Set up in 2020 to focus on ‘producing and distributing music we personally love to hear and dance to’, according to label founders Davide Ruberto and Joe Armstrong, Acousticdope Records distills a wide range of inspirations into modern house music. Recruiting Rockin Moroccin for their first drop of 2022, the London-based DJ/producer delivers two dreamlike house tracks for the label.
Leading the release, ‘Oud in C Minor’ opens with thumping drums and delicate percussion before evolving pads, and emotive stabs wind up for a climactic second half. ‘Marais Memories’ follows with gentle synths, rolling drum patterns, and subtle FX, with a gently unfurling accordion and piano sequence erupting midway through the track for a dramatic close to a standout two-tracker.
EG caught up with Rockin Moroccin to learn more about the drop of ‘Oud in C Minor’, his recent birthday, inspirations, future endeavors, and more.
EG: Hello Nabil! Welcome to EG. It’s a pleasure to have you here with us today. Where are you based right now? How have you been?
Rockin Moroccin: Thank you for having me. I’m doing good thanks for asking, I’m lucky enough to be in sunny Ibiza where I’m based for the summer. For the rest of the year, I live in not-so-sunny London.
EG: First of all, congratulation on the release of your ‘Oud in C minor’ EP! What has the reception been like so far?
Rockin Moroccin: Honestly, it has been better than expected. I’ve had great feedback from a wide spectrum of people. I’m always unsure how people are gonna react to my music so it was a big relief.
EG: What can you tell us about this new drop? What’s the inspiration behind this one?
Rockin Moroccin: Firstly, with ‘Oud’, it was about the traditional music that I love and grew up hearing being played at home, which was basically Moroccan traditional folklore music. And so with ‘Marais Memories’, I was a bit stuck in the studio for inspiration. A few weeks later, I was playing out in Paris and while walking through my favorite area called La Marais, I saw a busker playing the accordion and that was all the inspiration I needed. Also, the accordion was an interesting instrument to make a track with, as you don’t hear it so much in our genre of music.
EG: Do you tell stories through your tracks? Or do you view them more like sonic explorations?
Rockin Moroccin: Oh definitely stories!
“With ‘Oud’, it was about the traditional music that I love and grew up hearing being played at home, which was basically Moroccan traditional folklore music”
EG: What does your workflow in the studio look like at the moment? Do tend to start with a particular instrument?
Rockin Moroccin: It’s all over the place, haha! I start off with an idea or humming a tune or something catchy onto my voice recorder on my phone before I forget it. That’s how I usually start. The instruments will come after. A lot of the time I will just hit a brick wall and get stuck or bored and frustrated with a certain project. So I shelve it and start on something new and return to it later. I have a lot of those that I still need to return to, haha.
EG: Summer is just around the corner…any plans for the season?
Rockin Moroccin: So, yes, this summer is looking very busy thankfully. After a few summers of doing nothing, it’s a welcome change. Also, I’m very looking forward to playing out in Burning Man again this August. Can’t wait!
EG: So, you’ve just celebrated your birthday, right? Did you get yourself anything? What are your favorite kind of presents?
Rockin Moroccin: Well, actually, it was the best kind of present I could get. So, I made an edit over Christmas last year as a bit of a laugh and then sent it to a few DJ friends, who all loved it. One of them loved it so much that she sent it to one of my favorite record labels and they reached out to me wanting to release it. And so on the morning of my birthday, I got the contract from them for the release 🎁
EG: These past few years gave us a chance to slow down and reassess. What would you like to see more and less of in our scene?
Rockin Moroccin: This is a good question actually. What I have started to really like more is both attending and playing at smaller, more intimate events and parties. Where the crowd and your friends are all around u and closer. I feel a better vibe and connection to the crowd at these types of events.
“I start off with an idea or humming a tune or something catchy onto my voice recorder on my phone before I forget it. That’s how I usually start”
EG: What else can we expect from Rockin Moroccin in the next few months? What new milestones are you looking forward to?
Rockin Moroccin: I have a few more releases in the pipeline coming after the summer as well as the edit I mentioned earlier also.
EG: Thank you for your time! We wish you all the best!
Rockin Moroccin: Thank you guys! It was a pleasure.
Rockin Moroccin’s ‘Oud In C Minor’ is out now via Acousticdope Records. Purchase your copy here.
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