Getting to Know the Big Up King himself, JPhelpz

As the dubstep & riddim scene grows stronger and the beats are becoming heavier and heavier artists are stepping out of the shadows and changing the game up. John Phelps, or better known as JPhelpz, has been striving in the scene for four years and has showed no signs of slowing anytime soon. Firepower Records has given him the tools to create some of the filthiest sounds that have almost became an anthem for headbangers everywhere. I was lucky enough to pick the mind of this creature and dig a little deeper to get to know the man behind the tables.

Q: Where did you get your musical roots from?

A: I started playing drums in metal bands and picked up guitar shortly after. I was composing my own metal tracks and then started dabbling into techno and other electronic music. When I heard dubstep for the first time (which for me was the likes of Dr Philth, Funtcase, Cookie Monsta, etc) I was instantly in love with the sound and wanted to learn how to make it.

Q: What inspires you to keep constantly evolving as a producer?

A: Getting inspired by other producer\’s music and hearing new sounds is what gets me pumped the most to keep writing. Sometimes you get in a lull or it seems like no good tunes are coming out, but then someone or yourself comes up with a banger out of nowhere.

Q: What music do you listen to besides dubstep? Any collabs you’ve been wanting to do/ that’re in the works?

A: I listen to all sorts, not much country though. I\’ve been really into future bass and classic rock lately, lol. A lot of collabs with more underground artists in the works, and plans in the future for some big ones.

Q: What does it feel like growing as an artist and to see your name become more popular as the years go by?

A: I\’m very used to it by now, but every once in a while you get some surreal moments. I still really enjoy hearing people say they enjoy my music.

Q: How have you seen the Dubstep scene grow since you’ve been in the game for about four years now?

A: Things used to be much simpler and straightforward. You can kind of tell by the music, dubstep used to be very minimal and now there is a lot of shit going on in the songs. It\’s exciting to see the new things people are doing and trying out, but the classics will always have a special place in everyone\’s hearts.

Q: Who would you say is the most influential artist in the dubstep game?

A: It seems like everyone is trying to be like Zomboy these days, lol. I happen to really enjoy Trampa and Funtcase – they always stick to their roots but explore a bit as well outside of the box. Some of the newer guys like Phiso, Samplifire, Ivory, etc are killing it and bringing some fresh sounds into the dub scene.

Q: The question on everyone’s mind….When do we get to hear the full collab between you and Midnight T?!

A: I had finished a playable version about 15 minutes before I had to leave to play a b2b set with Midnight T in Montreal, and that\’s about where it\’s at. It should be finished shortly 🙂

Q: And finally would you say you’re more human, robot, or demon?

A: Robozomb bro.