From the sun-scorched streets of Faro to the relentless pulse of London’s underground, Rick Offen has spent his career carving out space for electronic music that refuses to choose between the body and the soul. With MORDIDA, his debut album on his very own Ritmo Futuro, the Portuguese producer delivers an unflinching emotional portrait: tracks that move between dancefloor heat and quiet introspection, shaped by years of accumulated memory, loss, love, and the passage of time. The album’s universe has since expanded through two volumes of remixes, with a carefully curated cast of artists reinterpreting the material and pushing it into new creative directions.
Rick Offen talks here about the DIY energy that formed him, what a decade in London really taught him, why albums still matter, and what comes next for him and the label.
You’re from southern Portugal but built a significant part of your career in London — how did growing up in the south of Portugal shape the artist you eventually became?
My hometown of Faro is a relatively small city, about three hours away from Lisbon, the closest cosmopolitan center. The Algarve is a region that has historically focused almost exclusively on tourism, and culturally it has often felt neglected by central government policies. Because of that, the local creative scene developed in a very raw and independent way. There weren’t many spaces for alternative culture, and most of the nightlife was centered around commercial venues aimed at tourists. If you wanted something different, you had to build it yourself. That environment created a very DIY and almost punk attitude toward music and art. For me, it meant not only making music but also creating worlds around it, curating events, bringing people together, and building spaces from scratch where this kind of culture could exist.
Even after spending almost a decade outside Faro, I feel that energy still shapes the way I approach everything I do today, whether it’s producing music or developing projects like Ritmo Futuro.
The electronic music scene in Portugal has changed a lot over the past decade. From your perspective, what makes it distinct, and do you think it gets the recognition it deserves internationally?
Historically the scene in Portugal was more local and community-driven, but over the past decade it has really started to open up internationally. What makes it distinct, in my opinion, is the way Portuguese artists often blend introspection with groove. There’s a kind of melancholic energy that runs deeply through our culture, and that emotional quality naturally finds its way into the music. You can hear it across many different sounds, from house and techno to more experimental and hybrid forms coming out of Portugal today.
Another important element is the strong influence of African rhythms within Portuguese culture. Because of our historical and cultural connections, those rhythmic traditions are very present in everyday life and have also shaped parts of the electronic scene, especially in Lisbon. That fusion of groove, rhythm and emotional depth gives Portuguese electronic music a very particular character.
I still think the scene deserves more international recognition. There’s an incredible amount of talent here, and the infrastructure is growing steadily. Labels, collectives and independent platforms are pushing things forward in exciting ways, and I’m proud to contribute to that ecosystem through Ritmo Futuro.
London is one of the most competitive and creatively intense cities in the world for dance music. What did that decade there teach you that you couldn’t have learned anywhere else?
I often say that moving to London was probably the best decision of my life. It was a very transformative period where I matured both personally and artistically. More than anything, London taught me the importance of community. It’s such a vibrant and multicultural place, and being there exposed me to many different genres, perspectives, and people from all over the world. That constant exchange of ideas really expands your artistic vision.
When I moved there around 2012, the city felt like it was booming creatively. There was a lot of experimentation happening, with artists exploring futuristic sounds and new approaches to electronic music. At the same time, London carries an incredible history when it comes to electronic music culture and remains one of the most important places in the world in terms of its contribution to the scene. A very important element of my growth there was the network of small independent venues. Those spaces are really the foundation of the music ecosystem, platforms where new artists can develop and safe places where audiences can discover new sounds. They are essential for keeping the culture alive. At the same time, London is also home to many iconic venues and institutions that have shaped electronic music history. Experiencing both sides of that spectrum — the grassroots spaces and the legendary institutions — was an invaluable education.
There’s a quote I once heard that always stayed with me: “A person tired of London is a person tired of life.” I’m not sure if that’s entirely accurate, but the idea behind it resonates. In London you can experience a small version of the whole world in one city. Being immersed in that environment shaped the way I think about sound, emotion, and storytelling in music.
MORDIDA is a bold statement, an album that moves between club energy and deeply introspective moments. What made you want to tackle the album format rather than staying in the EP or single cycle?
I strongly believe that albums are essential for the music scene. They function as a form of world-building. An album allows you to create a more immersive experience, something that exists beyond the more ephemeral nature of singles or EP cycles. In today’s hyper-fast world, where music is often consumed very quickly and constantly replaced by the next release, I think albums have become even more important. They allow artists to slow down and build something more meaningful.
As an artist, I see myself very much as a storyteller. The way I express myself creatively often revolves around constructing narratives and emotional journeys through sound. For that reason, the album format feels very natural to me. Some people might see it as an outdated format in today’s fast-moving music culture, but I actually believe the opposite. With the level of overstimulation we experience today, albums can become a kind of sonic space to inhabit, a place where listeners can immerse themselves more deeply.
MORDIDA is probably the clearest expression of that approach. I conceptualized the project, wrote all the tracks, and developed the visual identity in collaboration with my amazing partner Raquel Metelo and my good friend David Sobral. The album became a very personal and introspective reflection of my thoughts, emotions, and experiences over a certain period of time. That’s also why it moves across different moods and genres — it felt like the most honest way to translate those feelings into music.
The album touches on anxiety, love, loss, and the passage of time — very emotional themes. Was there a specific event that inspired you to write the album? Or was it a collection of memories?
