Rick Barrio Dill is an American musician. He has performed, engineered and produced under the names Rick Dill, Keylow D, RBD and Rick Barrio Dill.[1][2] Currently, he is an active member of the band Vintage Trouble. He has also been a member of 2nd Day Crush and The Ty Taylor Review. Barrio Dill is also a frequent freelance contributing writer for Recording Magazine.[3][4][5] He lives in Los Angeles.
Dill took music as an interest early on in life and Dill's parents recall that he picked up his first guitar when he was 7 and taught himself the chords to The Beatles' "Let It Be".[6] His musical growth was supported by a home filled with the sounds of records, and Dill remembers being influenced by his parents music collection. This collection included early rock such as The Beatles and The Rolling Stones as well as Tom Jones, the Bee Gees and southern rock from the likes of Bob Seger and Lynyrd Skynyrd.[6][7]
His first musical instrument was a recorder, then a violin, and was soon followed by the electric guitar. He immediately started imitating legends Eddie Van Halen and Steve Vai. At age 16, Dill was exposed to Sly & The Family Stone, particularly the heavyweight bass guitar sounds of Larry Graham and shortly after, he became a bass player. At age 17, he discovered Prince, Motown Records and vintage soul. It was this early rhythm and blues and 1970s funk music that served as the catalyst for his growth as a bass guitarist. This is best reflected by his current musical project Vintage Trouble.
He is the adopted godson of Jerry Martini, the founding member and tenor saxophone player of Sly & The Family Stone, who nicknamed him "Barely White" in reference to his deep soulful voice much akin to Barry White.[6] Martini made live cameo appearances in early incarnations of Barrio Dill's rock/funk band Starbaby, as well as contributed tenor sax to the song "Lines Out" from an early Starbaby EP "Star Candy". Dill cites a myriad of influences on his musical style stating, "Prince, Bob Marley, and Motown created the air I breathe, the rest is just by-products" .
He primarily plays the bass guitar, but is a skilled producer, composer, arranger, and recording engineer and is proficient on guitar and piano.
Tampa to Los Angeles
Dill played in the local Tampa bands, Line-9 and Ramona Ramonster. After deciding to form his own band, he recruited Ramona Ramonster drummer Hugh Joe Murphy and Line-9 singer Mike Dornberger, and guitarist Kris Hawkins to form the rock/funk band Starbaby.[8][9] With the band ready, Dill moved his recording studio to the unused side of Audio Lab Studios in Tampa. Here, he was reunited with whom he claims is his biggest studio and music mentor, Greg Marchak (Trans-Siberian Orchestra, Savatage). Marchak, an engineering and producing local, had actually recorded Dill's first ever demo many years before. The two then began working together in different capacities on a variety of local death metal, punk, hip-hop, rock and gospel projects. Dill also assisted Greg in the editing and engineering on many of the early writing sessions for Trans-Siberian Orchestra recordings and the Jon Oliva (Savatage, Jon Oliva's Pain) solo records. This union led to Marchak helping Barrio Dill co-produce and mix the Starbaby LP "Welcome to the Planet".[10]
RBD contributed significantly to Duff Ferguson's 2005 debut release 400 Miles as an engineer, bass guitar player, and also sang harmony vocals.[19] On Ferguson's 2007 album Good Things he is a credited bass guitarist as well on three songs.[20]
RBD appeared on Boston Legal Season 2 Episode 16 "Live Big" as a sideline musician/band leader on guitar. Original air date February 21, 2006.[21]
Co-produced and engineered Tampa hip-hop group The Villanz with The Great LP, Episode One and Neighborhood Heroes (in development as of May 2009).[22]
RBD has played bass in numerous shows with the Los Angeles-based Troubador Theatre Orchestra directed by Matt Walker. These shows have included, The Artist Formerly Known as Prince Hamlet of Denmark, Little Drummer Bowie, It's A Charlie James Brown Christmas, Much A Doobie Brothers About Nothing, Alice in One-Hit Wonderland, and OthE.L.O.[23][24]
Producer, mixer and co-writer of electronic hip-hop project The Hi-Fidelity with Bradley Keys.[25]
Equipment
Dill is endorsed by Aguilar Amplification and Black Diamond Strings.[26][27] He plays Sadowsky and Fender bass guitars.
SugarwallFind A Way LP (Prod, Mix, Perf) 2009 2nd Day CrushFrom the Nights You Lost Your Voice (Prod, Eng, Perf) 2008 Scovill AvenueBig House (Bass, Eng, Mixer) on "Burn (I Want To") 2008 DuffGood Things LP (Bass) on "We Will Escape, Good Things and One Day at a Time" 2008 The Villanz The Rise of the Villanz – Episode 1 (Mix, Eng) 2007 2nd Day Crush624 EP (Prod, Mix, Perf) 2006 Duff400 Miles EP (Bass, Eng) 2005 StarbabyWelcome to the Planet (Prod, Eng, Mix, Perf) 2005 The VillanzEpisode 1 LP (Mix, Eng, Co-prod) 2004 Di-Vine -feat. The VillanzThe Great LP (Mix, Eng) 2003 I AliveI Alive LP (Edit, Mix, Addl. Vox) 2003 Four Star RiotThe Best Things (ProTools Editing) 2003 Ramona RamonsterImpervious Nature LP (Bass) 1999