In today’s bass landscape, subtlety rarely survives. However, Kliptic thrives in the tension between restraint and detonation. Rather than chasing trends, he builds from texture and tone. Every move he makes is with intention, and that discipline separates him from the algorithm-driven noise. In this interview, we unpacked how early exposure to dubstep shaped his creative identity. He opened up about grinding through production’s steep learning curve, and refining his sound through trial, error, and relentless experimentation.
KD: Tell us a little bit about yourself. How did you choose your artist name?
Kliptic: My name’s Jake, a 26 year old from Maryland. I make bass music, but also dabble in other genres. I have a super diverse musical taste which shows in my music. My artist name is Kliptic, which came from an idea when I was younger. I played a ton of Xbox (especially Call of Duty) and when I was trying to come up with a gamertag, I wanted to pay homage to guns/the fact is was a shooting game. I was watching a lot of pro esports at the time and my favorite team was Optic, so I combined Clip and Optic, but changed the “C” to a “K” to honor my last name. Thus, Kliptic was born. Years later when I started DJing, I still liked it and thought it was unique, so it stuck.
KD: Was there a specific song that got you interested in Dubstep? Who are some artists you admire?
Kliptic: I was first introduced to dubstep in middle school, like a lot of my friends. It would be used in Call of Duty montage videos or other YouTube stuff. Early Skrillex, Excision, Feed Me, etc. I always heard it around but didn’t get super into it until a few years later when I was a junior/senior in high school. I’ve always looked up to Excision, Wooli, Skrillex, Space Laces, & Crankdat. All for different reasons. Some are super sick producers. Some have faced immense challenges throughout their careers and persevered. Some are super business savvy!
KD: How long have you been making music?
Kliptic: I’ve been producing for about 6-7 years now and have been around musical instruments all my life. I was best at playing drums, but have also played guitar, bass, keyboard, etc.
KD: Did someone teach you how to produce/DJ or did you learn on your own?
Kliptic: When I first started producing, it was super frustrating. I didn’t know where to go or who to look for to get help with EDM production. Luckily my friend Wes from my hometown area was also learning production at the time. We both would get together and try to help each other out and struggle through the very steep learning curve of music production together. I eventually found some decent YouTube videos featuring acts like Kompany, Wooli, Ray Volpe, and more, and this helped a ton. I went on to spend countless hours through trial and error every day for years on end trying new techniques and learning more where I could, even taking 1-on-1 lessons with some bigger producers at the time.
KD: What is your hardware/software setup like?
Kliptic: I’ve always run a macbook pro of some sorts using Ableton as my daw. I have a bit of an extensive plugin collection. I find sometimes a new toy can lead to inspiration. Some must haves for me are Serum, Omnisphere, Standardclip, Pro – Q4, a couple different Ozone products, a ton of waves stuff, & the Kilohearts bundle.
KD: What advice do you have for people who are just starting out as DJs/producers?
Kliptic: It can be a very frustrating but rewarding path. There’s nothing better than creating and making something you genuinely love or that sparks emotion inside. There are so many resources nowadays to learn from that I didn’t have when I started. There is Patreon & YouTube, and tons of producers do lessons. Remember it’s a business at the end of the day. If you want to cut through the pack and have a career, remember branding, social media, personality, and more are all crucial to your success, plus a little luck.
KD: If someone hasn’t heard your music, which song best represents your style?
Kliptic: This is a super hard one to answer. I have such a wide range of tracks I’ve written from metal & rock influenced tracks, to hip-hop and rap intros, orchestral and super cinematic stuff and everything in between. Some of my personal favorites are Unload the Klip, my $uicideboy$ – 2nd hand bootleg, STORM THE CASTLE with LAYZ, & one of my new unreleased tracks with Joppa.
Quick worthy mention that Kliptic’s $uicideboy$ 2nd hand bootleg will forever be a favorite of mine. It lives rent free in my head, even two years later. Anyways, back to the good stuff!
KD: If you could collaborate with anyone, who would it be?
Kliptic: There’s tons of sick artists inside the edm space, and outside, that I’d love to work with. My eventual goal is to get collabs and features that span far outside of just edm. EDM Wise I’d love to work with Excision, Wooli, Illenium, Subtronics, Crankdat, Ray Volpe, Meduza, Kompany, Future Exit, Calcium, & More. Outside of EDM: 50 Cent, $uicideboy$, Slipknot, Future, Waka Flocka Flame, Adele, & Many more. I could go all day.
KD: You’ve had releases on Subsidia, Bassrush, and Rude Service. Which other labels would you love to release on?
Kliptic: Atlantic, Interscope, Warner, etc. I’d love to hit the bigger labels and reach an ever broader audience. Labels like that could help with dream collabs and features.
KD: If you could play a show/festival anywhere, where would it be?
Kliptic: EDC Las Vegas, Ultra music festival, The Las Vegas sphere, Hollywood palladium, Red Rocks, and tons of other venues I’d love to headline one day!
KD: What is your favorite show you’ve played?
Kliptic: This is a super hard one but Wompy Woods at Lost Lands 2024 was sick, My first time headlining skyway theatre blew my expectations out the water, & the armory was super sick as well. I’ve also played support on a ton of super sick tours including Excision, LAYZ, & Sullivan King.
KD: What are some of the most memorable moments you’ve enjoyed in your musical journey?
Kliptic: There’s tons of amazing experiences that have shaped me into who I am today; including all the amazing people I’ve met along the way, new places I’ve gotten to visit, legendary venues I’ve gotten to play, & more. Some of my best friends I’ve met through my music journey.
KD: What are some goals for your project and what can we expect from you in 2026?
Kliptic: I’m aiming to have more consistent releases this year, more headlines, more support plays, more collabs. I really think the sky is the limit and I’m stoked with how far I’ve come but I have a lot of big aspirations for the future. I’d love to grow my project & community and sell out rooms like Hollywood palladium, Red rocks, Bill graham, Mission ballroom, Tacoma Dome, etc.
KD: What are some hobbies you enjoy outide of making music and performing?
Kliptic: I also really love watching sports, collecting sports cards and going to the gym.
Ultimately, Kliptic stands at a pivotal moment, fueled by momentum yet driven by unfinished ambition. His story is not one of overnight success, but of calculated growth, resilience, and relentless refinement. With sharper releases ahead, bigger stages in sight, and a vision that stretches beyond genre boundaries, he is building something designed to last. If this next chapter unfolds the way he intends, Kliptic will not just participate in the bass scene, he will leave a permanent imprint on it.
