
RNG - Rich Nakatsu Group
I've always been a fan collaborating with artists from different genres. I've had the opportunity to work with many different artist with great talents. I've seen a growing number of people wanting to join heads and work on projects, so that's when I decided to rename my group, RNG - Rich Nakatsu Group. The group itself is not static like some groups, where they have the same members. However, I do have my core members that help me on my projects, people who know how I want things to sound when I record.
The nice thing is that, I am not stuck in one particular genre. I believe that exposure to many different types of genres is what makes a musician a musician. It also brings more meaningful appreciation for how music move others.
Tell me about your history? How did you get where you are now?
Started out as a project with a friend in 1993 writing Christian folk songs. As he moved onto his folk music, I began experimenting with different styles of music. I slowly got myself out of the acoustical phase, and went more technical, by incorporating synthesizers, and using various sound modules. Realizing that my strength is in the Rock genre, I decided to expand out and work on my guitar skills. However, I am constantly changing my ideas about how I can improve my song writing.
Have you performed live in front of an audience? Any special memories?
I've played concerts and by requests before. Now, it's mostly for church events. I really enjoy it. Special moments? Other than breaking strings on stage? Let's see....I played in a concert of 800 people, and had a bloody nose. Most embarrassing moment I can think of.
Your musical influences
I think the best way to see is, what's in my mp3 player? :D Let's see... Tak Matsumoto, Lots of Joe Satriani, Pink Floyd, David Gilmore, Judas Priest, as you can tell... different ends of the spectrum.
What equipment do you use?
1) Yamaha MT-4 Multitrack Mixer
2) Cakewalk Sonar 6 Producer Sequencer Software
3) Hammerhead Rhythm Sequencer
4) SF Acid Pro
5) Behringer Compressor/Limiter