In Conversation with HRSPX: The Evolution of The Rumbling / Where It All Began

In the ever-shifting landscape of drum and bass, some artists carve out their own distinct sonic path, and HRSPX is one of them. Hailing from Szeged, Hungary, he brings a deeply personal and richly textured sound to the genre, shaped by years of exploration, classical training, and an instinctive pull toward the darker, more intricate edges of electronic music.

With The Rumbling / Where It All Began, his debut single on Evolution Chamber, HRSPX showcases his signature fusion of atmospheric storytelling and razor-sharp production. This release cements his place among the next wave of forward-thinking artists pushing the genre into new dimensions. We caught up with him to talk about his roots, influences, and the road ahead.

Firstly, thank you for agreeing to speak with us! Your musical journey began at the age of six with a CASIO synthesiser, followed by formal piano lessons at eight. How have these early experiences influenced your approach to drum and bass production?

HRSPX: Anytime, and thanks for having me! Back then, I didn’t see 'making music' the way I do now - it felt more like a skill I just had to learn. I wasn’t exactly thrilled about solfeggio or those sometimes dull piano lessons, but looking back, I’m grateful my parents didn’t let me skip them. I was never forced to play the piano, but I definitely found it tedious at the time. Interestingly, no one in my family is a professional musician, though both of my younger sisters are involved in the arts. One of them even lent her voice to my first, “proper”, sort of “ars poetica” release, 'YALI.' That said, when it comes to crafting the signature HRSPX intros and soundscapes, having some classical music background has definitely been useful.

Discovering Spor’s Hydra at 12 was a pivotal moment for you. What aspects of that track captivated you, and how has it shaped your production style?

HRSPX: Oh boy, I love EVERYTHING about that track - the atmosphere of the intro, the broken, undanceable beats, and those hellish, squelchy bass stabs moving through a notch filter. I haven’t heard anything quite like it since, and only a handful of artists have had such a huge impact on me. DJ Hidden (especially ‘The Later After’ - a 10/10 album), Evol Intent (‘Era of Diversion’ introduced me to breakcore and IDM - which is kind of a big deal considering that I first heard about these genres years later, while I was at university), Landscapers (pretty much all of his tracks), Task Horizon (‘Ghost in the Shell 2.0’ and ‘Kill The Pain’), Billain (‘Phalando’ *_*), and later on, the works of Burr Oak, Magnetude, Liveon, Ekwols, and Redpill. So yeah, quite a few artists have left a deep mark on me.

Growing up in Szeged, Hungary, with limited access to the broader drum and bass community, how did this isolation impact your creativity and approach to music production?

HRSPX: To be honest, there were parties I could have gone to, but I was simply too young to get into those clubs legally. Of course, that didn’t stop me from trying. I did manage to sneak into a few gigs, and experiencing dnb on big sound systems was incredible. However, I remember feeling a bit disappointed that the music didn’t fully align with my taste - it was more focused on dancefloor-friendly tracks. Looking back as an adult, I totally understand why, especially when considering ticket sales and the business side of things. This whole journey started when I was just a kid, around 12-13 years old, and I didn’t really know what to think about the world or music yet. I remember feeling kind of sad all the time, though I can’t quite recall why. Maybe it had something to do with my tendency to gravitate toward Minor scales in my music. I wasn’t listening to music at the party - I listened because it was my best friend. So, TL;DR: the chaos in my music comes from the lack of cultural experiences at gigs. Since I didn’t really grow up in the club scene, I never had a proper reference for what works well on big sound systems or even for dancing.

During your studies in Contemporary Music & Media Arts at the University of Pécs, you explored genres like Siberian folk music and folk-ethno-trap. How have these diverse influences integrated into your drum and bass productions?

HRSPX: The truth is… I like to keep these two aliases separate. There was a period around 2017 when my fascination with DnB took a backseat, and during that time, I explored other genres. With the help of a good friend from university, who ran a label called Babylon Records, I quickly became an aspiring member of Budapest’s world music scene. To this day, I still daydream about restarting that project, but right now, I have way too many things to sort out. That said, some of the ambiences I created with my instruments during my world music phase still find their way into my dnb productions today. If you are interested, here you go: https://soundcloud.com/bak97 (I have around 13 unfinished songs waiting to be finalised, so this project isn’t over - let’s say it’s just dormant for now).

The Rumbling features soaring soundscapes that build tension before launching into an explosive two-step bass assault. Can you walk us through your creative process for this track and the emotions you aimed to convey?

HRSPX: My aim was to create a constantly growing sense of tension that never fully releases into a cathartic moment but instead settles into the bridge - a section that brings back a kind of euphoria. And then… it turns into a meat grinder. 😀 Honestly, I barely remember making it. I rarely get into a true flow state, but in this case, the core of the track came together in under 12 hours. This was about a year ago. The refining process, however, took around six months, so at this point, I can’t even fully piece together how it all happened.

