It’s a universal understanding that most artists use their chosen field as an outlet for their pain and frustrations. The tortured poet so to speak and all that implies. Dark electronic producer Sapphira Vee is no different in that broadcast as on her latest EP Unfolding does she ignite a trigger warning for domestic violence. A closure but also something that’s brutally difficult to get through, to sing about, to put out to the world to thousands and thousands of people who aren’t familiar with yourself. In the end it’s empowering and encourages those suffering to speak out. But I won’t lecture or speak on this for too long as Sapphira Vee as a lot to say herself in this edition of INTRODUCING.
Give us a brief about your band. Who are you and what do you do?
I am Sapphira Vee and I am a solo producer. I was doing electronic music way back in the day (the 90’s) and then stopped to raise my kids, as a single working mother. So, once they were older and a bit more independent, I decided to get back into it, and I haven’t looked back since. I’ve developed my sound into a blend of some of my favorite genres, including dark wave, industrial and sometimes trip hop.
When did you first launch the project and how has it come along since?
I believe it was late 2018. I was thinking about getting back into music, (see previous question), and saw Kasson Crooker perform with Freeze Pop and his solo project Symbion Project. I really enjoyed the show and thought to myself, “I think I can still do that”. So I put a studio together, learned all the tech that I had missed while I was taking my hiatus, and started releasing music again in 2019. Things were very different this time around, because of social media for promotion, and the ability to release music on your own. Also, technology now allows us to work with whomever we’d like anywhere in the world where previously it was really just local artists for practical purposes.
What bands and artists influenced you the most and why?
When I was very young women like Diana Ross and Cass Elliott were huge idols of mine simply because they had such beautiful voices. As I got older, David Bowie became a very big influence, I was struck by his uniqueness and conviction, his charisma and his voice. Discovering Kraftwerk as a young teen, really fueled my interest in electronic music, but being a huge fan of the punk movement also made me want to keep things a little on the raw side. I was always, of course, a fan of bands like Depeche Mode, then I started discovering bands like Nitzer Ebb, Front 242 and Ministry. I not only loved the electronic element, but the aggressiveness as well, of industrial music. Also, somewhere in there as a child violin player, I really fell for the Baroque period of classical music, specifically composers like Antonio Vivaldi.
If you could pick a single song from your discography to explain your music, which song would you pick and why?
Wow, that’s a tough one, but “What it Was” I think displays several elements that I really love, like strings which are inspired by my love of classical music, and a very personal emotional message, over an industrial inspired beat. A lot of my music is about genre blending, I love so many types of music. I think it’s one of my more accessible singles as well, as accessible as an artist like myself can get.
What is your most recent release and what is it about?
My most recent release is a six song EP called Unfolding. All six songs began as short stories, which I wrote, “lyricized” and set to music. Some of them are strictly fictional, science fiction specifically, which is my favorite movie/TV genre, and some of the songs are actually autobiographical. One of those, “ To Forgive or Not “ has a trigger warning on it, I almost didn’t release it, but I feel like it’s a story that needed to be told. I wanted to do something a little different this time around, I feel like if you aren’t experimenting as an artist you are not growing.
Take us through your creative process. How do you compose a song from start to finish? Where do the ideas come from?
So this latest release, which started with short stories, is very different for me because typically I don’t begin with lyrics. That was very much a challenge for me. A lot of times I just start with a great idea for a riff or a hook, or sometimes a beat I just can’t get out of my head. So I start the song from one of those elements. If it doesn’t start with a beat, that’s usually the first thing I’ll add in. I really love playing with beats and doing unusual things with them. I also try to build in some sort of an interesting introduction. I love songs that have great intros like Guns N’ Roses “Welcome to the Jungle”. That moment, when the intro riff ends and the main guitar riff begins in the song always gives me goosebumps. I’d also like to someday have my music featured in TV or film and you really have to have something interesting upfront, within the first 20 or 30 seconds of the song, if you want to grab someone who may be listening for that purpose. I currently have some of my music in a library for young game developers, and gamers who like to put their own playlists together, so I always try to keep that in mind as well.
What’s your current favorite song, band, or album within your scene?
I’m a pretty big fan of my friend Jane Jensen. She is also my label mate on distortion productions. She has a beautiful voice, she’s a great songwriter and performer, and her sound is very unique and catchy. I do love to support women within the scene, and often ask them to do remixes for me.
And vice versa, what do you enjoy the most that’s completely opposite of what you make?
My daughter and I recently went to see Ludovico Einaudi who is a composer for TV and film. The music is lush and beautiful and very different from what I make, but very compelling as well.
What is on the horizon for your project? Upcoming gigs, tours, merch, videos, etc. Name it, link it, show it off.
One of my songs “Weaponize the Silence” was recently featured on Distortion Production’s Electronic Saviors 7 compilation. We did a short ES7 tour over the summer with several bands, including Red Lokust, Jim Semonik’s band, and had such a great time we are talking about doing a tour in summer of ‘26. I’d also like to do a couple festivals next calendar year, fingers crossed on that. As for releases, I will be releasing another EP next year, which combined with Unfolding will go on a CD along with remixes. I’m hoping to have that available late next summer in time for Cold Waves!
