Interview w/ SUBDIDI

Crimmu$
2 days ago
5 min read

Updated: 2 days ago

If you’ve been around the Vancouver underground, you’ve probably seen the name Subdidi floating across lineups, mixes, and much more. He’s a DJ, producer, and tattoo artist with a distinct sense of taste — the kind that connects dots most people don’t even see. From throwing down raw phonk mixes to inking clean, timeless pieces, he’s built a creative world that’s entirely his own.

We sat down with Subdidi to talk Basscoast, tattooing, phonk, and what it’s like riding through city chaos on two wheels.

Origins

1. Tell us about the name Subdidi. Where did it come from? What does it mean to you now?

A:The name came from when I was in grade 3 entering a new school. I had to introduce myself and this girl said my name “Sebastien” was too long for her, so she shortened it to Seb. Some kid overheard this and thought she said “Sub,” and for some odd reason that name stuck for a while.

Fast forward a few grades — I was a drummer and beatboxer, so homies would flip my name and call me subwoofer or subbass. Then one close old friend word-vomited the name “subdidi” and since then it stuck hahaha. Very random, but I’ve rocked it since.

2. Tell us about your Subcasual SoundCloud page. What’s the concept behind it?

A:Honestly, no concept behind the page. I just needed a SoundCloud to listen to odd cuts and remixes that were damn near impossible to find in 2012–15. Once I started DJ’ing, I used it as my main platform for discovering music and uploading mixes. It’s an extension of myself, but not as layered as it seems. I keep it super casual — hence the name “subcasual.”

Pandemic Era

3. Tell us about that 2022 mix you recorded while sick with COVID.

A:Like a lot of people during that time, I was cooped up in my apartment experimenting with different genres within a BPM. I really fell in love with 160/80 in 2021, so I spent that year digging into that side of speed. What came from it was that mix.

Things felt volatile and fast during that time, but it also gave me clarity on how I wanted to move forward with what I’d eventually start playing when things opened up.

Phonk & The Mixes

4. Let’s talk about ***Whole Lotta Phonk*. Why do you think people hesitate to mix phonk? And what pulled you into the genre?**

A: I wanna call it phonk, but for preservation’s sake I call itMemphis Horror Core (MHC).

I think people are hesitant because mixing hip-hop with electronic music can sound corny or out of pocket if it’s not sampled right — especially since MHC is extremely sampleable. Yeah, it’s gritty, dark, and kinda scary, but people are coming around.

It’s always been an outcast hip-hop genre until recent years, which is probably why I gravitated toward it. I got into it during my first few years of university, hotboxing my car while playing Skinny Pimp, UGK, Gangsta Boo, Project Pat, Koopsta Knicca, and more. A friend gifted me the first three 3-6 Mafia CDs ever made — they've been in rotation ever since.

It’s just a feeling. The mix is an homage to that time and also helped me rediscover the genre after first learning about it over a decade ago.

Festivals & Milestones

5. How did it feel finding out you were playing Basscoast this year? Any advice for artists trying to get in?

A: Basscoast 2025 was a lot of fun — my second year there and second year playing, which is wild. Apparently it’s not common to play multiple years in a row if you never attended before.

Best advice? Be unapologetically yourself. Do your research on the festival and artists. Bring something new to the already saturated electronic palette. Lock the fuck in and get good at your craft.

I’d say I got in because it was 60% hard work, 30% luck, 10% diversity hire.

Behind the Booth

6. What’s your favourite setting to DJ in?

A:My own crib lol.

7. How long have you been mixing and flipping tunes? What got you started?

A:Almost 7 years DJ’ing (6 officially), and flipping random shit for almost 10ish.

8. Who are some of your biggest inspirations — musically and artistically?

A:My mom, early TDE, Coki & Mala, Miles Davis, Billy Talent, Deftones, Pastor T.L. Barrett, and a ton of old school hip-hop (especially 1998–2003).

Ink & Art

9. When did you start taking tattooing seriously? Who inspires you in that world?

A:About 5.5 years ago. I gave in my two weeks at a really solid restaurant gig I’d been at forever. I shot my shot at the art gods and they basically said:do this NOW, don’t think of Plan B. Here I am today.

10. If you weren’t DJ’ing or tattooing, what would you be doing?

A:No idea. Maybe opening a restaurant/listening room, maybe a video game tester, maybe a pro rally car driver… or maybe I’d just be dead.

Life in Motion

11. You ride a bike, right? What’s your setup — and dream ride?

A:Yeah — I ride a 2008 Suzuki SV650. Vancouver’s the best city in the country to ride year-round, considering I’ve lived in snowier places.

Dream bikes? Ninja H2R, Harley Sportster S, Triumph Rocket 3R.

Scene & Community

12. How did you end up on the Keep Hush lineup in Vancouver?

A:The homies Nico (DR.BPM) and Yana (Nalule) hit me up. Keep Hush wanted to collaborate with a West Coast collective, and they tapped Drill Events and Neptune9 (Nico and Yana’s projects).

I’d been bombarding them to come here, so it’s wild it worked — and I got asked to close the night after a surprise voice message from Yana. I’ll never forget screaming in the Duffins parking lot when I got the news.

I’m not in any crew and never will be, but I’ll always support my community. Massive highlight for me.

13. Favourite food spots in Vancouver?

A:DD Mau because it’s close to my studio, but it’s usually closed after my sets — so 24h A&W near my house wins.

14. Have you lived in other Canadian cities? Which scenes felt like home?

A:I’ve lived inBoston, Haiti, Montreal, Edmonton, and Vancouver, and stayed in Toronto so many times it feels like I lived there too.

SHOP

Personal Side

15. Give us an idea of your perfect day. What games are in rotation right now?

A:Right now I’m playingGhost of Yotei,Battlefield 6, and looking into Magic the Gathering cards — just the lore, not to play.

A perfect day is eating good, sleeping good, seeing my lady, riding my bike, gaming, drawing, and annoying my friends.

16. You’re God for one day. What’s one thing you’d change about Vancouver?

A:More places letting Black people play the respected genres they invented. More Black people in general — especially the weird ones who still get shunned.

17. Who are your favourite DJs, producers, or artists right now?

A:Geezer, OSSX, Sherelle, Coki, Kush Jones, Bastiengoat, TAH, djpjmadethistrack, 1-800-raz, Burna, Regal86, DJ Sega, RP Boo, DJ Earl, Trends, ESDEEKID, Peeling Flesh, Suicide Silence, Deftones, and many more.