INTERVIEW: IN CONVERSATION WITH THE BLOODY BEETROOTS
Interview by Cecilia Pattison-Levi
Genre Defying Electro Punk’s: Forever Part One
Sir Bob Cornelius Rifo (The Bloody Beetroots) is an erudite and classically trained musician from Bassano Del Grappa in Italy. He has held a passion for punk from his youth, and he had an uncle who was a drummer in a punk band, and he tested his own skills in punk bands before he took his place behind the electronic dance music (EDM) turntables.
Lithe and rarely seen without his signature black mask, Sir Bob Cornelius Rifo has become infamous, and famous, for his incendiary live shows and his deep understanding of musical form. He is the real deal. And he flies the flag for punk and the importance of music’s deep history and its ability to bring on revolution and evolution in people.
The Bloody Beetroots have been a musical force and trailblazer in EDM since 2005. Sir Bob Cornelius Rifo fuses electro, punk rock, classical, and dance into a genre-defying experience. “I like experimenting with all music,” explained Sir Bob Cornelius Rifo. “I have even been playing with AI to try and understand it. I am still not sure about it – it will never replace the human experience of creating music. But I like to take musical chaos and understand it. I like to create music with boundaries where music can change and be different. I like to construct melodies with the guitar. It’s basic. If music is going to work, it needs to work on a guitar – simply. Then, you can build the music like clothes around it. I love electronics and punk. But what I really love is serving music”.
The concept of serving music is borne out in The Bloody Beetroots new album ‘Forever Part One’ and it is really obvious. The album’s sounds are embedded in the musical melee of electronics and punk, but when listening to ‘An Opening In Two Movements’ the beautiful classical violin informs the melody and in ‘Supernatural’ the melody line is divine. “I love working with musical genres and forms and merging them together,” stated Sir Bob Cornelius Rifo. ‘‘I like to weave melody around basslines and organically bring sounds and movements together. Music has beauty and form. I love the wild form of punk and I use EDM as the glue to bring them together and then deliver that passion of music to people”.
The Bloody Beetroots play with punk in the best way in ‘This Is Blood’ and in the soaring ‘I’m Not Holy’: it is a love song disguised in chaos delivered with American DJ Grabbitz and New Zealand drum and bass duo, Pirapus. “This project is my life,” said Sir Bob Cornelius Rifo. “This new album for me is a release. Music is my self-expression. I want to pay respect to my roots in music. It is both a thank you and a stand. Because in a world that rewards conformity, I still believe in the real rebellion – music can bring revolution and it forces you to be honest – it makes you stay true to yourself”.
The Bloody Beetroots deliver that mission statement. You can feel it in every beat – just listen to ‘Free’. There are no boundaries, no compromise, and the song’s lyricism is filled with personal stories, thoughts and moments that have shaped The Bloody Beetroots into a distinctive musical force. “I think punk and heavy metal, if done well, is profound music,” exclaimed Sir Bob Cornelius Rifo. “It’s like EDM. You know 70% of EDM is cheesy and awful. But there is the 30% where EDM, when delivered with skill and passion, can take people on a journey”.
“People have become so gated,” explained Sir Bob Cornelius Rifo. “Music can release them. I make music that can make people feel freedom. There are no rules. I want the history of music to run through my music and for people to listen to it. They must trust their ears and go on the journey and live off the energy. Music can provide people with identity and community. I love to listen to other musicians and take notes as that’s how you gain understanding with an open mind and vision”.
Since the early days, The Bloody Beetroots have written and performed music with this philosophy. The Bloody Beetroots have evolved into the heart and soul of EDM, collaborating with the likes of Steve Aoki and Congorock and injecting themselves into remixes that range from Groove Armada to Britney Spears along the way. The new album ‘Forever Part One’ sees collaborations with Bob Vylan, UK grime-punk collective PENGSHUi, Jackknife, N8NOFACE, Teddy Killerz and Tokky Horror, as Sir Bob Cornelius Rifo passes on the knowledge and the flame of musical history to future generations of musicians and music fans.
The Bloody Beetroots are one of the most innovative and disruptive forces in global EDM. And the creative force Sir Bob Cornelius Rifo has reshaped the landscape of club culture across the globe. If you want to hear how it’s done “and take notes” listen to ‘Forever Part One’.
