Riordan

Establishing a unique and consistent sound is a monumental challenge. Countless producers struggle to define their musical identity, often navigating through moments of doubt and experimentation. For Riordan, however, his journey toward a distinctive sound wasn’t born out of intense pressure, but rather from letting go of perfection and embracing a more organic approach to music-making. In an exclusive interview, Riordan shares insights into his evolution as a producer, the power of social media in building a fanbase, and his ambitious plans for the future.

Developing a sound that feels authentic can often be an elusive goal for many artists. For Riordan, his musical identity didn’t emerge overnight, nor was it the result of rigid planning. He reflects on the early stages of his career, saying,

“In the early days when I first started making music, I used to spend hours and hours thinking about what my sound should be and how I am going to try really hard to make something super unique. But the truth is, my sound came naturally when I stopped worrying about it.”

He emphasizes that his breakthrough came when he let go of the pressure to define his music in a specific genre. Instead of focusing on fitting into a tiny sub-genre, Riordan followed his own instincts, crafting tracks he truly enjoyed. As he puts it,

“I stopped caring about what small, hyper-specific sub-genre I wanted to be at the forefront of, and actually just started making music that I personally enjoyed.”

The advice that had the most impact on his musical direction was simple but effective. He shares, “The best advice I ever received when it comes to finding your sound was this; blend your favourite genres together. It’s a super simplified answer to a very complex question, but it’s true. Ask yourself, what music do you really love? What did you grow up listening to?”

For Riordan, his diverse tastes—shaped by his upbringing in the UK—became the perfect foundation for blending genres. His parents’ love for UK Garage and House music exposed him to these sounds early on, and as he grew older, he expanded his musical palate to include breakbeat and jungle. By combining elements from these genres, Riordan found his unique voice.

“So I just started taking my favourite elements from each sound, and blending all those flavours together,” he explains.

However, the path to cohesion wasn’t immediate. Riordan recalls a period where his tracks sounded vastly different from one another. But as his skills developed, so did his ability to create more consistent and refined music. He adds,

“For me, it wasn't until Needle On The Record (which was about 3 years into my producing journey) when I really felt like I’d made a track that sounded exactly how I wanted it to, and represented me and the direction I’m headed musically.”

For Riordan, maintaining a balance between experimentation and staying true to his core sound is key to his creative process. He has never been one to shy away from experimentation, and this mindset has driven him to explore a broad spectrum of genres, from Drum and Bass to RnB.

“I’ve made everything from Drum and Bass to RnB, and I was literally making rap beats last week just because I felt like it!” he shares.

His open approach to genre-blending has allowed him to grow as an artist without the pressure of needing to release everything he creates.

“Sometimes you have to remind yourself that you don't have to release every single song you make. It may end up on your hard drive forever and that's okay,” he admits.

He recognizes that not every experiment leads to a release, but each one contributes to his growth as a producer.

“Most of the time you will find that when you do go back to your more established sound, you have fresh ideas,” he says.

This willingness to push boundaries, combined with a deep respect for his roots, has allowed him to maintain a sense of creative freedom while still staying true to his core sound. As Riordan reflects,

“I’m at a point now that if I made a track I really love, I wouldn’t really care what genre it is, I’d put it out.”

Building a career in the competitive music industry often requires more than just talent. Social media has become a powerful tool for artists to gain visibility and connect with their audience. Riordan’s success in this arena comes not only from his engaging content but from his ability to remain authentic. He credits his early experience working for a music marketing agency with giving him a unique perspective on how to use platforms like TikTok and Instagram to his advantage.

“I was fortunate to work for a music marketing agency that helped to blow up songs on TikTok and Instagram before I became a DJ full time,” he shares.

One of his strategies for creating engaging content is finding inspiration from other viral videos. Riordan explains,

“One of the most helpful things I have always done is to create a folder in my ‘saved’ videos on TikTok and Instagram named ‘Content Inspiration’. As I scroll through social media on a day-to-day basis, whenever I see a video that is going viral or that I find interesting and feel that I could relate to myself or my music, I save it to this folder.”

