RTIK’s music has always occupied an emotional space. Whether working at slower tempos or pushing into more club-focused territory, there is a thread running through his productions that feels deeply human. Melodies linger long after the track ends, atmospheres carry a cinematic quality, and even his most dancefloor-driven moments seem rooted in something personal.
His latest EP, The Things That Remain, released via Magnetic Magazine Recordings, continues that approach across three carefully crafted originals. Rather than chasing trends or overcomplicating arrangements, the release leans into patience, emotion and storytelling.
Who was the most influential person in your life growing up in terms of your musical development?
Without a doubt, my parents. Music has always been a huge part of our family life, and our house was constantly filled with great records from as far back as I can remember. They exposed me to an incredibly wide range of music and took me to concerts from a very young age, which had a huge impact on how I developed both as a listener and as an artist.
One of my earliest musical memories is playing my toy trumpet to Miles Davis when I was just three years old. My first proper concert was Jamiroquai when I was ten, and over the years they introduced me to artists like U2, Dire Straits, Basement Jaxx, Groove Armada, The Roots, The Chemical Brothers, and Bruce Springsteen (just to name a few..). That variety taught me to approach music with an open mind and to appreciate great songwriting, emotion, and energy regardless of genre.
What’s special now is that the relationship has become a two-way exchange. As my own taste has evolved, I’ve been able to introduce them to artists that inspire me today, and we still regularly go to concerts together. Some of my favourite shared experiences in recent years have been seeing Bon Iver, RY X, Nils Frahm, and Max Richter. Music has always been something we’ve connected through, and that continues to shape me today.
When you think back to your earliest projects, what’s something you would do differently now?
Honestly, I wouldn’t change a thing. Looking back, my musical journey feels very natural and coherent. I’ve always followed my intuition and made the music that felt right to me at that particular moment in time. Of course, my taste has evolved over the years, but that’s one of the things I love most about making music. Every track becomes a marker of where you were creatively and personally. Even when I listen back to some of the very first music I made, I can still hear elements that exist in my work today.
Sometimes it’s difficult to pinpoint exactly what those elements are, but there are certain melodic tendencies, harmonic choices, atmospheres, and emotional qualities that have remained consistent throughout my evolution as an artist. The genres may have changed and the production has matured, but I can still recognize myself in every piece of music I’ve released. That’s something I value deeply.
Who are the artists or sounds that most shaped your style early on?
Every phase of my musical journey has been influenced by whatever I was listening to most intensely at the time, combined with the incredibly diverse musical foundation I grew up with. That said, there was one defining moment when I felt I truly discovered the kind of music I wanted to create. It happened when I first heard Jon Hopkins’ Singularity. Listening to that album felt like a genuine awakening. The way each track is constructed, the attention to detail, the balance between modern classical influences, emotion, intricate electronic production, and dancefloor energy, it all came together in a way that felt completely unique and deeply moving.
What struck me most was how the album could be both intellectually engaging and emotionally immediate. You could lose yourself in the details after multiple listens, but you could also simply feel it physically and emotionally in the moment. That’s something I continually strive for in my own work, music that rewards repeated listening while still creating an immediate emotional and physical connection.
What’s the one sound or technique that you think defines your signature style?
More than any specific sound or production technique, I think my music is defined by melody. Strong melodic ideas are usually at the centre of everything I create, combined with a balance between emotional, atmospheric elements and more club-oriented rhythms and energy.
I’m not someone who likes to rely on the same sounds or production formulas. Experimentation is a huge part of my process, so I’m constantly changing tempos, drum palettes, instruments, and approaches from project to project.
What I’ve found, though, is that people who know my music can often identify one of my productions almost immediately. I think that comes from being consistently drawn to certain emotional spaces, scales, textures, and atmospheres. Even when the sonic palette changes, there’s usually an underlying feeling that connects everything together.
Can you describe how your creative process typically begins when starting a new track?
Every track starts differently, depending on what inspired me to sit down in the studio that day. Sometimes it’s a specific sound, a chord progression, or a production detail I’ve heard somewhere that sparks my curiosity and makes me want to explore a particular direction. Other times it’s an emotion, memory, or feeling that I want to translate into music, and I’ll begin by writing chords or melodies that capture that mood.
And then there are days when there’s no clear inspiration at all. In those moments, I simply start experimenting. Choosing a synth, running sounds through pedals, building textures, and seeing where the process leads. More often than not, a small accident or unexpected combination becomes the spark that develops into a complete track. I’ve learned to trust that process and leave room for discovery.
What inspired you to create this particular song?
The title track of the EP, The Things That Remain, was actually written over a year ago. It was originally dedicated to someone that shaped that particular part in my life, and I had hoped to release it for a particular occasion, but for various reasons the timing never aligned. Looking back, I’m glad it found its way into the world when it did. The track feels like a snapshot of a specific chapter of my life, a kind of musical diary entry that captures the emotions and memories of that period. What I love about music is that once it’s released, those personal experiences can take on new meanings for other people. I hope listeners can connect it to their own stories, memories, and relationships.
The other two tracks on the EP are actually a few years older. They came from a period when I was experimenting with faster tempos while trying to preserve the emotional atmosphere and cinematic qualities that have always been central to my music. Interestingly, they came together quite quickly, and sometimes those are the tracks that feel the most natural. Even though they’re more energetic, they still carry the same emotional DNA as my slower productions, which is why they felt like a natural fit alongside the title track.
RTIK’s ‘The Things That Remain’ is out now via Magnetic Magazine Recordings.
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