Just a day after ditching dentistry school, Rios found himself at a friend’s rehearsal room taking the chair to play a drum kit for the first time. His natural beat won him an invitation to a cover band. Since then, music has been Rios main source of living and expression. As he matured as a musician, inspired by the creative hunger to contribute something different, he became part of music bands where he experimented with drum kit setups and sampling pads.
By 2010, he was in Austin facing the difficult balancing reality of auditioning and working as a drummer. The opportunity arose to play as a street artist performing with electronics and drums in a food truck in South Congress. This led him to get gigs with bands like Love Hate Affair, Mobley, Como las Movies.
He has continued to work on different ways to make hybrid setups. Most recently in February 2020, prior to the pandemic, he made his first interactive installation called Found Sound Objects.
Rios is currently working with his band Easy Compadre! and in collaboration with Héctor Tednoir and Fernando Mondragón he achieved this piece entitled: [ Harp Strap ]
Repurposed wood
Polycarbonate sheet
2″ x 4′ PVC pipe
5 ratchet straps
1 Sure b57 mic
1 Sure b58 mic
1 Behringer X1204 mixer
Photo documentation by Ben Altenberg
Video documentation by Héctor Tednoir