Bassrush

Honing in on a highly versatile style that stems from years of deep-rooted passion, highly nurtured musical knowledge, and an eclectic roster of inspirations, Sepia has arisen from the depths as a master in his own right of the Bristolian dubstep sound. The thoughtfully inspiring and ever-expansive output from this no boundaries producer boasts finely crafted and richly produced works that cover completely different corners of the dubstep spectrum, all with equally effortless expertise and freshness. Within his short time in dubstep’s limelight, Sepia already stands as a highly decorated producer, having released on esteemed underground labels such as Infernal Sounds, Gourmet Beats, FatKidOnFire, Tuba, White Peach and Transient Audio, just to name a few.

The newest addition to Sepia’s mighty musical repertoire comes through his valiant return to Truth’s trailblazing Deep, Dark and Dangerous imprint, with his latest EP, Eclipse, available now for digital purchase. (If you’re vinyl-inclined, cop your order here.) This four-track release carves out delightfully unchartered territory in the dubstep realm and further flexes the shape shifting nature of Sepia’s production prowess, as it simultaneously sports ferocious low-end power, gentle finesse and undeniable emotional weight within its sonic fibers. Recognizing Sepia’s knack for musical elasticity and inventiveness, we were curious to pick his brain about some of the biggest inspirations guiding the creation of his own unique sound, so check the playlist below and hear Sepia’s thoughts on each of the tracks he selected.

Phaeleh “In The Twilight”
“Phaeleh has always been a huge inspiration to my sound. His use of atmospherics, guitar melodies and intricate percussion has always resonated with me. The ethereal space in his music and emotion behind it captured me from day one, and I’ve tried to be as honest in my own sound as he has in his.”

Burial “Shell Of Light”
“No introduction needed, really. Burial needs no explaining, and this is one of my favorite pieces of his, though it’s extremely hard to choose a singular Burial piece for an influences playlist.”

Mala “Alicia”
“No words needed. Ten years on and still does the rounds. Insta-classic. Beauty.”

Author “After Time”
“Honestly, I think this is one of the most beautiful dubstep tunes ever made. This song has every element and frequency I could possibly want to hear. Words can’t describe it. It’s also helped me through a lot in the past, and is something I listen to daily and still play in most sets.”

Peverelist “Roll With The Punches” (James Blake Harmonimix Remix)
“The original is an absolute belter, Bristol anthem, which I love and still play regularly. This version, however, James Blake’s genius Harmonimix, really inspired my earlier works circa 2010 – 2012 when I was experimenting more than I do now.”

Quest “Stand”
“Nine minutes of beauty. It’s so militant the way each bar and its elements are built up. The breakdown just breaks you down in the dance. Out to my big bro Quest each and every. Really positive message in the sample of this song, too.”

Silkie “Limits”
“Playful, melodic vibes. This one always goes off.”

Coki “Goblin”
“Coki has always inspired me. I know most of my productions are on the more chilled side, but I do love making dark, angry sounds, too, and Coki is best at both. Look at ‘Goblin’ and then look at ‘Ruff Lovin’; perfect examples of opposite ends of the spectrum. I like to show both sides.”

Samba x Chokez “Ghastly”
“My homies, part of Chonk Mob crew (watch this space, we got stuff planned). This tune has been doing damage all year and it never leaves my bag. Great producers and great friends.”

Aphex Twin “Rhubarb”
“Again, so hard choosing a singular piece of Aphex for a playlist about my influences, but I had to go with ‘Rhubarb,’ as I have been constantly trying to create soundscapes like this since I started producing. Huge influence.”

Bonus Track: Sepia “Amber”
“I hate to be that guy—and I do find it so cringe including my own song in this list—but I am really proud of this track. It’s a very personal track I made when I was in a real bad messed up place, so letting it out to the world took a lot. I was so scared of how people would perceive it, but it turned out to be the one people seem to know the most. When I was touring the USA there was quite a few shows where I didn’t play it, and people were asking me to play it. I don’t play it in a dance often, as it’s usually not the right vibe, but now I’ve found the confidence to just think, ‘Fuck it, I’mma play what I want.’”