Ranger Trucco Q&A as he debuts on Three Six Zero Recordings

Today you’re releasing D.A.N (Dance All Night) on Three Six Zero Recordings… tell us how that record came about? Because it came together really quickly right?

R: Correct, I had not written a good tune in months & was going through some bad writers block - I sat down on my couch one afternoon and put the two main chords into Ableton; before I knew it had written the tune front to back in about 45 minutes… that’s just how it goes sometimes!

Taking your minimal sound and combining it with what feels like a disco sample feels pretty fresh, we’re not sure we’ve heard that combination before… did you consciously try to bring those worlds together or was it not as simple as that?

R: The vocals by the very talented Nimiwari did a lot of the work especially to give it that disco feel. I simply had to build around her vocal to make it work sonically, and included some of my favorite synths & sounds - I am absolutely stoked on how it turned out, it is my favorite song I have ever made.

Why did Three Six Zero Recordings feel like the right home for the record?

R: TSZR has been supporting a ton of my favorite artists and dropping nothing but quality record after record. It is very impressive to see a label of their size start to move in this deeper direction and have such an ear to the ground - I'm happy to be a part of it.

Growing up in Traverse City, Michigan, far from the major nightlife hubs in the US, how did you first discover and develop your passion for electronic music?

R: My brother lost a bunch of money on a trip to Vegas as a senior in high school and needed money for college, so he came home and we frantically started throwing raves in our hometown to make up the losses, and to our surprise, it actually worked and got us both hooked on DJing and EDM. I was only 14 at the time and continued to DJ throughout college to present day - going deeper and deeper into the music.

Your sound is much closer to the minimal sound out of the UK and Europe rather than your tech house counterparts in the U.S. where did the love of that sound come from?

R: I can pinpoint the exact moment - my first Miami Music Week in 2022 I went and saw Sidney Charles at PIV Floyd takeover & the pace at which he played, the groove, and the production just absolutely floored me. I returned home to LA and said I want to make music like THAT & haven't looked back since.

In 2022, you launched range. Records, what’s the ethos of the label?

R: range. is my effort of trying to grow the sound that inspires me. It began mainly focused on achieving this in the US where I am based & where most of my listeners are, but has since attracted international attention and music submissions from all over the world. Everything I put into range. is a response to what I have always wanted in other labels. Our main effort is to humanize our artists and tell their stories as well as form a true positive community through our music and events.

You’ve welcomed a deep house legend in Josh Butler to the label, a man responsible for one of the defining records of the early ‘10s deep house era in ‘Got A Feeling’ - how did it feel switching it up and welcoming a legend onto the label rather than just new talent?

R: It was a great honor to have Josh on this year. To receive that type of co-sign from a legend like him really reaffirmed our label vision, & such a beautiful original track it was. When you include a mix, or “range”, of these young new guys as well as older, more seasoned ones alike - the goal is that the audience begins to pay less attention to the following & profile of the artist, and just listen & judge by the music.

You’ve got a run of range. parties over the next few months right? What cities are you heading to and what can people expect?

R: Correct - We are scaling up & making our return to Phoenix, LA, and New York as well as bringing it to some markets for the first time, like Houston and San Diego with more TBA. This year we have some really exciting new looks / deco for our parties & a more dialed lighting guide to improve our events' look and feel. More importantly, we have a host of new artistic talent and sounds to showcase due to the growth of the sound in America & the ever-changing music scene.

Looking ahead, what are your goals for range. Records and your personal artistry in the next few years?

R: My focus is to grow my project and the label internationally while remaining true to myself & our ethos. I want to enjoy my career day in and day out, and always prioritize having fun and being happy over all. There is so much amazing music and untapped talent out there and I want to do my part to support and expose that. I want my career and my label to be something that gains people's respect and admiration, not something that loses its identity trying to remain relevant. I always want to do this for the right reasons. My biggest goal is to eventually bring what I do back to my hometown, a place far from major nightlife hubs, in the form of a festival.

Beyond the D.A.N (Dance All Night) release, what else do you have coming up in 2025?

R: Following D.A.N I will do my first range. EP of the year - a two-track that I plan on releasing late April / Early May. I also have some really exciting collaborations yet to release with guys like Ruze and Kyle Walker. There’s plenty more music to be made, one day at a time!