Thanks to Bass Therapy, Stage Nightclub has become Seattle’s hot spot for bass music on Fridays. Bass Therapy is a mecca for local artists to test and hone their craft, and every weekend you can see local favorites on the lineups at Stage. Many are upcoming artists who haven’t produced their own tracks yet, while others still are quickly establishing themselves as fixtures in the local and national scenes.
To get a sense of the opportunities Stage and Bass Therapy presents to the many DJs in Seattle, DMNW will be highlighting one particular artist each month. A candid interview will help delve into the local music scene by seeking to understand how these artists came to be and what the night has done for them.
For the first installment in this series, we sat down with Bass Therapy resident Chris Lanphear, AKA Lampshade. Chris has been bringing his particular brand of metalcore, dubstep, drumstep, and all other heavy bass genres, which he fuses with mainstream EDM and Hip-Hop tracks for a unique take on a variety of genres.
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Brief Background:
Chris considers himself to be from Seattle, Washington. However, he’s lived in a lot of different places; he was born in California, has lived in Germany, the UK, and other places in Europe as his father was in the military. He attributes his moving around and experiencing different cultures to shaping his musical influence, and the diversity of Seattle’s music scene will always have a special place in his heart.
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Has living in other places contributed to, or helped shape you as an artist? Or would you say it’s the Pacific Northwest’s environment that has inspired your creativity? What makes you feel more connected to Washington than any other place you have lived?
Chris Lanphear: I gather inspiration from a host of different things, so yes you could say living in other places has shaped me as an artist. However, the Pacific Northwest is definitely becoming more prominent in my style. They both inspire me in different ways. I think I’ve just experienced more here. I experienced a lot overseas, but I’ve learned a lot about myself in Washington. I’ve grown here.
What’s really great about the Pacific Northwest is that it’s diverse. Whether we realize it or not, there is so much music here that I bet it creeps in when you least expect it. But in a way, that makes what you’re creating that much more interesting and unique.
CL: Exactly! There are so many different sounds and places to go that it’s hard not to feel inspired here.
What do you find yourself listening to a lot? Does this impact that sets you curate?
CL: Honestly, throwback emo tunes. The hardcore scene has always been a huge thing for me. Before I was an EDM DJ at a club I used to have a loud rock radio show. It was awesome! And now with the heavier genres of dance music, it is becoming even more like the hardcore scene. Circle pits and walls of death.
That is so true. Especially with artists like Midnight Tyrannosaur, Minnesota, even Excision. They fuse metal and dance music in a way that’s really exciting and fresh.
CL: Yup! And even Sullivan Ling and SoSleepyy have the whole metalstep thing.
Dating people while you’re in this industry can be pretty difficult, but it seems like you’ve really found a winning combination of both. Any secrets to your success?
CL: HAHA thanks. No secrets. Just love. She has always been so supportive of me as an artist and has helped me through so much. Don’t know where I’d be without her. She knows that this industry is work and respects that, and I respect her and her passions as well. But, we also make time to not do anything and to just take things easy. It really helps, having someone. She’s my biggest fan.
You can catch a set from Chris pretty frequently at Stage Nightclub for Bass Therapy. He has also been working on his production skills with the goal of producing original work, he’s been working with Ableton, which as we all know, can be a bit of a process to learn. We personally look forward to whatever he has coming in the future, and wish him the best of luck in following his passion! In the meantime, keep an eye out for him at Bass Therapy this summer!
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