Rowan Dix's Tastes Have Gotten Weirder As He's Gotten Older

Entropico's Rowan Dix is a visionary composer and producer from Sydney, whose dynamic range and innovative approach have made him a standout talent across the entertainment, music and creative industries. Since 2020, Rowan has been making waves in the world of film and advertising, crafting soundscapes that resonate with contemporary audiences. His score for the hit Netflix Original, 'OneFour: Against All Odds', skyrocketed to #2 on Netflix in 2023 and received global acclaim for its powerful and evocative music.

In the creative advertising realm, Rowan has created captivating compositions for major brands such as Google, Square, Triple J, the NSW Government, and Samsung. Each project required a unique sonic approach, showcasing his ability to capture and hold the attention of diverse audiences.

Before his transition into film and advertising, Rowan began his musical career as Joyride, releasing three EPs and an album that established his unique sound. He played pivotal roles in the rap group One Day and the alt-pop duo The Meeting Tree, earning a gold record and an ARIA nomination. Additionally, Rowan has recorded and performed live with notable Australian artists like Matt Corby, Paul Mac, The Rubens, and Jarryd James, enhancing their performances with his musical expertise.

Rowan’s ability to weave through different styles and challenge conventions sets him apart from the pack. From modern pop to neo-classical to sparse, tense electronica, his extensive knowledge of musical genres and his passion for innovation make him a sought-after collaborator in both screen and sound.

LBB> When you’re working on a new brief or project, what’s your typical starting point? How do you break it down and how do you like to generate your ideas or response?

Rowan> I enjoy the collaborative aspects of this work, so the jumping-off point is often a discussion about the overall vibe and sharing links to things we think fit within that. When you’re working with someone new, this is also handy to figure out their musical history/context, a lot of the time you need to figure out a common language you can use while you’re creating, and knowing what the client/director is into or what they’ve grown up on helps inform that.

From there, it’s about knocking together some sketches of ideas and seeing what gets them the most excited -- sometimes I’ll make a silly option. Sometimes that becomes the one. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

LBB> Music and sound are in some ways the most collaborative and interactive forms of creativity -- what are your thoughts on this? Do you prefer to work solo or with a gang -- and what are some of your most memorable professional collaborations?

Rowan> Making music definitely invites a lot of playing. And playing with friends is the best! Just ask any eight-year-old. In saying that, working solo is a necessary part of the job, but collaborators don’t always have to come in the form of musicians. I’d say it's impossible to find someone in the creative industries who, when asked their opinion on music, wouldn’t be excited to offer it (no offence). This makes working with other people in post-production so interesting and valuable. They’re collaborators, but not in a traditional sense. More of a Rick Rubin sitting on the couch and starting every sentence with “what about…” kind of vibe.

In saying all that, though, my most memorable professional collaboration (perhaps due to recency bias -- time will tell) would be working with my dear friend and bandmate, Raph Dixon, on the triple j sonic refresh earlier this year.

LBB> What’s the most satisfying part of your job and why?

Rowan> I love the exploration stage. Digging around for inspo tracks that take 10 minutes to search for because you only have a vague memory of the chorus, because you haven’t heard it since 2008, but you know it could be perfect inspiration for what you’re working on.

Realising it won’t work at all for what you’re doing, but then bookmarking that album to listen to on the walk home.

Fumbling about on all the stuff that makes noise in the studio.

Trying nice chords out on different synths.

Landing on something great.

Putting it all together.

Briefly pausing to consider whether you should actually pocket this track for the solo project you’ll never get around to finishing.

Then listening to it the next day and not knowing how the heck you did that.

That’s satisfying.

LBB> As the advertising industry changes, how do you think the role of music and sound is changing with it?

Rowan> I believe companies are increasingly relying on the power of sound in their branding. Our ears are very clever things. The visceral response music can conjure inside us remains undefeated. The ears are ripe for exploitation, and there are more opportunities to connect outside the traditional streams than ever before!

This is happening from podcasts to points of sale, and music and sound design are being relied on more regularly to associate feelings of joy or trust or happiness or coolness with a brand.

Traditionally, sound has often come late in the process, but at Entropico, we are always trying to break away from that thinking In terms of process and often start some creative execution thinking with 'what will it sound like' and build back from there, rather than leave music briefing to a later stage.

LBB> Who are your musical or audio heroes and why?

Rowan> My friend Raph, because he has crazy ideas and makes me want to be better at what I do.

Tiga, because he’s a little bit silly and his thoughts around music and creativity are perfect and always brilliantly expressed. (Worth checking out his short-lived podcast, First/Last Party On Earth, especially his chats with Chilly Gonzales and Mark Ronson).

