Tapping Into the Downtempo Side of CHOMPPA

After the release of his downtempo track, “Perpetual Exhaustion,” CHOMPPA shared how he combats burnout as an artist and more.

The grass is greener where you water it, and that’s exactly what electronic producer CHOMPPA has done with tuning his skills and making headway in the bass music scene. Diving into different sub-genres of bass music whilst maintaining a minimalist approach, from new-age halftime to old-school dubstep, his wide range in music production has kept him high on an “artists to watch” radar.

CHOMPPA is known for his dubstep roots, with tracks like “Portal” released on Deadbeats with SuperAve. and “Different Sound” on Circus Records, CHOMPPA has made solid headway to begin experimenting with his sound. His diverse sound design has shown through his work, such as his most recent release, The System EP, which delivers three experimental bass tracks. Checking off a bucket list show, CHOMPPA was able to showcase his experimental side at his headline show at The Black Box in Denver last week, which he expressed his gratitude for and called “a surreal experience.”

Now, for the first time ever, he dives into a new realm of expression through music with his downtempo single “Perpetual Exhaustion.” Releasing on Aspire Higher, this track was especially special to CHOMPPA, who wrote the track during a time when music was needed the most. Shortly after discovering beloved artist CharlesTheFirst’s music, he was inspired to delve into the more emotional side of bass music. “His music really resonated with me because it was thoughtful, intentional, and made me feel something different than your typical “banger” style of bass music,” CHOMPPA said.

As for the creation of the tune, CHOMPPA’s approach was rooted in his typical production process with drums at the forefront. He deviated from that soon after as the song’s melodies became the primary focus to create what he describes as an “ethereal atmosphere” by taking the track in a more subtle direction while using similar basses from his previous style as fillers.

“Perpetual Exhaustion” also alludes to the burnout CHOMPPA and many other artists have experienced.

CHOMPPA opened up when we asked about his experience with being perpetually exhausted due to the constant pressure to release music and maintain a social media presence. “I think about this a lot. It’s really tough to manage expectations of constant releases and content to promote them on top of preparing for shows at least once a month,” he said. “Having said this, I’m incredibly grateful to be in the position I am and have the ability to chase my dreams and follow my passion.”

Being creative shouldn’t be forced, in my opinion, I often used to look at my peers’ work ethic and accomplishments and feel discouraged when I wasn’t on the same playing field, but everyone has their own journey and moves at their own pace.
CHOMPPA

To combat creating a toxic relationship with creating art, CHOMPPA shifted his mindset and has attempted to put less pressure on his workflow in recent months. He also offered this advice to artists who might be struggling: “I would say be your most authentic self and try not to let external opinions influence your vision too much. Constructive criticism from like-minded creatives is definitely helpful, but at the end of the day, it’s your art, and you should take everything with a grain of salt.”

This might be CHOMPPA’s first downtempo release, but it’s clear it won’t be his last as the bass scene continues to shift in different directions.

CHOMPPA believes the bass producer community is “trending away from heavier music,” he said, while “starting to realize the beauty in subtlety and effective writing.” In addition to delving into the downtempo side of bass music, he has also reiterated his personal sound shift towards deep dubstep and draws in inspiration from UK styles like Garage.

I’ve been enjoying writing a lot more without the voice in the back of my head wondering if the next tune will have the right amount of energy for a live setting. Of course, I always want my music to have a positive reception at shows, but with this shift in my sound I’ve started focusing more on writing music that I enjoy rather than trying to play to a particular audience.
CHOMPPA

Looking toward the future, CHOMPPA has made it his primary goal to write and release more music for the remainder of the year. He’s been waiting for the right label to drop the tunes that he’s had in the vault for years. Having checked off his goal of playing the Black Box already this year, the second half of 2023 can be spent perfecting his craft for deployment.

I have loads of tunes I’m ready to put out and I think it’s time to start releasing monthly just to grow the discography a bit more, and I’m hoping to start my first full-length album this year. Definitely been a goal for a while, and I think I’m finally in a good headspace creatively and have enough diversity to make it special.
CHOMPPA