This is a very introspective and deeply personal album. It wasn’t inspired by a single event, but rather by a collection of memories, emotions, and experiences that accumulated over time. Some of the tracks were actually written four or five years before the album was completed, so in many ways MORDIDA reflects a longer period of my life. As the music slowly evolved, I started to realize there was a common emotional thread running through those pieces.
Storytelling is a very important element of how I express myself artistically, and this album became a way of building a small emotional universe around those experiences. In that sense, MORDIDA is not just a collection of tracks but a form of world-building, where each piece represents a different emotional moment within the same narrative. During that period I found myself reflecting a lot about life, relationships, and the passage of time. Themes like anxiety, love, loss, and personal growth naturally started to emerge in the music. The studio became a space where I could process those feelings and translate them into sound. Because of that, each track carries a different emotional perspective. Some moments are more intense and energetic, while others are more reflective or melancholic. Together they form a kind of emotional landscape of my life. Even though the album is very personal, I hope listeners can also find their own stories within it. Those emotions are universal in many ways, and music can be a powerful way for people to connect through them.
How did you navigate that tension between emotional depth and creating music for the dancefloor? Could you navigate us through your creative process?
For me, the dancefloor is already an emotional space. When people are dancing together there’s a kind of collective energy that can be very powerful. Ultimately, I think that energy is what first drew me into this world of electronic music. It’s a place where individual emotions and collective experience meet. Because of that, I never really see emotional depth and dancefloor functionality as opposites. The challenge is finding the right balance between atmosphere, rhythm, and movement so that a track can carry feeling while still working physically in a club environment.
In terms of process, I usually start with a mood or an idea rather than a fixed structure. Sometimes it begins with a rhythm, other times with a melody or a texture that suggests a certain emotion. From there I slowly build layers and see where the track wants to go. I think the creative process is often romanticized from the outside. In reality, a big part of it is simply sitting in the studio waiting for the magic to happen. There are many moments filled with doubts and uncertainty, questioning whether something is working or not. But occasionally everything aligns and a piece of music starts to reveal itself. Those moments make the whole process worthwhile.
What is your current studio setup and your go-to tools? Has it changed a lot over the years or do you have some core equipment that you always go back to?
My setup has changed quite a bit over the years. When I moved back to Portugal from London, I actually sold all my hardware synths and shifted to working mostly in the box. That doesn’t necessarily mean it will stay that way forever, though. Knowing myself, it will probably evolve again in the future. At the moment my setup is relatively simple. Ableton Live is really the only tool I consistently rely on. Beyond that, I’m constantly experimenting with different plugins, techniques, and workflows, trying new approaches rather than sticking to a fixed formula. This might sound a bit cliché or even dull, but I genuinely believe the most important tool isn’t a piece of gear. For me it’s artistic sensibility and empathy towards the world around us. Those are the things that ultimately shape how music is created and how it connects with people.
AI is increasingly present in music production and even in DJing. What’s your honest opinion on it?
AI is a fascinating development, and like any technology it really depends on how we choose to use it. I personally don’t use it in my workflow yet, with the exception of a very small case where I used it to fine-tune vocals on two specific tracks on MORDIDA. That said, I’m definitely curious about its potential and I intend to explore it further in the future. I tend to be a forward-thinking person, and I believe AI can become a very powerful and positive technology for creative fields. It can open new possibilities in music production, sound design, and even in the way artists experiment with ideas.
At the same time, its impact will ultimately depend on human decisions and how responsibly it is used. Like many technologies, it also carries potential risks if it is misused, both within the music industry and in society more broadly, especially if development is driven purely by corporate interests. For that reason, I think it will be very important to have thoughtful discussions and potentially some form of legislation around AI in the future, so that the technology evolves in a way that supports creativity and people rather than replacing or exploiting them.
With the MORDIDA remixes already expanding the universe of the album, how do you think about the relationship between your original vision and what other artists bring to your music? Were you involved in choosing the remixers?
Yes, I personally handpicked each of the artists involved. It was a very carefully curated selection of producers and friends whose work I really admire sonically. The idea with these remixes was to prolong the lifespan of the album and allow it to exist through different perspectives. Each artist approached the material in their own way, bringing their unique sound and interpretation to the tracks. In that sense, the remixes expand the universe of MORDIDA rather than simply reworking it. I find that process very inspiring because it turns the album into something more dynamic and collaborative, where the original vision becomes a starting point for new creative directions.
With MORDIDA (Remixes Pt.2) already kicking off the year, what else does 2026 hold for you?
I can reveal that a final third part of the remix series is coming. This time it will be a more conceptual release, featuring some Portuguese artists whose work I deeply admire. The idea is to close this chapter of MORDIDA by bringing the project back into the Portuguese creative sphere. Beyond that, it’s shaping up to be a year full of great music on the label. Hopefully the audience connects with these releases as much as we did when curating them. I’d also like to thank all the artists who continue to trust Ritmo Futuro with their music.
On a personal level, this will probably be a year marked by collaborations, as well as doing more remixes than usual. I’m also slowly developing ideas for a second album that is currently in the pipeline, most likely for 2027 or 2028.
On a final note, I would just like to thank the brilliant team behind Ritmo Futuro who make this dream possible, as well as everyone who contributed to and supported the MORDIDA project. In many ways this work belongs to them as much as it does to me.