Like a boom of thunder and a crack of lightning in the night sky, the bass drop in dubstep awakens something primal deep inside us. From the tension of the buildup to the unexpected change in tempo and the surge of energy when it hits, the drop triggers a release of emotions few genres can reciprocate.
Allowing listeners to channel feelings of anger, defiance, empowerment, and self-expression the distorted, heavy bass and fast-paced beats of heavy bass music provide a sonic outlet that mirrors the raw essence of our human experience.
For THRASHA, it is this experience that fuels an internal burning passion for not just the sounds of dubstep but the culture as a whole.
“There are three things that gravitate me towards heavy dubstep and riddim, the energy, the people, and the release,” the Denver producer explained in an interview with The Daily Frequency. “There is something about heavy bass music that truly takes over me when I experience it and it feels good and makes me happy. I love how aggressive and high-energy the music is and it makes me want to go absolutely insane when I hear it, especially in a crowd of like-minded fans. We feed off other people’s energy, which is why I think dubstep fans do it best.”
While from the outside dubstep can seem juvenile and even ridiculous. But, as THRASHA explains it, that’s the whole point.
It’s not just about channeling anger and aggression. It’s about letting go of your inhibitions, expressing yourself freely, and releasing your inner child.
“Sometimes dubstep and riddim make me laugh because, in all honesty, it’s silly and fun; it isn’t meant to be taken seriously.”
Music aside it’s the people that made her fall in love with dubstep in the first place.
“We feed off other people’s energy, which is why I think dubstep fans do it best. The people in our scene are amazing and super dedicated to the music, which I love and appreciate. They go absolutely crazy for every artist, whether it is the opener or headliner because they are truly here to support the music. Part of the inspiration behind the name, THRASHA, is that dubstep makes you want to jump around, go nuts, and release the energy inside of you. We THRASH around at my shows and that is what gravitates me towards dubstep and this scene so much.”
Embodying the spirit of the culture THRASHA has made a name for herself by cultivating a sound that’s raw, emotional, and echoes the freeing experience of a being fan in the crowd.
“My main goal with my live sets and music is for the fans to have fun with their friends and let loose from whatever it is that may be weighing on their shoulders. I have been into EDM since 2010 and remember being 16, 17, and 18+, and having the time of my life with my friends at shows and festivals. We would count down the minutes until we were able to get into the doors at a show, onto the dancefloor, just to have fun, dance, laugh, and be together. There were so many times that I was “set free” when I’d go to festivals and headbang with my friends all night; Those are the times that led me to where I am now as an artist. I would love to be able to provide that for other people. The one thing above all else I’d like to happen when someone listens to my music is that they’re inspired by it in some way, whether that be to become a producer/DJ themselves or dive deeper into the scene as a whole.”
On top of offering a liberating release, the THRASHA experience is designed to take you on a journey and amplify the connection to yourself and others, whether you’re at a live show or just listening at home.
“I think it’s really important to take the listener on a journey through both my music and DJ sets. A lot of songs in the EDM world nowadays are created for the “live” experience, not so much the “at home” experience, so fans tend to only listen to certain songs in a live setting VS at home or in the car driving to work. I’ve also noticed that songs are getting shorter and shorter in length; what I mean by that is just a few years ago, artists were putting out 3 1/2 or 4-minute-long songs, but in the current day, a lot of releases are only 2 minutes in length. There are a lot of songs that sound perfect being only 2 minutes long, but I personally enjoy creating more full-length songs with a beginning, middle, and end.”
Not only does she want to create an experience but she aims to make music that lasts.
“I’ve always wanted to create songs that have longevity and part of that is creating memorable songs that capture and hold the listener’s attention. I want people to hear my music and appreciate how many different elements I put together to create a specific emotion or feeling, that goes beyond just dubstep.”
With her latest track Embers featuring DOIL, she does just that.
“I’m super excited and happy that we are putting this song out after keeping it under wraps for the past few months. In 2023, I released several bass-heavy tracks like Unbeatable and Seek & Destroy, which had a cinematic twist to them, but I took a break from that particular style in 2024 to focus on other styles of dubstep, so it feels good to release some heavy, cinematic stuff again!”
Blending everything from haunting soundscapes, ethereal voices, and earth-shaking drops of bass, THRASHA and DOIL create a stunning cinematic experience filled with a brooding grittiness and unfiltered energy like no other.
