RJ Pasin: Sample This

With a simple background of a room in his house, simple appearance, and simple text reading “sample this,” you would expect a simple tune from RJ Pasin. Ironically, that couldn't be further from the truth. All his beats are meticulously crafted— almost always incorporating an instrument like a guitar and some exquisite editing— and span widely through genres such as hyperpop to djent. 

RJ Pasin wants only one thing: for you to sample his work. This is what he advocates for through his social media presence and seems to be encouraging more with his first main release and debut album, Isekai, which came out in late 2023. Even now, as he dives into bigger and better projects, this sentiment still stands. 

Pasin has developed what can only be described as a guerrilla marketing strategy— once you see one of his videos, you’ll want to see them all! I arbitrarily found his music a while ago, and now I look forward to anything and everything that he releases. Every time I see him with a new loop, I feel a sense of wonder and excitement. Hardworking and disciplined, Pasin is constantly promoting songs he’s passionate about. Some may accuse his abundance of loops as a matter of quantity over quality, but I disagree.

Pasin’s debut record contains extended versions of the loops he presents in his videos.  Not only are the recordings energetic and smooth, but their titles, such as “Pink Cloud,” “Colors,” “Nuggets,” “Fire Emblem,” “Pops,” and “Isekai,” give the listener insight into the pop culture references and thoughts RJ Pasin had during the time of the recording. There is a meticulous level of particularity put into every one of his recordings. 

Be warned, however, his loops and full-length songs aren't the most fleshed-out material— they are repetitive, but always leave me satisfied after listening. I do think that RJ Pasin would benefit from a fuller sound, and frankly, wish he would try. Still, he is improving on this by collaborating with other artists and adding more than one element to his songs. Rather than sticking to solely creating beats, he now uses piano, guitar, and vocals to compliment his tracks. There is a clear evolution taking place with his work, and as his discography continues to expand, so does the amount of songs I know you’re bound to like; no matter what you like— simple or complex— there’s enough in there for you to enjoy one of his many one to two-minute snippets of perfection!

Simplicity isn't equivalent to mediocrity. RJ Pasin’s “simple” guitar loops pack a lot more punch than one would naively expect; the songs contain hard-hitting guitar lines, glitches, stutters, and guitar flutters. Through this, Pasin beautifully demonstrates how simplicity can evoke complex emotions. 

Don’t just take my word for it, listen to him yourself. You can stream RJ Pasin on all your common streaming services, but please check him out if you have the time. His songs may be short, but they’ll stick with you for a long time.

Thumbnail Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons