Roziht Eve

Words by Justin Ruiz

Have you ever had the feeling that you’ll instantly connect with someone when first coming across them? That you were meant to be friends, or that you’d get along? There’s something almost cosmic about interactions like that, perhaps because of their rarity (at least for me) or the sheer randomness of it all.

I was at my house in Oakland, California, with no particular plans for the weekend. On a whim, I decided to cross the bridge into San Francisco, affectionately known as The City, just to see what might be going on in the world.

I stumbled around for a bit and found myself in a very familiar part of town, the Mission District, where I had worked for a number of years throughout my time in tech. Off Mission Street, the backbone of the bustling neighborhood, I found parking on a short side road, right in front of a building cryptically named “The Lab”. There was a small crowd, lights were on, something was happening.  It piqued my curiosity, so I walked in.

Unbeknownst to me, I had just entered the San Francisco Electronic Music Festival, a pinnacle event for those in the electronic music scene. I didn’t know that The Lab was this highly respected venue and creative hub mere blocks from where I once worked. Most importantly, I didn’t know I was about to encounter one of the most talented, creative, and thoughtful free spirits I would ever meet. That’s how I met Roziht Eve.

FORGING OUR OWN WAY

Growing up, music was always around me. My tastes were formed from my parents whose interests ranged from AC/DC and Black Sabbath to The Beatles and The Jackson 5. The Internet (and torrent sites like Limewire) only further served to broaden my music horizons. This eclectic musical upbringing allowed me to develop and explore my own tastes and interests from a young age. Roziht’s experience mirrors mine in many ways. Music was not just background noise but a formative presence for her.

A lot of my core experiences with music were sounds that I heard when I was young. My parents loved music, we grew up with lots of cassettes, CDs, lots of music and access at home. It sort of became this huge Sound Library for me to explore. I’d come home and listen to all kinds of genres, which expanded my world. I learned about different cultures and countries, it instilled a curiosity in me at a very young age. Now, as an artist, I feel like I am on some level trying to recreate the sounds that I’ve collected throughout my life and extending the use of technology to do so. This was all rooted in my childhood.

Each person reaches a point where they want and need to carve out their individuality, moving away from parental influences to establish their own identity. For Roziht, who was steeped in music from a young age, the desire to create was inherent, the seeds of her identity firmly taking root. Yet, embracing the artist within wasn’t immediate or easy. Like many, she grappled with the fear and implications of labeling herself an ‘artist’, a term laden with external expectations and judgments.

“It was a very slow realization for me to see that I was always engaging in activities typical of artists and creatives. Initially, I thought my path would lead me to become a pianist or cellist, but deep down, I had such a desire to be a singer and percussionist. My interests and passions fluctuated, but the constant was my desire to create. It took time for me to fully embrace and define myself as a creative, an artist. It was a journey of acceptance and self-discovery.”

Now firmly established in her identity, Roziht’s journey continues to unfold in exciting ways. An active performer across the Bay Area, she combines her deep musical roots with a passion for innovation, often incorporating advanced technologies into her compositions. Her recent completion of a master’s degree in Technology Applied Composition at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music marks just the beginning of her exploration into how technology can expand the boundaries of traditional music. This blend of classic influences and cutting-edge tools sets the stage for a deeper dive into her creative process, where technology and inspiration intertwine to shape her unique sound.

THE BACKGROUND NOISE

Creativity doesn’t thrive in isolation; it requires context. Some creatives ignite their spark in spontaneous “Eureka” moments, while others, like Thomas Edison with his ball bearing sleep experiment, deliberately guide their process to force creativity. Then there are those who personify creativity, embracing an ongoing, fluid process that defies methodical categorization. Roziht belongs to this latter group, deeply aware of her creative patterns and the contexts from which they emerge.

I think the cultural expectations that sought to confine me, to keep me within a structured box, really inspired me. It gave me this burning desire to really get to know who I am. It was very liberating, discovering and owning that I have this authority; it really woke me up. I’ll be walking in the Mission District in SF, down Valencia Street wandering and wondering. Going through clothing, vintage shopping, waiting in line for Boba, waiting at the bus stop, going to a bookstore aggressively flipping through photo books, eating somewhere, teaching students, playing with my daughter. I am inspired both actively and passively by all the stimuli around me. That’s the context I pull from when starting to create.

Roziht has discovered her unique creative formula: simply to live. Much of her composing happens subconsciously, akin to background noise that her mind processes while she engages with the world. This initial phase of creation varies in duration, from a few hours to weeks, after which she transitions to active composition. In her home studio, ideas previously captured in voice memos transform into structured sessions, often lasting 8 to 9 hours of focused creativity. As life evolves, so too does Roziht’s artistic expression.

