Holly Shorts recently had the opportunity to catch up Rudy Mangual (AKA HighEnd), one of the most creative music producers based out of Los Angeles. Mangual's new album High End puts a modern twist on lounge music, with elements you usually hear in underground tracks.
HS: For those out there who aren't aware of your music, how would you describe the sounds?
RM: We're calling it Urban Lounge. Kind of a mix between downtempo, hip-hop, and jazzy lounge from back in the day. It can be pretty moody at times, but there's always a nice groove and a lot of Latin influence.
HS: Where did you get the inspiration to put together your new album. Was there a particular source?
RM: I've always been very inspired by visuals, so in my mind I had a sort of noir-ish kind of movie running through my head while working on the album. To get the album rolling, I had sent out a bunch of demos to various labels, and Groove Gravy was the first label to show interest. The label head, Roy Shakkid, acted as a sort of Executive Producer, by giving me a lot of direction with overall vibe and sound of the album. Roy's an excellent musician himself, so musically there was a lot of good feedback and help structurally from the label end.
HS: Would you ever consider doing a score for a short film? If so, can our readers contact you?
RM: absolutely! I've already been approached about doing some incidental music and possibly score work for a video game that's in production. I've never worked with film, but it's always been something I've been dying to do. The right music with the right visual can be such an amazing thing.
HS: How has the response been locally?
RM: It's been good! I'm still trying to decipher the radio and sales reports that the label guy shows me, but from what I understand, it's getting a great reception. Also, I've been blown away by the fact that it's getting good college airplay all over the country. Especially in the south and north west. I never really imagined people from all over the country would ever hear my music - it's pretty incredible.
HS: With your father being a musician, how influential was his sound in your music? Have you learned a lot from him musically?
RM: I basically learned all my basics from my dad. He's an amazing percussionist, and music has always been an important part of my family life growing up. The hip-hop and electronic elements to my music I learned later in life from friends and just figuring things out, but all the basics, especially dealing with rhythm, come from my father.
HS: Where can people hear you spinning records?
RM: Just dj'ed for the Groove Gravy 3rd year anniversary party out in Hollywood a few weeks ago. I'm still taking things slow since finishing the album, but should have some clubs setup soon enough.
Anyone interested in checking out the album can visit:
www.groovegravy.com
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