Insight Interview: Senbeii

We caught up recently with Sweden-based producer Senbeii to talk about music and his return from a two-year hiatus. Check out his story here…

Hey Senbeii, thanks so much for agreeing to an interview. Where are you based? Do you tend to travel a lot, or are you firmly rooted at home?

Hey, I’m glad to answer any questions you have. I’m based in a small town in southern Sweden. I don’t tend to travel a lot, really, so I’m firmly rooted at home. I’d like to travel more in the future perhaps, but as of right now I don’t really have the time or money to do so.

Can you recall your first real exposure to music?

That’s hard to say, I don’t really remember my first exposure to music. It’s always been a part of my life, to be honest.

How and when did you first begin writing and creating music?

I used to play guitar way way back, but I think I was around 13 or 14 years old when I started with electronic music. I was listening to a lot of progressive house, drum & bass and chillstep back then, so I wanted to try it out myself and ever since I’ve wanted learn more and more about it.

How did you decide upon the name Senbeii?

It’s the three last letters of my first name reversed (nes=sen) and my last name reversed (ieb=bei+i), if that makes any sense. I wanted something cool looking, but at the same time personal.

Can you describe your music for us?

I think I would describe it as ambient music with heavy basslines. My musical ”sound” has of course changed a bit over the years, but I still use a lot of reverb on pianos for example, which makes it sound spacey and wide together with foley drum beats.

You have taken a hiatus from making music as Senbeii over the past couple of years. What have you been up to? What made you want to return to making music now?

I took a break for over two years from Senbeii, correct. However, I was still making music on my other Soundcloud page / hasseprod. I wanted to try out a different sound; a more trap-like or hiphop-ish sound, using a lot of samples and different drum beats than I would normally do. I think I realised that what I’m best at is the ambient style that I developed over the years and I sure have learnt some new stuff exploring different genres.

What have been your biggest influences?

A lot of underground artists really. A lot of ambient producers. That and Sorrow, KOAN Sound, Asa and Stumbleine, to name a few.

Do you think producing electronic music requires technical or creative skill? Or both?

I honestly think everyone can learn to an extent with just practice. However, it’s one way to understand the program you’re working with and another to use that knowledge to create unique sounds. It takes time, creativity and dedication, so I would definitely say both.

Do you tend to find the creative process a cathartic or therapeutic experience? Has creating music helped you cope with difficult times in your life?

Yes, definitely. I think music in general whether I’m listening to it or creating it, has helped me with difficult times in my life.

Any collaborations, remixes or joint projects on the horizon?

I don’t wanna say too much, but you can expect to see one or more collaborations in the near future.

Any new genres or musical styles you’d like to explore in future?

Maybe, it’s hard to say. I guess I’ll see in the future.

Do you have any thoughts on the future of electronic music? Do you think the scene will evolve further?

I think it’s safe to say that the scene will evolve further by the way that it looks now. Almost everything you hear on the radio nowadays is electronic music, I feel like.

Any new releases coming our way?

Absolutely, I’m working on a few songs at the moment.

Any artists or other individuals / collectives you’ve not worked with yet that you’d like to work with in future?

Yes, a lot, especially vocalists.

Do you have a favourite track / song of all time? Favourite artist?

I listen to a lot of different genres, so it’s hard for me to decide just one. I think ”Sorrow – My Love” will always be one of my favourite songs though.

It’s been said that a life in music can be a hard one. Would you agree with that?

Yeah, I can definitely see that.

Do you have any words of advice for aspiring young producers?

Practice, just practice, I guess. I would recommend watching tutorials on YouTube, and just taking your time and experimenting with different sounds. After a while it will become easier to understand how things work. It’s always good to try and find a ”signature sound”, that way you’re unique.

Any other projects on the horizon that you’d like to tell us about?

Other than what I’m working on right now, not really, haha.

And finally – are there any tracks / artists that are relatively unknown that you’d like people to know about?

Any songs by LuQus, Solace, Whithe, A Cerulean State, Groundfold and Enstasy to name from the top of my head. There’s a lot more, but these are the ones I can think of now.

Thanks so much Senbeii!

Thank you too!

Check out Senbeii’s music here.