Sheffield’s very own Silva Bumpa has quickly become one of the city’s most exciting new talents, known nationwide for fusing UK bass grit with the infectious bounce of club classics. A key player in the revival of UKG, bassline and speed garage, he’s built momentum through support slots with Interplanetary Criminal, Main Phase, Soul Mass Transit System and bassline pioneers Tom Shortez and Big Ang.
Performances at Outlook Festival, Boiler Room and residencies with Melodic Distraction, Balamii and Rinse FM have further cemented his reputation. But it’s his sleek, club-ready productions, including standout tracks like “Feel Aight” and “Without U”, that have truly set him apart.
Following releases on Hardline, ec2a and ATW, Silva Bumpa returns later this month with a new five-track EP titled What About The DJ? via Locked On. The project showcases the full range of his sound, blending sugary UKG textures and heavy basslines, and featuring guest appearances from vocalist Megan Wroe and rising grime MC Capo Lee on “Songs of Praise”.
With a tour to Australia and New Zealand on the horizon and his EP release, we caught up with Silva Bumpa to chat about the project and more…
Hows things at the moment? What have you been getting up to recently?
Silva Bumpa: Good thanks, I’ve been working on loads of new music and spending way too much money on stuff I don’t need…
To a first time listener of Silva Bumpa, how would you describe your sound and style?
Silva Bumpa: Silva Bumpa is all about the cheeky and light-hearted sounds of speed garage and house. I try to capture the production elements of modern-day garage with some of that classic ’90’s energy.
Musically, who and what are your main influences?
Silva Bumpa: I’d say RnB massively — Janet Jackson, Amerie, Ashanti, Nelly and Neyo to name a few, and then producers from the ’90’s and early 2000’s such as MJ Cole, Dnd, Wideboys, Artful Dodger, Big Ang etc.
Your forthcoming project ‘What About The DJ?’ is a wicked record. Firstly, where did the name for the project come from?
Silva Bumpa: It’s a phrase that stuck in my head when thinking of names for this record, I was going through samples and then I heard this one that said “Get off the turntable” but when it was delayed it sounded like “What About The Dj”. It’s a weird question to ask, like maybe everyone in the club is so lost in the music they forgot about the DJ or something.
Can you tell us more about the main inspirations and influences behind the record?
Silva Bumpa: There’s definitely a massive emphasis on those old speed garage records from the 90s where random hip-house vocals and dancehall acapellas are thrown onto a roll-y anthem. They are just made for the club.
What can listeners expect sonically?
Silva Bumpa: Lots of crunch and graininess, and plenty of warpy square wave basses.
What was the overall creative and production process behind the release? Did you come across any challenges?
I just thought it was a good opportunity to show the world what I want to represent the sounds of my project as. I’ve tried my best to combine elements of those classic sounds of genres like 4×4 bassline, speed garage and house and bringing them all together into 2024 as one whole body of work.
If you had to pick a favourite track from the project which one would it be and why?
I can’t lie “What About The DJ?” Is probably my favourite track of them all just because it was the first song I made where I really was happy with the kind of vibe I had been chasing for a really long time. This track has kinda changed the way I work now.
Can you name any emerging artists in the scene who we should be keeping an eye on this year?
Silva Bumpa: There are so many amazing artists right now but, Soul Mass Transit System, Main Phase, Skeptic, Oldboy, Auramatic and Megan Wroe are stand outs for me at the moment!
What’s next for Silva Bumpa? And where can we catch you over the coming months?
Silva Bumpa: I just want to be more ambitious with my project, especially in the songwriting space. I want to work with more artists and bring my sounds to their projects also. I am just about to start my Australian tour which I am very excited about!
Three tracks you have on repeat at the moment?
Silva Bumpa: MJ Cole – “Never Say Never”, this unreleased Interplanetary Criminal track called “Say U Want Me” and “The Key” by Bass Collective.