From growing up in Miami with its vibrant music scene to his rise as one of the most invigorating acts in electronic music, NITTI has been making surges with his diverse catalog that effortlessly fuse elements of house, trap, and hip-hop.
From blending infectious melodies with hard-hitting basslines to collaborating with some of the biggest names in the industry, Ricky Mears’, better known as NITTI, versatility knows no bounds.
These days Mears is constantly on the move playing festivals and shows across the world, from HARD Summer and Sunset Music Festival to EDC Vegas this weekend as one half of the house music duo, Sidepiece, with Party Favor.
Despite the hectic agenda of being one of the most influential music producers in the industry right now, we got the opportunity to sit down and chat with Mears, diving deep into his creative process, uncovering the inspirations behind his groundbreaking sound and exploring the secrets to his meteoric rise:
EDM Maniac: Hey NITTI, thanks for sitting down and talking with us for a bit. Let’s go all the way back to the beginning, when did you first get into music?
NITTI: I was in the 4th grade when I started playing the drums, it wasn’t long after that I ventured into piano and guitar. Drums are my favorite and my main instrument, but I enjoy them all.
EDM Maniac: Can you pinpoint a time in your life when you realized you wanted to pursue electronic music?
NITTI: I really discovered it in 11th grade then in 12th grade I started downloading software and experimenting. Once I was in college I was just like, “OK, if I’m going to do this, it has to be all or nothing.”
I think it makes sense I got obsessed with electronic music, I love drums and the repetitiveness.
EDM Maniac: Now with such an extensive background in music, do you have any non-electronic music influences?
NITTI: Oh yeah most of my influences are within the rock realm, like Taking Back Sunday and Pierce The Veil, I also love Coldplay, Death Cab For Cutie, and Childish Gambino.
EDM Maniac: All so talented and special in their own way. So you have a rather extensive list of collaborations under your belt, but is there a dream artist you’d love to work with?
NITTI: I would love to write a song with Chris Martin from Coldplay, but within electronic music, I’d have to go with the big man Skrillex.
EDM Maniac: That would be epic if you joined forces with Skrillex, you guys share a lot of the same energy! If you had to describe your sound what would you say?
NITTI: I would say bass music that really meets melody and has a little bit of trap party-style energy. I just want to make feel-good music. Just like my “Sex on Fire” Remix, you can just put your hands up, sing, and feel when listening to that track.
EDM Maniac: Can you tell us about what inspired the “Sex on Fire” Remix?
NITTI: I just love that song, it felt like it needed the hands-up progressive house flow to it. It felt so good and natural making that track, I really wanted to bring that powerful energy into 2023.
EDM Maniac: It does feel good when listening to that track! If you had a piece of advice to give to aspiring music producers what would you tell them?
NITTI: Get your reps in. If you make 1000 songs you will see improvement in each song. I learned that within sports throughout my life. Kobe has the most missed shots, but the most made shots. Keep taking the shots.
EDM Maniac: Practice makes progress. NITTI’s words to live by. So tell us what the future holds for the NITTI project.
NITTI: I’m really up in the studio working on music right now. The music I’m putting my energy into right now gets me super excited so I hope others will feel the same.
As far as live shows go, I’m working hand and hand with visuals, lighting, and lasers to really form this crazy creative live show.
EDM Maniac: We can’t wait to see what you bring to the table in the future. Well, it was a pleasure getting to chat with you in NITTI’s home let’s do it again sometime!
NITTI: Of course, thank you guys!
Photos courtesy of Nitti’s social media
