We are pleased to announce a new sonic guide for our weekly Defected Radio Show, Rimarkable, who will bring her exceptionally rich musical knowledge to the show for one episode per month alongside regulars Sam Divine and Monki. Appearing on our Twitch series Press.Play in March 2021, Rimarkable was first introduced to the Defected audience. We can also reveal that she is now signed to both our label and Defected Music publishing arm, her depth and breadth of musical knowledge making her an exciting and valuable addition to the roster.
“Defected has been a huge part of the soundtrack of my entire career, and as one of the great leaders in dance music, I am thrilled and honored to join such an exciting legacy. I look forward to creating, motivating, and shaking up the world with the Defected fam!” – Rimarkable
"Presence. Energy. Vibe. Knowledge. Positivity. Ability. Drive. Independence. Sass. A combination of attributes that all apply to Rimarkable and make her such an exciting addition to our team. Defected has an ongoing commitment to broadcasting house globally and Rimarkable dovetails perfectly into our new media strategy. We look forward to working with Rimarkable to help her achieve her full potential not only as a radio presenter but as a producer and singer / songwriter." - Simon Dunmore
Defying effortless categorisation, Maria “Ri Ri” Garcia aka Rimarkable is a child of funk, jazz, gospel, rock and soul, and her selections as a DJ and broadcaster fuse all of these sounds “wrapped into a house and techno box”. Growing up heavily influenced by Black gospel music, her mother a classically trained pianist and music minister in a Pentecostal church, Rimarkable’s childhood summers in Chicago also gave her an introduction to house music, during the genre’s explosive infancy. An Afro-Latina from Detroit, she’s first generation Puerto Rican, and the Afro-Carribean sound continues to have a huge impact on Maria’s sonic leanings, alongside the unmistakable ear training of the city’s techno legacy.
Rimarkable started professionally DJing in 1997, first doing private events and then clubs in the early 2000s. She’s since played around the world alongside the likes of George Clinton, Francois K, Bonobo and Gene Farris. She started producing in 2006, after she grew tired of male producers either not understanding how she wanted to sound, or luring her into the studio to hang out, then asking her to freestyle on the mic, while hitting ‘record’ and releasing music without her consent. Her first release as a producer was in 2011 on E-man's Liberate Recordings label, a track called "Peace Lives Here" ft. Valerie Troutt.
A multi-hyphenate musician who has found various creative outlets over the years, Rimarkable believes in DJing and producing as a spiritual practice, exploring alchemy through the DJ artform as well as African spiritualism, healing, mental health and self-care. It’s a philosophy that eventually manifested as a lecture and classroom series called ‘The Alchemy of DJing’, a means for her to creatively engage in social justice, and empower women and youth. It’s taken her to various cities such as Nairobi and Berlin, and US institutions such as Yale and Queens Museum.
Quite literally a party starter, having produced many events in New York, Detroit and the Bay Area over the past 20 years, she’s currently the producer, resident DJ and co-creator of Brooklyn party ‘JOY Party BK’, a multi-generational dance and social event centred on Black, Indigenous, and Brown LGBTQI+ folks.
“We are thrilled to welcome Rimarkable to the Defected family. Our paths crossed in Detroit in 2018 and I quickly found her energy to be contagious and that her musical knowledge and taste runs deep. She knows what she wants and has a lot to share with the world as a producer, songwriter and artist. The team are excited to assist with amplifying her music and vision in the coming years.” – Adrienne Bookbinder, A&R Manager Defected Records
“Rimarkable is a breath of fresh air. She oozes cool, is knowledgeable about music across the board and will bring another exciting dimension to the radio show along with Sam Divine and Monki” – Tom Coxhead, Executive Producer of Defected & Glitterbox Radio Shows
Rimarkable’s first Defected Radio Show will air on 14th May 2021, and will continue as a monthly residency hereafter, for previous shows head to defectedradio.lnk.to/Shows