Where It All Began starts with a euphoric intro before transitioning into a rapid-fire call-and-response sequence. Does this title hold personal significance for you, perhaps reflecting your musical roots?

HRSPX: This title refers to a specific place from my late teenage years - one I’d rather not discuss - but it holds a kind of cosmic significance for me. Beyond that, the whole vibe of the intro feels like stepping into a void in space, a place where something happened in space-time aeons ago… if you know what I mean. So, I don’t know - this track carries the nostalgia of something ancient, something we can’t quite remember, only feel the echoes of.

Your initial releases with Bass Rabbit Recordings laid the foundation for your career. How did your subsequent collaboration with Evolution Chamber come about, and what does this partnership mean to you?

HRSPX: I’d like to take this opportunity to give a huge shoutout to Tim from Bass Rabbit, who believed that my music was worth sharing with a wider audience. Without his support, I honestly can’t imagine where I’d be right now. James and I regularly talk about music and all sorts of things, and he’s been giving me insights and feedback since January 2024. Honestly, I don’t know how, but I feel like I’ve finally found my musical family at EC. The best part is that I'm constantly being asked if this or that works for me- articles, covers, pictures, introductions, dates, everything. I think most labels out there could learn a lot from this work ethic and enthusiasm. I've got plenty of secret weapons in my arsenal waiting to be unleashed, but for now, that's all I can reveal.

You've cited artists like Spor, Receptor, DJ Hidden, Evol Intent, and Landscapers as early inspirations. Do these influences still resonate in your current work, or have new inspirations emerged over time?

HRSPX: Absolutely, I think Spor's legacy is unfairly underrated, even though he pretty much created everything we now call 'true' neurofunk. I mean… for me, neurofunk is a genre where anything can happen - the more broken and squelchy, the better, haha. I think we should name this subgenre (if it hasn’t been named yet), something along the Receptor-Landscapers-Imprintz & Kloe-Spor-Task Horizon axis. The real essence of the type of dnb I am into, was shaped around this era and by these artists. I don’t wanna sound like a boomer -  I LOVE what today’s artists are doing just as much - but my main inspiration comes from that netlabel neurofunk era. That said, French DnB is what resonates with me the most these days. Like… what’s in the water over there? Burr Oak, Redpill, Vici, Caracal Project, Eluun and my all-time favourite, Landscapers… it’s insane, haha. The emotionally overcharged music is what I have been digging since the dawn of my childhood, and I think it's not going to change soon. My motto: "More is more," as opposed to the minimalist approach of "Sometimes less is more."

Your sound is known for blending heavy, aggressive elements with intricate musicality. How do you achieve this balance between intensity and melody in your productions?

HRSPX:  I’d say this is hard to explain. I often feel like I write better intros, outros, and ambient sections than bassface-inducing drops. I don’t usually start my projects by sitting in front of my PC, drafting a bunch of drops, and then picking one promising idea to develop. Instead, I tend to have my tracks mostly finished in my head before I even begin. I start from the very beginning - the first bar of the song - and build everything up “chronologically,” if that makes sense. The first 5-10 seconds are crucial for me; I need to create something mesmerising right from the start. The hardest parts, though, are the buildups right before the drops - I honestly hate working on those. 😀 Overall, I’d say my tracks would feel much flatter and more boring without the subtle (or sometimes quite upfront) melodic and ambient layers. I see these elements as structural pillars supporting the main basses (which typically consist of 60+ instances of Serum and Vital) rather than just fillers for spectral and stereo manipulation.

Looking ahead, what can fans expect from you in terms of upcoming releases and your evolution as an artist?

HRSPX: Right now, I’m involved in some pretty exciting collaborations - one of them just dropped on Eatbrain, an energetic stinker I made with Liveon. There are also some interesting projects in the works with my bro Dübël, a fresh collab with Hated, and plenty more in the pipeline.

I’m also the keyboard guy and songwriter in my boyband, Kaiba Korp (we’re currently working on some serious alt-rock-neurofunk chimeras 😆). On top of that, I’m doing my Master’s in Sound Art at the University of Pécs, so yeah... feeling kind of exhausted. I also want to take this opportunity to shout out the friends who’ve been supporting me from the very beginning - putting up with my whining and keeping me going: James from Magnetude, DopeMode (this guy taught me DJing), Dübël, Ekwols, Hated, DRTWHT, Polyp, Yasha, S!KK, Hairoi, Anura, Liveon, Dati, Borsi, Grafit, and many more. Thank you all, you’re amazing!

Massive thanks to HRSPX for sharing his journey with us. With The Rumbling / Where It All Began dropping on 28th March 2025 via Evolution Chamber, this release is just the beginning of what promises to be a thrilling chapter for the Hungarian producer. Keep an eye out—there’s plenty more to come.