Today we’d like to introduce you to Rudy Malinao.
Hi Rudy, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today.
As a kid, I was exposed to 70’s disco, soul, funk, and hip hop through my mom and my older sisters at home. As a teen, I listened to 80s alternative rock alongside Hip-Hop. Like a lot of DJs, I initially learned how to scratch records, and because I had turntables and a mixer, I was asked to DJ a friend’s house party. From there, I was booked as a mobile DJ playing high school dances, house parties, wedding receptions, etc. As an avid vinyl collector, I was exposed to early house & techno, which led me to opportunities to DJ in clubs and raves in So Cal and abroad. Since then, I’ve been an active DJ traveling the country, producing and remixing on various labels, and then hosting my own events, including Techniche, which is a collective of artists signed to our independent record label where we host a bi-a radio show, a monthly event and more.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Not at all, and I wouldn’t want it any other way. You can’t learn and grow by things being easy or given to you. I think a lot of the challenges I’ve faced as a DJ/Producer have forged me into being a stronger person mentally and emotionally. I can be a bit of an introvert, and music (deejaying, producing) is my art, and as an “artist,” it’s a challenge to navigate your way into the “music industry” to represent yourself and my art, to network and collaborate with other artists and most importantly, learn how to get back up when you get “knocked down,” which happens constantly lol. All of these challenges and struggles test your faith and how dedicated you are to succeed in being an artist. They’ve helped me personally in the past, and with running an independent record label and “label boss,” there’s a new set of challenges/struggles that test me daily. But it doesn’t just benefit me, it helps the artists on the label if/when I can be some guidance to them.
Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
Technique Recordings is an extension of Techniche SD, which started out as a monthly nightclub event and eventually a bi-weekly radio show. I am the “label boss,” which means I oversee the day-to-day operations of running the label: signing artists, scheduling releases, marketing, distribution, and even graphic design.
I believe that quality and consistency sets us apart. We’re one of the few Techno record labels based in San Diego, with a majority of our artists also based here and in Los Angeles; we’re in the unique position to represent that globally among labels based elsewhere.
I’d like be known and recognized, both locally and globally, as an independent record label that represents and supports our artists/DJs as contenders amongst the best in the world. I truly believe our artists are extremely talented in their own right and hope that Techniche Recordings can enable them to be the best versions of themselves and help them achieve their goals while being recognized as more than just “local.”
What are your plans for the future?
Along with upcoming releases, we recently re-launched our website and a new monthly event every 1st Thursday at EQ (formerly The Merrow). We also signed new artists to the label, which expanded our roster and sound, and we’re looking forward to collaborating with promoters to co-host branded events.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.technichesd.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/techniche_recordings/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Techniche.Recordings
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/TechnicheRecs
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/TechnicheSD
- SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/technicherecordings
- Other: https://linktr.ee/TECHNICHERECORDINGS
Image Credits
Dida Padilla
Diva Hammad
