The power of the Internet often allows people with no direct exposure to art to create as if they were directly influenced. One would not immediately think of Finland as a hub for bass music, yet Topi is among the best and most underrated artists who falls under this umbrella, with his ingenious versatility and impeccable sound design earning the praise of industry greats. Hot off the menacing ‘Self Sabotage,’ we figured it was due time to connect with the bass music virtuoso to discuss life in Finland, future plans and much more.
In addition, since Topi shows are quite rare for most, the talented producer has graced us with an action-packed thirty-minute mix that showcases his diverse tastes and a few unreleased treats. Check out the interview and mix below!
Tell us about the origins of Topi. Do you have any formal musical training or was production your first introduction to creating music?
I do not have any formal training. I pretty much just got interested in the production side of things from listening to lots of different music.
Finland certainly isn’t the first spot that comes to mind as a bass music hub. What first piqued your curiosity into this genre and what led you to producing?
Definitely not. When I started producing I kind of went with house/tech stuff first, then later once I got bored of it, I started to mess around more with heavier music. Always been a big fan of acts like Noisia, Feed Me and Skrillex. So I just thought, why not give this type of stuff a try.
How is the bass music scene in Finland?
Quite small. I personally only know a couple producers here who work with heavier electronic music. Not many shows either. Risky for promoters to plan any shows in here due to the lack of people who would be interested in the more bass heavy events.
I’ve always enjoyed the production side of things more than the performing.
What has been the most challenging aspect of being a bass music producer in a place where the scene isn’t very active compared to North America?
I think the biggest thing is the number of opportunities to play shows. In addition to that, it takes a lot of effort to break into markets like the US which already has a lot of talent of its own.
Does this ever make you feel like you chose the right career but in the wrong place? Do you ever get urges to make the move or are you comfortable with where you are now?
Well, I’ve always enjoyed the production side of things more than the performing. So not really that interested in moving to a different country just because I might get more gigs there.
Along those lines, what do you do outside of music and production? What’s a typical day in the life of Topi?
Other than music, I work with Photoshop/Premiere/AE a lot, doing artwork, videos, teasers etc. Still, my typical days are usually just me working on music. I also like video games. Currently mostly playing CS:GO and Tarkov.
Last year, you went on a string of impressive independent releases. What prompted the decision to stay away from labels and do your own thing?
Well, most of the labels I’ve worked with before weren’t interested in signing them. Regardless, I personally really liked the tunes and they’ve sat on my computer for a while and the quickest way to release them was by self-release, so the decision was pretty straightforward at that point.
Is something similar planned for 2020? How do you hope to top your singles this year?
Not exactly. One self-release (which was ‘Self Sabotage’) and a couple of releases planned with a label I haven’t worked with before! So that’s nice.
You never seem to confine yourself to genres. Any new projects into unfamiliar territory in the works?
Not in the works currently. Well, I haven’t worked with a vocalist or a rapper before so might give that a try this year.
What were your intentions in creating this mix? Is it similar to what one could expect from a Topi set?
Yeah, I guess it’s pretty similar. Although, this one starts a bit slower than my other mixes and has even more BPM changes. I usually like to keep my live sets moving and filled with all types of genres.
Tracklist:
Noisia – Decloak
Jon Casey – Cliche
Tsuruda- Hammer
Topi – ID
Noisia – Running Blind
Topi – Self Sabotage
Noisia – Halcyon
PLS&TY – Summers Young (Shadient Remix)
Topi – ID
Topi – ID
Moody Good – Walking Stoopid
Dr. Ozi – Brooding Murder
Koan Sound – Meanwhile, In The Future (KOAN Sound’s What Year Is It Remix)
Topi – ID
The Sponges – Funked up
Topi – ID
Odesza – Falls (Golden Features Remix)
Tourists – Apollo
Terace – Let Me Know (Taiki Nulight Remix)
Noisia – Armajet
Virtual Self – Ghost Voices
