An Interview With Steve Sperry
A new album release from Steve Sperry brings out a gorgeous and quirky but colorful array of textures and scents that blend and bounce off of each other to create an atmosphere that frankly, you just don't want to step out of again.
The album is dubbed Then and Now and Now Is Then and it has a wondrous way of pushing the envelope with an endlessly fun and outside the box approach that starts to become a staple soundscape throughout the record.
The release has a lot going for it because it takes these classic nuances and spins them into a sort of refreshing and vibrant set of songs that have experimental tendencies and work with fewer boundaries than its predecessors which is something that we should all look for in new music.
From track to track you get a little bit of a different vibe but at the same time you also have this sort of strange feeling that this is almost like a concept record of sorts just not like the ones you're used to.
I love that about it along with the fact that this is just a pure form of escapism because you're taking yourself outside of whatever your reality is and putting yourself into this one which is a really fun experience in itself.
The record has some singles that stand on their own two feet very well but to really soak this in properly, listening to the album as a whole is something I feel like you're supposed to be doing.
It's kind of like a fantastical journey into a sonic soundscape that has a way of wrapping itself around you.
It's enjoyable to become engulfed in this record and let yourself just get washed away with the sounds of everything.
There's a lot of spaciousness and vastness along with neon lit undertones and this energetic and almost excitable style that all together, becomes quickly infectious.
What's really particular about this release is the attention to detail while at the same time being loose with certain aspects of it.
It's such a great cross combination of approaches and makes for a record that has a weird way of sticking with you even after it's ended.
A very inventive use of synths and keys that layer atop each other with beats that drive everything let you sort of float along or swim through the record and in the end you come to a certain place.
Whatever place that is you end up in, is up to you however I can tell you this; you will definitely have to reacclimate yourself back to whatever it is you were doing before you started listening to this record.
You have to sort of shake this off and come back to reality again and I absolutely love that about it.
With the release of such a well woven record, we wanted to have a sit-down with Steve Sperry to find out what inspired this record and what might be coming up next for the artist.
Here's what went down.
TSWS: Okay, let's start with the Then and Now and Now Is Then album! This record an eclectic array of production and glitchie fun with textures that melted into each other so well! How did this album come about?
If you've been following my journey, I linked up with Philadelphia emcee vidpoet in 2022 and we dove right in. I had archived over 200 beats (rough drafts all the way to mixed-down, read-to-go tracks). Prior to that, I had kind of lost traction. As I've seen with the reception of 'Then and Now and Now Is Then,' people didn't yet have a pallett for this unique style I call, 'Liquid Music.' Local east coast emcees were getting more and more scarce. I was a 'career man' working in BioProcess Engineering full time, etc. It didn't look good. So all I had was 'my CV' which included tracks with South Jersey emcees Charismatic, D. Hood, Benny Marz, K.O. as well as some others. My sound engineering wasn't as developed as it is now, and all I had to really lean on in the professional world was a couple tracks I produced for the legendary Visual Poetics of New York's 'Little Egypt.' I had just been working in Stockholm, Sweden from 2016 to 2018, and reinvigorated my love of Electronic Music. Swedish producers Eric Prydz and Avicii were among my favorites. When I got home, I started working with a local drummer, and we began making House Music. The drummer was a barista at a local coffee shop, and introduced me to my most dear collaborator and great friend, the vidpoet.
We sat down and ran through my archive for hours. The output of that was him receiving two batches of close to 50 beats, and he narrowed these down to the instrumentals that make up Art Therapy, pt.1 through pt. 4 in addition to some singles that we have officially released and have yet to release. The rest is history - had to use one cliche in this interview just to see if vidpoet is paying attention. He had rough acapellas to for me in about a week, and I got to work mixing down around 30 songs.