“When I first started the idea for Embers, I was really focused on learning and executing cinematic production and fusing dubstep and cinematic elements together. I really enjoy playing RPG-based video games and listening to movie soundtracks, which inspired me to incorporate cinematic elements into my production. I would hear certain songs in a video game I was playing or a movie I was watching and felt compelled to try and write my own cinematic stuff.”
Unleashing a powerful rush of emotion and hard-hitting bass Embers not only engulfs you in its all-encompassing sound but perfectly fuses THRASHA’s and DOIL styles into one.
“The inspiration behind Embers was simply me continuing to want to create music with a lot of emotion and feeling, while still being considered dubstep/heavy bass. I was inspired to collab with DOIL on this idea because I felt that his production style was similar to mine and he also has experience with melodic and cinematic production, so he was the perfect fit!”
However, a track like Embers isn’t something that’s created over night. When curating such a captivating experience it can take months for a track to reach its final form.
“Embers is an example of an idea that you keep going back to as an artist that you can’t let go of… I couldn’t stop thinking about this song and it was always in the back of my mind for months. I kept envisioning what the final product would sound like and was blown away by the end result once we wrapped it up.”
When asked if certain tracks or ideas like Embers might have a life of their own THRASHA couldn’t help but agree.
“I definitely think so. There are certain ideas that I come up with in the studio that I will scrap at some point because I was just messing around for fun with no real intention, and then there are ideas I create that I don’t quite flesh out within the first few sessions, but I’m still committed to the idea and know that I’ll make a breakthrough [on the idea/song] at some point,” she responded.
“There are times when I sit on an idea for months before finally feeling inspired to continue working on it and have that “Aha” moment where I finally realize what I want or need to do in order to move the idea in the right direction. Ideas tend to have “a life of their own”, especially when they are lingering in the back of your mind, like, “Hey, don’t forget about me, I’m still here and I’m awesome”! Some ideas are too good to let go of, which is why as an artist, we tend not to forget about them.”
Aside from constantly cooking in the studio, THRASHA has been busy showcasing her bass-heavy sound on the Better Off Dead Tour with Barely Alive.
“I have been a big fan of Barely Alive for a very long time and have always made it a goal to play a show with them, but never imagined I would get to be a part of their tour. When I found out I had the opportunity to play a show with them, I was so excited and happy. I was so grateful to get one chance to open for them, but then I found out the offer was for 4 shows and started hysterically crying, because I couldn’t believe that I was given the opportunity to play that many shows in a row, let alone with Barely Alive.”
But, for an artist on the come up a tour of this stature is far bigger than just a string of shows. It’s a confirmation that you’re headed in the right direction.
When you’re a smaller artist, you start off with a more sporadic tour schedule, so getting an offer for a tour is a huge milestone. I remember reading the [show] offer email over and over in my living room because I couldn’t believe what I was reading. I just wrapped up my fourth and final date of the tour and every venue I played at was amazing and so were the crowds. I’m super grateful for the opportunity and so lucky I got to experience it.
Of course, the only direction THRASHA is heading is up. Not only was she a part of such a massive tour but she’ll be showcasing her sound in an epic b2b with Vibrant Illusion for Denver‘s Club Studio Time on September 28th, alongside SVDDEN DEATH, BRONDO, Prosecute, and Chocolate Drop.
“I love being on stage and entertaining others, so I give it my all when I’m performing and try to make the experience as fun as humanly possible for the fans. I am very precise and technical when it comes to my mixing, which I really pride myself on, so fans can also expect my sets to have a lot of seamless transitions and cohesive moments. I like making my sets feel like one continuous song instead of a bunch of choppy sections that don’t mesh well together. People should definitely expect my heaviest set to date for Club Studio Time and I’m really honored that I am able to play an event with SVDDEN DEATH.”
It’s no secret that THRASHA is on her way to becoming one of the next big names to come out of Denver and with the year coming to a close 2025 is going to be her biggest year yet.
“Expect a lot more shows and announcements soon, including my Seattle debut with Level Up on November 30th at the Showbox. I have a bunch of releases lined up for the rest of 2024, which include official remixes for two of my biggest inspirations. I will also be releasing the next installment in my new mix series, THRASHA’s Kingdom, in the near future. With all that being said, I will be focusing on leveling up my music production knowledge and brushing up on my sound design skills in 2025, so I can become a better producer and artist.