Composing is my diary, it’s directly from my life so it naturally changes as my life does. I used to think I needed a clear aesthetic or style. And as a classically trained musician, I used to think structure sounded the best, that discipline and focus were the most correct. Now I allow my process to change as I change. I want change, it’s an organic need for me. As I learned more about minimalism and 20th century composers of that ilk, I realized there are no rules or laws for the creative process. I gave myself space and time to unlearn creative structures and to explore what my own creative pace, process, and authenticity could look like for me. Sometimes I don’t want change to occur, but it does because that is life. The hardest thing for me was to unlearn certain habits or norms. It’s a theme of evolution.

As Roziht’s journey continues, her awareness of the world around her – and its technological advancements – plays a crucial role in her evolving sound. Her academic study of music and technology has not only influenced her understanding but has become a vital element in her artistic exploration. This ongoing integration of technology shapes how she redefines the boundaries of her music, promising a fascinating perspective on creation in this period of time.

CREATING IN THE AGE OF AI

As we stand at the intersection of art and technology, artists are increasingly exploring how Artificial Intelligence can be woven into their creative fabric. For Roziht, the advent of AI in music isn’t just about leveraging new technology. It’s about defining its role in the creative process. She views AI as a potent tool that, when used appropriately, can expand the artistic landscape rather than diminish the authenticity of creation. Roziht advocates for using AI as a catalyst for exploration, a means to push boundaries and experiment, rather than as a shortcut to artistic expression. This approach underscores a crucial distinction: using AI to enhance the creative journey rather than bypassing the integral stages of artistic evolution.

AI can enhance the artist’s process and creative realms when used as a generator instead of a creator. This is the line for me, personally. I learn the most when a creative process involves a lot of trial and error. There’s something very human about exploring for the sake of exploring, seeing what you like, what you don’t like, familiarizing yourself with a new instrument, concept, tool. If AI is used in this way, for experimentation, trial and error, then it is very healthy and is just another type of tool we can add to our process. But I worry if/when people use AI to shorten the trial and error process. Essentially just creating final versions of things without really experimenting. That line begins to blur between experimentation/generation and creation.

Roziht embraces AI not as a crutch but as a liberator within the creative realm. Her approach is rooted in the belief that the true value of AI lies in its ability to facilitate experimentation and visualization, thereby freeing artists to delve deeper into their creative instincts.

However, she remains cautious, aware that the power of AI can seduce some into letting it take over the creative process entirely. For Roziht, the strength of AI is its capacity to serve as a dynamic tool that enhances the exploration of new artistic territories without supplanting the artist’s fundamental role in creation. This discernment between using AI as a tool rather than a substitute is crucial; it informs her proactive stance on integrating AI into her work, ensuring that her artistic expression remains authentically human, driven by her vision and creativity.

I’ve been trying to explore all realms of AI within creativity. I use AI generated images to chat with friends as a form of collaboration and to help visualize ideas. It helps us to remember and remind ourselves of what intuition looks like. It’s very freeing. I think with AI, it comes down to how you use it. If you want to let AI do all the work, that’s becoming possible. There’s fear there, because things are so powerful, but it has created an alertness in me to recognize HOW I should be using these things. And a desire to be more in tune with my ideas, to build the skill of identifying the point of creativity and separate it from tools that help you.

AI is a generator, meant to help you explore, to try things, to fail, to iterate. I see it as one of the best tools ever for this purpose. But creativity is me. I am the one using AI to help bring to life what I’ve thought of, what I want to create.

As Roziht continues to navigate the complex interplay between technology and creativity, her insights offer a glimpse into the potential future of artistic expression. Her thoughtful application of technology sets a precedent for how artists might remain at the helm of creativity while harnessing new technologies to enhance their visions, continuing to forge her own path.

FUTURE PERSPECTIVES

We each have a purpose in life. It might take time to figure out what that purpose might be, but that’s part of the journey. Roziht is unwavering in her belief that creating is her purpose.

If I weren’t creating. I’d probably just be dead. I would be doing absolutely nothing with my soul, just my body moving through space and time. I can’t think of anything else. It is the thing that makes me who I am.

Such a simple notion, yet profound. The layers peeled back, we have arrived at the essence of who Roziht is. Sometimes cosmic things happen, sheer luck, pure randomness. I think back to the sequence of events that landed me at The Lab on a very average and regular Friday evening, being introduced to Rozhit for the first time. I’m grateful to the universe, the cosmos, the gods of randomness, Chaos, whatever you believe causes these things to happen. Because if it didn’t happen, I wouldn’t have learned something genuinely life-changing: once you find your purpose, accept it. Let it shape you. Travel down that path for the rest of your life, ebbing and flowing, taking in and learning all that you can along the way. Just as Roziht does every day.

Interact with Roziht below