After decades of musical exploration, we caught up with Serialism affiliate Rhom Omit. A German artist and producer who recently came on our radar with a fantastic release on Analog Solutions, and sets his sights on another strong year in 2024. We talk about Love Parade, growing up in Germany, Asia and much much more… dig in!
feeder.ro: Thanks for chatting to us today. How was 2023 for you? How was the Asia tour you recently went on?
Rhom Omit: Thank you for having me! For me personally, 2023 was quite an exciting year. I’ve released a couple of remixes and tracks, including an EP on Analog Solutions. Additionally, I’ve started collaborating with the collective ‘All The Time’ at ‘Die Maschinerie’ in my hometown on several occasions. This opportunity is particularly special to me since I’ve been following these guys for a long time and used to attend their events frequently when I lived in Dortmund. And of course my debut at Renate last summer was very special for me.
Regarding the tour, after leaving Beijing in 2020, where I lived for 5 years, I was very excited to be back in China to see my friends in Beijing, Nanjing and Chongqing and to explore new venues I haven’t been to before, like Dada in Kunming and In Between in Guangzhou. And of course, Vietnam is always a great place to visit.
f: Where did your journey begin with music? Any particular inspirations which triggered your path?
Rhom Omit: I started listening to electronic music as a kid in the 90s when it became popular in Germany. Since nobody in my family or friends was into dance music, I discovered it through radio and TV shows, as well as by buying CDs. Initially, I listened to almost everything, starting from the Prodigy to even Thunderdome, before I followed trance music for a while.
Things took a more serious turn when a very close friend from school and I began playing trance sets at parties, collecting records and going to clubs in Cologne, Amsterdam and Berlin.
One moment stands out when we were at the Loveparade weekend in Berlin. We went to a party called ‘Kids on acid’ at Watergate. Back then, we had no idea about the club and neither of this event but one local friend convinced us to go.
The night was unforgettable. Ricardo Villalobos b2b Richie Hawtin. It was a combination of a DJ and Ableton Live set when the whole thing with Ableton started. I was just overwhelmed. Overwhelmed by the level of technical expertise and possibilities and then for me, an unknown sound. It took some time to digest the experience, but that night became a defining moment, influencing my musical tastes in the years that followed and continues to influence me even today.
f: How would you say growing up in Germany affected your sound?
Rhom Omit: Difficult to answer. Growing up near Dortmund exposed me to various genres and communities due central location of Nordrhein Westphalia and close to the Netherlands.
Back in my Trance days, we frequently headed to the Netherlands before we discovered clubs nearby like the zuHouse club in Dortmund or the Tribehouse in Neuss where House or Tech House music was usually on the lineup. After some years I followed a more minimal and techy direction and got hooked on James Holden, Nathan Fake and Trentemøller. Cologne then became a regular spot for me. So, how did growing up in Germany affect my sound? It’s a blend of all these experiences and different styles.
f: From our understanding, you are also involved with the Serialism label, how are things in that department?
Yes, that’s correct. I joined Serialism last year and have been supporting the label since. Shifting from my perspective as a music consumer to a music supplier has been quite interesting. It provided me with a better understanding of the industry and how a record label typically operates. And working alongside Cesare and Luca has been great. They are the perfect sparring partners for my development as an artist since both have extensive experience in the industry and I’m grateful for the feedback and advice they provide.
f: What have you recently been working on in the studio? Look forward to hearing some more music from yourself
Rhom Omit: For a while, I’ve been working on my first EP for Serialism, which will be released in Q1 2024. Additionally, I’m collaborating with my close friend from Beijing, ‘Nigls‘ on several projects. We released on Moursecode Records last November.
f: You clearly like to move between genres and vibes with your sound, how important is that for you as an artist? We think it is healthy for musicians to try out different sounds.
Rhom Omit: I prefer not to limit myself to specific genres.
I enjoy experimenting within the styles I like, letting my production be influenced by my emotions. My creative process is usually affected by the environment around me, my state of mind, and the music I’m currently exploring. This applies to my DJ sets as well.
f: What are your goals musically in 2024? Any bucket list material you can share with us?
Rhom Omit: My primary focus in 2024 is to enhance my craft.
There are specific areas in my production workflow where I still don’t feel 100% comfortable, and I’m eager to improve myself in this regards. Additionally, I have some interesting collaborations in the pipeline with other artists, but I won’t spill the details here. On the DJing front, after a long break, I’ve returned buying and playing records, and I’m looking forward about the opportunities to showcase vinyl sets.
f: Can you leave us with one track that you would play in the after party?
Rhom Omit: Moire feat. Demigosh – Doors
Discover Rhom Omit:
https://linktr.ee/rhomomit
https://www.facebook.com/rhomDJomit
https://www.instagram.com/ rhomomit
https://soundcloud.com/rhom-omit
https://ra.co/dj/rhomomit