Ralph Rodriguez, aka Ralph Session, is a New York City DJ and producer whose blend of New York and Chicago house style has gained support over the years from the likes of Jimpster, Mr. V, Cinthie, Oliver Dollar, and Laurent Garnier. Session grew into the club culture of New York from the B-Boy and House Dance scene and was taught on the dance floors of New York’s iconic clubs. He’s collaborated with talented artists such as Juliet Mendoza, Mr. V, DJ Fudge, E-Man, Carla Prather, and DJ Amir, contributing to his dynamic sound. 

2024 has been a milestone year for Ralph so far,  highlighted by the release of his EP ‘Brooklyn Heavy Hitters’ on Local Talk, which garnered widespread attention. Following this success, He dropped ‘Freak’ on Freerange with Juliet Mendoza, a track that showcased their combined creativity and has been celebrated all summer. Following ‘Freak,’ Ralph released his ‘For The House Heads’ EP on Quintessentials, further solidifying his presence in the underground house scene.

Off the back of his new ‘Late Night Madness’ EP on SlothBoogie Recordings, we caught up with the artist to discuss the new release, his New York roots, career highlights, and more!

WWD: Hey Ralph, Great to meet you! What’s happening in your world at the minute?

Hey WWD, nice to meet you too. I have been really good lately. Played some fun parties in London and Germany recently and the ideas and output have been flowing on the studio side.

WWD: Congratulations on releasing ‘Late Night Madness’ EP on SlothBoogie Records. Talk us through the release? 

Thank you so much. It’s an honor to have a release on SB. I have been playing their releases for a while. 

Madness came about while messing with an Arp2600 or Odyssey plugin . I’ve always wanted to incorporate a summer madness lead on something of mine. So when I found a close lead I incorporated it into this.

You Are Here is my B-Boy breaks side and my house side coming out on this one. I wanted to make something gritty yet sexy. Jazz on groove with a bit of boom bap Hip Hop to it. But housey af. 

Against The Clock was my studio exercise using the old Fact Magazine series  “Against The Clock” where producers have only 10 mins to make a beat. I liked one of my 10 min ideas so much that I developed the track further to what you hear today. That took way more than 10 mins. 

WWD: For those who are just discovering your music, what do you hope they feel or experience when they listen to your productions? 

First thanks for finding my stuff. I hope you all continue to support me. I hope that my music makes them feel that something in their soul and gives them goosebumps when they listen. I hope they get lost in the music like I did when I first became a House head.

WWD: Can you describe the connection between your music and your New York roots, and how they continue to influence your music today? 

My connection that New York provided me back in the early 2000’s was an education coming from the dj booths, the circles on the dancefloors and the producers every night. Those things shaped my foundation. I think that is evident in my music. Even though my music varies in style; to me it’s all House Music. That’s what I was taught and experienced in New York.

WWD: What has been the highlight of your career so far? Can you talk about a specific moment or accomplishment that stands out as particularly meaningful to you? 

I can safely call this whole year the highlight of my career. I have released music on some of my all time favorite labels like Freerange, Local Talk, Quintessentials and now Sloth Boogie. I have had the pleasure of playing some great parties around Europe as well. So for me each one specifically stood out on a personal level. On the flip side, from what I have seen those releases have been getting played a lot and really supported by some big dj’s which helps too.

WWD: Can you share some insight into your creative process when producing music? Do you have any particular rituals or methods that help you stay inspired? 

In the beginning of a session, my process is simply playing with ideas and looking for sounds. I have created a great workflow for myself and that has helped me flesh out ideas. One method or piece of equipment for me is having a big tv. I like having a lot of screen real estate. I will have Logic with a mixer window above on one side. Probably Ableton rewired on the right side and Youtube or Netflix playing in the background. The fact that I can stretch some plugins to be really big makes it feel like I own the hardware which also gets my brain going creatively etc. Idk get a big tv it will help with your beats haha.

WWD: Can you tell us about any challenges you have faced in your career and how you overcame them? Have there been any specific obstacles or difficulties you’ve had to navigate as an electronic musician? 

I guess one challenge would be can I or most producers/Dj’s even call what we do a career anymore?? To me a career is supposed to come with certain things that we usually don’t as  dj/producer/musicians. Can we pay any bills anymore unless you are massive? If you can’t then ‘career’ development gets pushed to the back burner usually. The biggest obstacles and difficulties for me would be maintaining one’s mental health. But knowing that doesn’t mean I know how to maintain mine in this scene. Everyone has their journey. 

WWD: As someone deeply rooted in the house music scene, what state is it in right now? What notable artists are emerging?

A very splintered scene in the clubs. There is a big disconnect in relationships between producers and the club scene. Everyone is a collective that books each other and the same big names only. Not the people who are making the music they play like it used to be. When I go to a supposed House party, It’s something I wouldn’t call close to House. That never happens if you go to a reggaeton party or a commercial top 40 club. So why is it only electronic music that has this problem? You sure that’s Deep House?? They say they love Afro House but it’s probably just Brofro.

Artists/dj wise you should check out, Jean-Jez’s latest on Flat White is so dope. Retromigration always hits. Turbojazz is doing his thing and blowing up. Simon Hinter is on fire at the moment. Alexander Flood is really exciting too. Ruby Savage I recently heard and was so happy to get that feeling back from a set. 

WWD: When you are not busy with music, what might we find you doing? 

Cooking something for my gf and I, having some beers with friends, chilling & watching a movie, or a having a siesta!

WWD: Finally, tell us about three of your best dancefloor fillers… 

My NYC Boot Tapes Mix of Ice Spice – Gangsta Boo has been slamming every dancefloor it gets played on.  

Ralph Session feat Mr V – ‘Bounce To This’ (Underground Mix) on Snatch Records hits the techy peak time crowd every time. 

‘BQE’ off my ‘Brooklyn Heavy Hitters’ EP on Local Talk always sets a big it’s time to get down mood on the dance floor! 

WWD: Amazing picks! Thanks for the chat!

The ‘Late Night Madness’ EP is available here