#12 Silva Bumpa
On Dishoom, samosas, and the best food in the Northern Quarter
It’d be hard to find a more dedicated disciple of bassline and UKG than Silva Bumpa. Warped basslines, pumping organs, speed garage hi-hats: his obsession with those sounds is obvious in his productions. He wants to make tunes that sound like they were released in 2006, basically.
Alongside producers – and friends of his – including Interplanetary Criminal, Main Phase and Soul Mass Transit System, Silva Bumpa has been one of the key forces helping bring UKG and bassline back into the limelight. (I wrote about this in a piece for Mixmag last year if you fancy reading more.) He grew up in Sheffield, a city inextricable from the sounds of bassline, and has been embraced by some of the OGs of the scene such as Big Ang and Tom Shorterz, as well as a new gen of clubbers.
Amid a variety of self-released dubs, Silva Bumpa has dropped his fair share of heaters on on ec2a, ATW and Hardline. Last year he released What About The DJ? via the influential Locked On label, an EP that broached warped grooves, 2010s deep house, and golden era garage-pop. Then there’s his own label, STERLING, which has produced edits of much-loved classics on vinyl along with an appearance from his alias Badstar (in the spirit of Jeremy Sylvester, Bumpa has other aliases knocking about, and even mentioned about a universe of “fake dad” pseudonyms that exist on Soundcloud when I interviewed him last year for his biog).
His latest release is ‘I Don’t Want U’, a collaboration with German UKG producer Diffrent. It’s yet another example of his knack for writing vocal hooks along with some nostalgic production. Below, we hear from Silva Bumpa about his passion for Indian cuisine, where to eat up Norf, and what keeps him fuelled in the green room.
Can you think back to one of the best meals you’ve had?
I’ve got to shout out This & That Café in Manchester. DJ Cosworth recommended it as soon as I moved there – I literally went every week while I was living there. They do freshly made Indian food and the menu switches up every day. It’s really cheap and right in the heart of the Northern Quarter. You can’t go wrong… Elsewhere in Manchester, go to the curry mile – so many insane places for shawarma and Middle Eastern food.
Have any other DJs given you good food recommendations?
Me and Oldboy used to go to the Northern Quarter every week on Tuesday to chat about music and we used to make the most of the NQ deals. There’s this place called Trof that does half price off all food on a Tuesday – it's a really nice bar to chill out in and have some decent cheap food! Also, Denham Audio (read his own selections in #7 of Salt Fat Acid House) told me about this place that did kebabs in Dublin and I was blown away. At 4am they were making fresh bread – it was a whole different level from what I was used to from a late night takeaway.
Do you cook much yourself?
I do cook a lot at home, and I mostly make Indian food. My mum got me the recipe book from Dishoom and they have this really nice black daal recipe in there that I always make.
Where does that love of Indian food stem from?
My parents always wanted me to try loads of different food. So we used to go out every week and try new spots in town. My mum was a big cook, so she had me helping her peel garlic in the kitchen on a daily basis, trying to recreate dishes.
Is there anything edible on your rider?
There actually isn’t – and that is gonna change right after I’ve finished this interview. I feel like something sugary would be ideal, like Haribo maybe?
What would be your desert island snack?
My absolute favourite thing to have for a snack is a samosa. I literally eat one every day, I can’t lie. They never get old. They’re the perfect amount of food for a snack, in my opinion.
All-time favourite condiment?
Hot sauce, maybe like a Scotch Bonnet pepper sauce…◼︎
Before you go, have a listen to what’s on rotation at the house of Salt Fat Acid House: