takes on the roll of producer for her own work as well as for others. She is presently working with the likes of hip-hop artists, Invincible (EMERgence/PPP) on a remix project, Aima (Mamaz), as well as produced original music for comedienne Micia Mosely’s one-woman production, “Where My Girls At?”, and for the one-man stage production, “Children of the Last Days”, a work in progress by the multi-dimensional artist, Thandiwe Thomas.
Although, this daughter of a classical trained pianist’s very first exposure to music was classical, she has developed appreciation for all genres of music, but specific love for the sultriness of soul, the fire in funk and the freedom of house music, all being derivatives of gospel music. As a true child of the "chuuch", this is apparent in her vocals. The former lead singer of the funk sensational, Detroit-based, Soul Power Experience Unlimited Band, brought all genre’s together for her 2007 self produced project, "This Too Shall Pass" on her label, shared with the soul artist Soul Nubian, Brwn and Beig. Ri Ri has lent her vocals to the inaugural release of Gregory Del Piero’s “I Love You More” on Del/Raisani Records, "In the Churches", which became a 1 hit in Russia and an underground house classic. She has an upcoming Westside Kings project and has had dozens of released house music projects where she is non-credited as vocalist.
Ri Ri Garcia’s stunning debut recording, “This Too Shall Pass” proved to be a classic. It featured the underground smash hit single, "Get In" and melds hip-hop, soul, house, gospel and jazz. Modeling true artistry, her upcoming Late Fall 2008 release, “Ask and Ye Shall Receive”, features 15-plus tracks of a melting pot of Electro Soul, House, Disco and Funk.
Keep watching for this, take-no-prisoners female artist, makig her mark. "I sing because I’m free. I select the tracks to satisfy your feet and your soul. I drum because I have to. I speak words in rhythm because it is the right thing to do. You listen because it sounds nice. I was recently searching for my heart. I realized it hadn’t left. Everything was found in you, my reflection. Music brought us together...Let’s dance."
They say "If it ain't broke, don't fix it!!" So.... WE'RE BRINGING IT BACK!! TO HOW WE DID IN THE BEGINNING DAYS OF LADIES TOUCH!!!... A NEW HOME FEATURING 2 ROOMS OF ROTATING SHE-JAYS 1ST WEDNESDAYS BEGINNING OCTOBER 15TH @ Jimmy's Lounge 6202 Santa Monica Blvd (El Centro) 21 & OVER/ FREE B4 10:30PM W/RSVP $7 AFTER VALET OR STREET PARKING AVAILABLE
Oh how I wish u could be one of the DJ's for my show in August...Featuring all women DJ's spinning house to promote their visibility in the house music scene....a dream deferred...Sigh....
Just hitting you up in case you or your dj friends missed getting a copy of the vinyl-only release of Scott K. vs. The O'Jays "I Love Music" on BOXMUSIC.
I'm doing a very limited re-run of them. If you live in a major city you may be able to find a couple of copies in your local record store. Or you can google Scott K BOXMUSIC and probably come up with a store or two that may have some left. If you're in the UK or Europe Vinyl Junkies is a good place to check. If you're in the US, check out OPUSRECORDS.COM - they will definitely be getting a good amount.
Don't sleep....this record packs ALL floors....for real. It's been worked in house clubs all over the world by most of house music's biggest dj's (Timmy regisford, Frankie Knuckles, Miguel Migs, and Roy Davis Jr., just to name a few), and even in hip-hop clubs by legends like Jazzy Jeff and Afrika Bambaataa. Trust, it works.
SCOTT K. vs. THE O'JAYS
"I LOVE MUSIC"
Scott K.'s "True To The Old School" Classic Mix b/w The S2 (Slick Dada & Scott K.) Big-Room Dub
JULIUS PAPP: "Got Your O'Jays track...it's slammin'!...played it and people love it!...you know I mentioned that I have an edit of it myself, but your mix takes it to the next level with you incorporating E-Man...big thanks for the hookup!"
MARQUES WYATT: "You should've seen the heads twisting to this in Detroit! The O'Jays might as well have been on stage." "I Love Music is flooring them in Canada." "I'm in London. Timmy Regisford is rocking your O'Jays remix right now."
ROY DAVIS JR.: "Meet me tonight. I need another copy of the O'Jays record. People keep jacking it. The track is killin' em. We gotta find a way to get this on my mix CD for Large."
MIGUEL MIGS: "Nice Work! I like it alot and I've been playing it out."
DOC MARTIN: "I love it. Send me a second copy so I can mix between the two mixes."
STACY KIDD: "Just had to send you some love on those CD's you sent me, that shit is nice!!!! That I Love Music was really hot." STACY KIDD to HALO @ WMC: "Have you heard this yet? It's crazy, you gotta play this shit now. Take my copy." [Halo dropped it on the spot and the 1000+ dancers went crazy]
GENE FARRIS (@WMC): I played it three times today. And they're loving it in Europe so you know that shit is hot."
NEIL ALINE (CEO CHEZ REC.): "Hey man, been playing the hell out of your edit/mix of the O'Jays! And they're going crazy over it in Japan. Cheers!"
URB MAGAZINE: "This platter's cocky lead-in [referring to Chris Rock interlude] is just the opener to a spread of tasty treats, all with drums so warm and live it's easy to forget you're listening to something electronic." (pull quote sent by mag - look for full review in May or June issue of URB)
WMC 2006 Miami, FL: We heard the track dropped at some of WMC's biggest House events, including events thrown by Large Records, OM Records, Timmy Regisford, and Ben Watt...we caught it being played by Roy Davis Jr., Julius Papp, Neil Aline, Lego, Halo, Gene Farris, Stacy Kidd, Lady D., DJ Heather, Andy Caldwell, Jask, Donald Glaude, Marques Wyatt, and a few others. One of the conference highlights was watching the lights come up at the OM Records party featuring Marques Wyatt, Kaskade, and Mark Farina, and seeing 2000+ dancers (with all the lights on) finsishing off the night to "I Love Music"....and really loving it....i'm so glad we had a video camera to capture it. We can only speculate how many other DJ's dropped it at the hundreds of other WMC parties we didn't have time to attend.
_____
Thanks for the support - and watch out for BOXMUSIC 002 due in February 07 - all i can say is it's a heater. Also due out in February is the Scott K. vs. Eman EP on Liberate Records....3 tracks of all original music featuring new lyrics by vocal house legend Eman and additional production by Adam Mark Anthony, Cole Medina, and Slick Dada.