We really put our heart into the Art Therapy series, and I continue to view that collaboration as bigger than the Steve Sperry brand; however, I realized that if I didn't put out something soon, I may lose my dexterity in an art form that contrasts the vidpoet brand. So I started with seven (7) blank Ableton Files, and let synapses fire. My fluid form of production, which utilizes different subgenres of Electronic Dance Music (EDM), was is a pure reflection of where I at in my life when I fire up Ableton. was at at If you were unsure, that's the meaning behind the title of the album (without getting too deep). There are many aspects to this statement, but as I gain more momentum, the 'Then' and 'Now' will be one in the same.
'The Wave' is a term I use to describe the power of positive thinking. I believe when you're on 'The Wave,' your potential is limitless. vidpoet and I will continue to ride 'The Wave' into Art Therapy, pt.3, pt. 4 and beyond. In the meantime, I wanted to give a more intimate look into my work - who the F&%$ is Steve Sperry? This gives listeners a deeper understanding and connection to how vidpoet x Steve Sperry works so seamlessly.
'It's wavy, like my hair, bro'- South Philly Tony
There are no waves in the Main Stream. You have to swim upstream to get to the lake. If you're lucky, you end up making it to the ocean with a $3MM yacht waiting for you. But you have to play hard, and 'play the game' in the meantime. I get this destructive criticism daily. So with regards to sounding more 'Mainstream,' the next Steve Sperry projects will be structured to feel more like the traditional EDM subgenres. you know and love. 'Then and Now and Now Is Then' is one of a kind in its pure experimental energy. I wanted to make an album from scratch to prove to myself that I could. To make a dance hit, anyone can go online and get a pre-configured dance music template to match a genre... but can they infuse it with just enough Liquid Music to be dangerous? I can. vidpoet and I use the term 'Radio' as synonymous with 'Mainstream.' Look out for vidpoet's upcoming Single entitled, 'Radio Cut.' Maybe you'll catch my drift eventually 
.
TSWS: How did this all start for you as an artist?
The progression: I had a demo version of FL Studio on a basement computer my Sophomore Year of high school. Some of my best friends from South Jersey would come over from time to time, and we would just explore the functionality. Prior to that, I had played the saxophone, and had intermediate proficiency in music theory. All I really needed was to be able to visualize the piano roll in Ableton to make Liquid Music. That's when I started producing beats for the likes of Charismatic and D. Hood. I started out cyphering over bootlegged industry beats of the early 2000s, and What Happens after that is visually poetic (shout out Visual Poetics ft. Little Egypt - What Happens) when I started making Liquid Music.
TSWS: What kind of things really inspire songs for you?
You caught my drift yet? I forgot that you're in a no-wake zone. I'll say concisely: Love and energy. I have a new top 100 songs in my head at any given time and they roll with the tides. Lots of love and lots of energy.
TSWS: This album has some great styles on it! Can you give us some of your biggest influences musically?
For Steve Sperry alone: Deadmau5 is one of my biggest influences, but the list is overwhelming. Pretty Lights and Michal Menert are really brain candy for me, and Avicii is to love as Eric Prydz is to energy. While I was working in Sweden listening to them almost every day on my commute to work or on the train to the centrum, I flew back during one of my allocated trips to the states to take my father and brother to an Electric Light Orchestra (ELO, you know? Mr. Bluesky...) concert as their Christmas gift that year. That was my first time home in over a year at that point, which goes to show the significance of the concert. But ask me on a different day and I may choose Procol Harum, Kaskade, Modest Mouse, Arlo Guthrie, Johnny Cash, Nas, Bassnectar before the downfall, Dr. Dre, Big Gigantic, CLMD, The Beatles, Blink 182, Matt & Kim, The Eagles, Galantis, Flux Pavilion, Gmcfosho.... see I'm already going off on a tangent.
