Ronin E-Ville is the name I use as a DJ/producer, and I’m often asked what it means. The explanation is in two parts.
In feudal Japan, ronin were samurai warriors without masters. While other samurai were unswerving-ly loyal to their lords and obedient unto death, ronin had to forge their own paths. Like a ronin, I kind of do my own thing when it comes to music. While the idea of being master-less might seem romantic, ronin were considered a bit dodgy in their day…
The electronic music I make is an eclectic blend of synths, samples, and recordings, which I refer to as eclectronica. These days, I suppose my tracks are mostly downtempo, trip/hip hop, future funk, dub(step), and bass-music, but I’ve been known to crank out some EDM: house, techno, electro, and breaks. My DJ sets are equally eclectic. In addition to the styles I produce, I also spin: funk, acid jazz, rare groove, disco, classic rock, dub, drum n bass, IDM, etc. For people who like beats, I’ve got something for just about every taste!
As for E-Ville, it’s a reference to my hometown of Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. I lived in Toronto for a lot of years, and now I’m in Ireland, but it’s good to remember where you come from.
So, this blog is about my musicking. Still, everything is everything, and I hope to inspire listeners to deeper lived experiences. As the famous 16th–17th century ronin, Miyamoto Musashi, wrote: “from one thing, know ten thousand things.”
Image from Wikipedia Commons
Ronin E-Ville 