My mum, because she liked to sing harmonies with me.

LBB> And when it comes to your particular field, whether sound design or composing, are there any particular ideas or pioneers that you go back to frequently or who really influence your thinking about the work you do?

Rowan> At the moment, it’s Anthony Gonzalez/M83. Every aspect of his music, whether his scores or his pop releases, is perfect to me, and I love it. Composition, mix, sound design, themes, lyrics. Everything. If cutting all his skin off and then wearing it would make me half as good as him, I would consider going knife shopping.

LBB> When you’re working on something that isn’t directly sound design or music (lets say going through client briefs or answering emails) - are you the sort of person who needs music and noise in the background or is that completely distracting to you? What are your thoughts on ‘background’ sound and music as you work?

Rowan> Passive listening is great. I don’t need music and noise in the background, but I like it. One of the great shames of making music is that you can’t listen to music while you do it. Maybe one day Brian Eno will make 'Ambient 2: Music For Emails'. Maybe his godson already has but he called it 'Actual Life 3…' -- which, in that context, is kind of a sad name.

LBB> The quality of the listening experience and the context that audiences listen to music/sound in has changed over the years. There’s the switch from analogue to digital and now we seem to be divided between bad-ass surround-sound immersive experiences and on-the-go, low quality sound (often the audio is competing with a million other distractions) - how does that factor into how you approach your work?

Rowan> One definitely has to consider the medium through which their work will be consumed - whether it’s cinema, a phone or getting smashed by the compressors of a radio station, then magically spat out on the FM band. Or sometimes all of those and more. It’s an avoidable tangle, I think. If you focus on the core elements of something being pleasing to listen to (your classic eight elements of music, a decent mix, etc), then the rest will handle itself.

LBB> On a typical day, what does your ‘listening diet’ look like?

Rowan> When I walk the dog at first light, I’ll listen to a podcast ('Hello Sport', 'The Grade Cricketer', and 'Chasing Scratch' are my current go-tos).

Get home, and I’ll pop some music on in the living room -- nothing too loud or crazy. The Roches have been getting a good run lately. At the gym, it will be one of a few ambient playlists I’ve got on the go. From there, it’s a real free-for-all. The only other hard and fast rule for music in my life is Sabrina Carpenter and Chappell Roan in the car if my wife is with me. Not mad at it.

LBB> Do you have a collection of music/sounds and what shape does it take (are you a vinyl nerd, do you have hard drives full of random bird sounds, are you a hyper-organised Spotify-er…)?

Rowan> I have a modest vinyl collection that gets a decent run on the weekends, but apart from that, my collection stays in my head. This question is maybe a good reminder to do better on that front. The positive from that, though, is that I’m constantly on the hunt for new music that sparks something inside me -- Spotify is not very good at accommodating this.

Tidal is my go-to. Great playlists -- you don’t have to look very hard to find something great that you wouldn’t have found otherwise.

LBB> Outside of the music and sound world, what sort of art or topics really excite you and do you ever relate that back to music?

Rowan> I enjoy sports. All different kinds. I believe there are numerous interesting similarities between sports and music. Both require creativity. Both inspire and can create a kind of trivial tribalism that brings people together. They both tickle a very uniquely human part of us. They can both be very competitive. They both encourage teamwork and show you that a collective can be greater than the sum of its parts. They can both be very expensive pastimes.

LBB> Let’s talk travel! It’s often cited as one of the most creatively inspiring things you can do -- what are the most exciting or inspiring experiences you’ve had when it comes to sound and music on your travels?

Rowan> Travelling through the US when I was a lot younger than I am now really impressed upon me the unbreakable link music has with the progression of culture. We were in a town car heading over the Brooklyn Bridge, listening to Hot 97, when Funkmaster Flex debuted Otis.

A truly insane moment in the history of broadcasting. We were in Nashville for Country Music Week, which was like nothing I’d ever experienced. When we went to the Stax Museum in Memphis, it opened my eyes to the role of music in the civil rights movement.

Everywhere you went, music was so important. It was hard not to feel inspired by it all!

LBB> As we age, our ears change physically and our tastes evolve too, and life changes mean we don’t get to engage in our passions in the same intensity as in our youth -- how has your relationship with sound and music changed over the years?

Rowan> I feel that my relationship with music has remained fundamentally the same since I was a teenager. I am always seeking out new things to listen to that make me excited, and I love playing with new and interesting sounds, chords, melodies and ideas. The only difference, I think, is that as I’ve gotten older, my tastes have gotten a bit weirder. Chasing the dragon, in a sense... I need a stronger hit! It’s something I try to remain conscious of when I’m creating unless I’m making a silly option.