As far as my love for Hip-Hop: DJ Premier rules supreme. With reputation on the line, I won't even try to name my favorite Emcees - there are too many, and I'm of the mindset that if you're good enough to make it into the inner circle, it's not about who is the best anymore. That's where I'm trying to get to with vidpoet, and I believe he has the incredible talent needed to do so. For that reason, outside of musical influence, he's probably my biggest influence and I am grateful for him reigniting the spark again in my music even if times are tense when we're grinding and tempers flare.
TSWS: What are you doing when you're NOT working on music?
I'm always working at something. I am passionate for my career path in Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering. If not a full-time Music Producer, my dream job would be to take on unique projects from venture capitalists in the BioProcess Engineering world. But let's talk plan A first. I'm listening to music a lot, spending time with those around me who are important, and travelling as much as I can. Music and my engineering work take up 85% of my time, though.
TSWS: Who's in your headphones right now?
The Ghost in the Machine, in the voice of Charlie Sheen. So my beats stay obnoxious, with a Mr. Clean clean conscience. Haha, that's an interesting question. Kind of figurative. I guess you could say the ghost of Steve Sperry is in my headphones. I'm currently working on a collaboration with another indie producer and rapper, Abstraktius... remixing one of his tracks.
TSWS: Are you doing any live performances right now?
One thing I lack in my professional life as an artist is the live element. I'm looking at the dust on my Pioneer XDJ. I appreciate that question greatly. vidpoet has been refining his performance skillset, but here's my outlook: if you make great music, the rest will fall into place. In my musical sphere, who wasn't a DJ from 2011 to 2018? No shade at DJing,vas I know some great DJs in the Philadelphia scene. One of my pals, Oscar Nawrot, is doing big things. but I want to put the effort into making a dance hit to mix into a set - and I knew that Then and Now and Now Is Then was not going to be that project with how raw it is. ... Then and Now and Now Is Then isn't something you See At Sturecompagniet. I have not put much time into live performance for that reason... That being said, I have some ideas brewing. Maybe I'll get back into DJing after my second album... maybe I'll be part of the live production of vidpoet. For now, burying myself in Ableton... or 'in the shell' as my friend and fellow Philly producer Jake the Jeweler would say.
TSWS: Did you record yourself or hit a big studio for this?
They say a picture is worth a thousand words. The space has evolved, and I am on the hunt for a house. We all know how challenging that is at this moment in time. So what you see in the picture is my setup. I have added some equipment to this, but this is the core of it.
TSWS: What can your fans expect from you in the near future?
Stay Tuned for my Single entitled, 'Dark Matter' to hit all major platforms July 28 of this year - Trip-Hop infused with Liquid Music and a little bit of magic gives you Dark Matter... just ask Physicist Michio Kaku.
At the end of the month of June, vidpoet will debut his first music video for 'GIWUFI.' I made a short cameo at the beginning right before he commands the audience. For our first music video, this was one hell of a job done by our man Gary. If I'm fortunate enough, I'll be presenting you with my own music video directed by him. I haven't really put much thought into that, but encourage my listeners to suggest a song in my discography.
TSWS: Before we go, what would you like to say to fans of the music?
Those around me describe my compositions as environments. I tend to agree. The weaving grooves and jam packed harmonies sometimes bend the rules, but that's part of the visual element. A crowded track may represent a crowded environment. Maybe it's hard for the listeners to conceptualize the concept of liquid music, so I decided to throw them a bone with my recent remix of Kimbra's 'The Way We Were.' If you haven't checked it out already, do that (https://www.oursong.com/vibe/
Stay on the wave, and GIWUFI. Next stop, we Fly Under the Ben Franklin straight to the Moon Room. Bad Things will happen in Philadelphia, just as X marked the spot despite my Needs and Wants. It may look like I'm taking a big gamble with all the energy and time put into this, but this is more like a scratch-off ticket. Even if this isn't the 'Million Dollar Scratchie,' I'm having fun and as long as that's the case, you're going to see a lot more Steve Sperry in the next 50 years. If you're wondering what the hell you just listened to streaming TANNIT, I was hoping you would say that.