R_Garcia began making loud noise with a Japanese drumset, a pair of boom-boxes and a flamenco guitar. Through this ramshackle conglomeration of stuff, he accidentally discovered multi-track recording. The result of his experiments would lead him to record an acoustic punk album before he could even fully tune his instruments.
As a teenager, Garcia’s vision quickly grew beyond the immediate desires for beer, pot, and girls. He founded 9D recordings, a cassette-tape label that was more responsible for audio terrorism than anything else. 9D would later evolve into the critically acclaimed Nophi Recordings — a small boutique label that would grow to share in the fathering of the modern American electronic music movement.
Constantly writing, recording, releasing, and touring along the way, Garcia shows little sign of an easing stride. He has performed with his band, The Nerd Parade, as a solo musician, periodic contributor to The Future Funk Collective, and a slew of other artistically-themed projects. His Nophi Recordings label is quite active and he produced and hosted the multi-day Nophest Festival in Atlanta for many many years.
His recent return to the left-field of electronic music has afforded him a newly found dedication to the craft, where he has found comfort as both teacher and student in the ways of computer music.
“I’ve been writing music since I was 14. Before that, I used to create crude songs by splicing together sections of cassette tapes. I also played coronet, French horn and baritone in middle school orchestra. both scenarios were as tedious as they sound. I eventually found my way into formal training in music performance and engineering. It has taken me the better part of 10 years to unlearn the things I was taught.”
“These days I focus mainly on my family and my graphic art as a means of self-actualization. This is not to say I have given up on music — the situation is very much the opposite — I’ve just chosen to remain at ease with my passion, rather than run myself ragged chasing after “the dream.” I still regularly produce, record, perform, tour, do interviews and all of the fun stuff I used to do when I was hell-bent on success — maybe even more so, only now I accept only the projects I want… It’s rather nice.”