Erly Tepshi.
Stay true. Keep searching.
Erly Tepshi on Unica, the memory behind Sad Day and the emotions that guide his music.
Erly Tepshi
Unica brings Erly Tepshi’s earlier sound into conversation with the artist he is now. In five short answers, he talks about a song he had almost forgotten, Black Rose Recordings as his musical home, and finding inspiration in films, anime, books and moments he wants to remember.
Born in Tirana and based in Italy, Erly Tepshi works with melodic house and techno. This conversation focuses on Unica and the personal direction behind his music.
Past and present
With Unica, what became clearer about the connection between your earlier sound and the artist you are now?
Unica is an experiment with who I was in the past and who I am right now. It is my evolution as an artist. I am always searching for something, and I think every artist should do this. At the end of the day, music is a journey and life is a journey, so we should stay true to ourselves while still becoming a better version of ourselves every day.
A song from the 1.0 era
What was the starting point for Sad Day, and how did it shape the mood of that piece?
Sad Day was a song I had almost forgotten. It was me in the past — my 1.0 era, you could say. As the title suggests, it was a sad day: melancholic and rough, shaped by some life experiences I was going through and prefer to leave in the past. But music, as usual, saved me.
Music is a journey and life is a journey.
A musical home
What made Black Rose Recordings the right home for Unica?
In a few words, it is my main musical home, and it is unique to me. :)
A soundtrack for an emotion
When you have a strong emotional idea for a track, how do you find the first sound that expresses it?
I mainly let myself be inspired by everything that surrounds me. That could be a film, an anime, a book, or simply a moment I want to remember. Around that emotion, I build a soundtrack that can fit my music.
Staying true
Which part of your musical upbringing do you hear most clearly in your work today?
I would say that I am remaining loyal to the underground scene. Even though I am trying some new tendencies within this new wave of sound and this musical era, I still think emotions are much more personal.
Erly Tepshi
Interview by email · Editorial and image art direction: SCENE:ID. Courtesy of Erly Tepshi / CPM