The most famous Rochester music-maker you have never heard of
Riduan Hassan, a 22-year-old graduate of Mayo High School and current Rochester resident, heard the music of electronic dance music pioneer Skrillex for the first time in 2009. He says it made him dance like never before. It inspired him. In the decade since that day, Hassan has carved his own path in the genre, making him one of Rochester’s most famous music-makers — if only greater Rochester knew it was him behind the online curtain.
His ability is most evident on the song “Eternal Youth,” which came out on his YouTube page in 2016 and hit streaming services a year later. Something clicked with that song. It was featured on a friend’s YouTube channel, which helped signal-boost, and then things went crazy. Forty-five million plays on Spotify. Eight million plays on Soundcloud. One-point-five million views on his YouTube channel, and an extra 37 million on his friend’s channel. Add it all up, and Eternal Youth’s been listened to over 91 million times — and that doesn’t even count the VIP cut he released later in 2016 or the countless other re-uploads on YouTube. It’s a ride he never saw coming.
Hear our extended interview with Hassan, who goes under the musical moniker RŮDE, in this week’s episode of the Rochester Rundown.
This weekend in Rochester
It’s the talk of the town, and for good reason — we’re midway through SocialICE. Head down to Peace Plaza 4-10 PM Friday and Saturday for music, specialty drinks from five local establishments, and of course, to check out the ice sculptures. If you’ve got little ones tagging along, shoot for SocialICE’s FAM JAM 1 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday for a more family-friendly experience.
If you’re up early Saturday morning, head to the Castle for the first birthday celebration for Collective Books and Records. Check out special and rare vinyl brought in exclusively for the party, a foosball tournament, book signings from local children’s book author Brandon Vreeman and Rochester’s first spoken word open mic. It’s all free and it starts at 9 AM.
Finally, Les Fields Hall will be bumping this Sunday afternoon when Loud Mouth Brass takes the stage as part of the Jazz in Les Fields Hall music series. You can’t go wrong by listening to live jazz music, so if you’re looking for a break from the snow, hit the third floor of the Castle from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m.
New Music: “Blur,” Author
Indie-rock band Author, which holds roots in Minneapolis and Rochester, is releasing their new track “Blur” this weekend. Bartlett brothers Cameron and Trevor are in Minneapolis, but bassist Zach Zurn lives in Rochester and operates Carpet Booth Studios — that’s where the song was recorded. It’s the band’s first release since their album Is It Far or Is It Close, which came out on the first day of 2018. “Blur” comes out on all streaming services when the clock strikes midnight on Saturday… give it a listen. They’re a group of three good dudes and I’m excited to hear more.
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