Based in San Francisco, you can generally catch Sepehr “twisting knobs & making sobs” with buddy and fellow DJ/producer, Ardalan. On a great night, you can catch all that, and a stellar dolphin impersonation that will make you ladies weak in the knees.
If you haven’t noticed, San Francisco and the surrounding East Bay’s talent has been on fire this past couple years and has been labeled as extremely progressive and consistently cool in the EDM world.
If that doesn’t draw you in, let us be blunt with all you quick ones: this is as an artist to add to your repetoire of bass heavy 4×4 producing junkies.
Get to know the hilarity that is Sepehr, below. <3
– B E G I N –
Where are you from and when did you migrate your buns up to San Francisco?
I am originally born and raised in San Jose, California… which is pretty much neighbors with SF…
What does “Sepehr” mean and where are it’s origins?Sepehr is a Persian name for the dudes. It’s pronounced SE-PEAR (like a pear. Yummmm). It’s my god given name and I’ve learned to embrace peoples terrible butcherings of it over the years (i.e, seffer, sapur, and the cringeworthy, “sepeer”).
I think the actual meaning of it in Farsi is somewhere a long the lines of sky, heavens, or the universe. I know, its a big responsibility to live up to the meaning!
What where you listening to when you where 15? How/Where did your love for house music begin?When I was 15 I was into a lot of underground hip-hop a la madvillain, and weird post-hardcore and math bands. I was originally playing guitar (incoming cliche house dj story) and had hopes of being a guitarist-vocalist kinda dude, but the love for the four on the floor consumed me.My cousins who I grew up with (both now techno producers that own a record store in SF) started going to, like, “kandi kid” raves around that time and I had no idea what was going on, but there were lots of bad decisions and debauchery.The first rave I went to and quintessential psychedelic rave experience in 2006 at the party called “POP”. Mark Farina was playing and I loved it so much but I had no idea why… I remember just watching people dance and trying to emulate them cause I had no clue.
After that, my friend and fellow producer Ardalan and I delved deeper into the genre and started twisting knobs and making wobs and now, I’m here.
When did you start producing and how has your music progressed over the years?
I started producing I think around age 16. I would open FL studio and literally click random buttons until something similar to a beat would come to fruition. The music I made back then was so terrible that it makes David Guetta’s music sound like Mozart. I think being surrounded by a group of friends that were similarly trying to hone production skills at the same time made me progress a lot faster and gave me constant motivation, but somehow, along the lines of messing around with friends, and getting influenced by artists I respected at underground parties, my music began to sound like actual music.
This is your second annual “Dolphin Funk” – what’s with you and dolphins?
Me and some homies wanted to have a name or a brand that we identified with and were just having the biggest trouble trying to get something to represent us properly. Then after a long night of taking notes and powerpoints and spreadsheets (just kidding we were partying), we came up with “tech dolphin”. It can mean anything really.
Dolphins are our spirit animals. “Dolphin Funk” is something I created as a pseduo-genre that describes my sound. Plus, I can do a mean dolphin call.Did you know Dolphins are considered “non-human persons” in India?
Well you know what, the Indians are doing it proper then. Dolphins got rights too.Tell us about some collaborations you’ve worked on and/or are working on.
As far as collaborations, I’d always be open to work with people who I respect and admire, but I have been more so focusing on myself as an artist and trying to breakthrough. However, there probably will be some sort of musical projects coming from me and Ardalan in the near future.As far as solo stuff, I am kind of in a transitional period of getting more mature in my production and kind of moving on to other labels that I admire. I am releasing a 12″ for Monty Luke’s label “Black Catalogue” early next year which I am really excited for.
Where can we catch you perform next?
You can catch me playing at the “Sundazed” after-hours this Saturday night – Sunday morning in SF, and also the infamous “SuperHero Street Faire” in SF next month!
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Download Sepehr’s newest release, Dolphin Funk (Vol. II) and get funky on land:
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