By creating a library of ideas, he ensures he has a constant flow of inspiration to draw from when creating new content.

Consistency has been another key to his success. While many artists post intermittently, Riordan’s commitment to daily posting has helped him stand out.

“I think one of the biggest reasons I grew was because of my consistency and volume of content, posting every day while others didn't,” he notes. His creative content not only showcases his music but also highlights unique moments, such as his unexpected remix of Duffy’s “Mercy,” which gained traction after he shared the process behind it. He recalls,

“Instead of just posting the edit, I screen recorded the guys DM and explained how the remix came about. Now, this little track that I’d made in a couple of hours in my bedroom had a storyline to it, and became something that people wanted to hear the end result of.”

Riordan also found success in creating memorable moments through his content. He recalls using his mother’s ironing board as a makeshift DJ table in early videos.

“I just started using that as my DJ table in all my videos. People loved it because it was different, and memorable.” Such seemingly small details helped him connect with his audience on a deeper level.

While gaining followers is a crucial step, Riordan emphasizes that true success comes from connecting with an audience that genuinely resonates with your music. For him, this shift occurred when his track Needle On The Record hit number one on Beatport. He recalls,

“Needle On The Record was definitely a turning point. It was my first number one on Beatport, which I feel really changed people’s perception of me from ‘a kid DJing on TikTok,’ to a serious artist and producer.”

This milestone marked a significant shift in how Riordan was perceived by both fans and industry professionals.

“It was the first time I had loads of big DJs playing my song worldwide, as well as videos performing well on my social media,” he adds.

The track helped him attract a loyal fanbase beyond social media, which ultimately led to more club and festival offers. One of his proudest moments was being brought on stage by Gorgon City at Drumsheds in front of 15,000 people.

“I think people liked it so much because you could see how happy I was to be there - I couldn't fake it.”

Having grown up surrounded by House music, Riordan’s early memories of hearing it at home shaped his love for the genre. However, his true connection to House music came when he experienced it live at music festivals. He recalls,

“I first went to music festivals with my friends at 16 years old. This was the first time I ever truly experienced house music how it is supposed to be experienced - with a DJ, a huge sound system and with all my friends around me.”

His first experience at the Sminoff House stage at Reading Festival marked a pivotal moment in his journey.

“There was no more than 50 people at the stage but the sun was shining and the music was booming. I just looked at the DJ, then turned to him and said ‘that looks like so much fun, I wanna do that.’”

In terms of musical influences, Riordan cites specific tracks like Pawsa’s Groovy Cat, Michael Bibi’s Hanging Tree, and MK’s Burning as key records that shaped his sound. These tunes provided the foundation for his fusion of UK Garage, Tech House, and ‘90s House music.

Riordan’s production process is rooted in a meticulous yet intuitive approach. He begins each track with the drums, which he sees as the backbone of any song.

“If the drums aren’t right, the whole track is thrown off,” he advises.

Once the drums are set, he moves on to the bassline, often drawing from his UK Garage influences. He describes,

“I love a reese bass which has a really harmonic sound to it and was used loads throughout the ‘90s and ‘00s on UK Garage and Speed garage tracks.”

His process also incorporates elements of ‘90s House, particularly when sourcing vocals or memorable synth leads.

“I have spent hours digging through old vinyl records on youtube looking for unique sounds I can sample from this era.”

As 2025 approaches, Riordan is focused on continuing to grow as an artist. He shares, “One of my goals is to get another Beatport number one this year. I want to make music that pushes boundaries and that people can vibe to.”

His growth as both a producer and a DJ reflects his deep commitment to the craft. For Riordan, the next chapter is about keeping the momentum going and continuing to experiment with his sound while maintaining the authenticity that first connected him with fans.