Daily Inspiration: Meet Sebastian Estrada

Today we’d like to introduce you to Sebastian Estrada.

Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
I’m NotSøBashy, a DJ and producer from the Inland Empire. I play and make 240-KMH hardbounce: fast, distorted, swung bounce rhythms with acid and techno energy, made for the dancefloor.

I fell in love with raving in 5th grade. At that age I didn’t understand the culture yet. I just knew how the music made me feel, and I never let go of that. I’m Mexican American. My grandpa came here from Mexico looking for a better life for our family, and I carry that with me. Latin rhythm and groove were always around me growing up, and that’s in everything I do now. Whether I’m producing or playing a set, I try to bring that Latin feel into hard, high-speed club music, because it’s part of who I am. It’s also where my drive comes from. My family worked hard so I could have a shot at chasing something like this, and I don’t take that for granted. Things got serious when I went to London to study music. I learned production properly there, and I got deep into the culture and history of the techno and rave scene. Seeing how the underground works over there changed how I think about sound, community, and what a set can feel like. I brought that home with me. Since then I’ve been building my name across Southern California. I’ve played for Inland Groove and RUSH, their techno afters. I’ve also played for Neo Bounce, HOLYSH#T, and 6host.records, with sets in the IE, Corona, and the LA area, including HOLY GHOST MODE in Downtown LA this past August. Next up, I’m going B2B with Khrome for Hard Havoc on October 17 at The Compound warehouse in Commerce, and I’m really looking forward to that one. I also put out mixes on SoundCloud, like my Neobounce x Inland Groove series. My visuals are inspired by PS2 and Y2K video games and dark, cinematic rave culture. I want the whole experience to feel like its own world, from the cover art to the last track. Right now I’m focused on releasing more original music, playing bigger rooms, and connecting with artists and crews pushing the harder, faster side of club music. Bookers who want high energy and a crowd that doesn’t stop moving: that’s what I’m here for.

I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Not at all, and I think that’s what makes it mean something. Before music was my main focus, I was a professional boxer. Boxing was a huge part of my life. Then I got hurt twice in a row, first my hand and then my knee. It was one of the hardest stretches I’ve been through. When you can’t do what you’ve trained so hard for, you have to figure out who you are without it. For me, that answer was music. It had always been there, since I fell in love with raving as a kid. The injuries made me put all that drive and discipline into music and completely lock in. Boxing taught me how to take a hit and keep going, and I’ve needed that. There’s no big team behind me. Most of the time I’m the DJ, the producer, the designer, and the promoter all at once. I’m spending my own money on gear, samples, and promo, and working on tracks late at night. Coming from the Inland Empire has its own challenges too. The IE has a real scene with a lot of heart, but most opportunities are in LA. That means a lot of driving, a lot of networking, and proving yourself over and over to people who haven’t heard of you yet. The music itself isn’t the easy route either. Hardbounce at 240 KMH is fast, loud, and still growing in the States. Not every crowd or promoter gets it right away. There were times I wondered if I should play it safer. But every time I stayed true to my sound, the right people found it. Collectives like Inland Groove, Neo Bounce, HOLYSH#T, and now Hard Havoc gave me room to be myself. Leaving home to study in London was also a big step. Being in a different country, learning from a scene that’s been around for decades, and then coming back and building from scratch took a lot of patience. It taught me that nothing gets handed to you. You have to show up, keep learning, and keep putting work out even when it feels like nobody’s watching. Every setback made me hungrier. I’m still building, but I’m proud of where I’m at and even more excited about where this is going

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I’m a DJ and producer, and I specialize in 240-KMH hardbounce. It’s high-speed club music built on distorted kicks, rubbery swung basslines, acid lines, and big ravey hooks. It sits between techno, and trance making It bounce My goal is simple: keep the floor moving and never let the energy drop I’m known for playing fast and hard, but with groove. Growing up in a Spanish-speaking household, Latin rhythm was always around me, so I bring that swing and percussion into everything, even at 240. That’s what I think separates me from a lot of hard-music DJs. It’s not just speed and distortion. There’s a bounce to it that makes people dance, not just headbang. I’m also versatile. I’ve played Inland Groove and RUSH, their techno afters. That means I can bring a peak-time bounce set or go darker and deeper into techno depending on the room. I read the crowd first and build the set around them.
Another thing that sets me apart is that I treat NotSøBashy as a whole world, not just a set. My visuals come from PS2 and Y2K video games mixed with dark, cinematic rave culture. My SoundCloud mixes, like the Neobounce x Inland Groove series, have cover art styled like old-school game covers. I want people to recognize my sound and my look right away. What I’m most proud of is how far I’ve come in a short time. After my boxing career ended with injuries, I had to start over. Now I’m playing for collectives that I actually respect across SoCal, from the IE to Downtown LA. On October 17 I’m going B2B with Khrome for Hard Havoc at The Compound in Commerce. I’m also proud that I’ve done it without compromising my sound. I bring a fighter’s discipline to music. I prepare my sets like fight camp, I show up ready, and I give it everything every time I’m behind the decks.

Where we are in life is often partly because of others. Who/what else deserves credit for how your story turned out?
The biggest credit goes to my grandpa, Willy Silva. He came here from Mexico looking for a better life for our family and became one of the most respected boxing trainers in the Inland Empire. He’s in the California Boxing Hall of Fame and has coached multiple champions, including working with Julio César Chávez’s sons, Julio Jr. and Omar, when they were coming up. He was also my boxing coach. He taught me discipline, how to prepare, how to take a hit and keep going, and how to give everything when it’s time to perform. When my injuries ended my boxing career, those lessons didn’t go away. I brought them into music. The way I prepare my sets and push myself in the studio comes straight from training with him. Everything I’m chasing now started with his sacrifice and his example. My whole family has supported me through everything, from boxing to the injuries to going all in on music, and I’m grateful for that.In London, my teachers and the people I met in the scene opened my eyes to how deep this culture goes. They taught me the technical side of production, and they also showed me the history and respect behind techno and rave music. Back home, the collectives that believed in me early played a huge role. Inland Groove and RUSH gave me a stage and a community. Neo Bounce, HOLYSH#T, and 6host.records trusted me to bring my sound to their crowds. Hard Havoc brought me on for October 17. Shoutout to Khrome for going B2B with me. I really want to shout out neobounce and their whole team they gave me a chance or an opportunity when they didn’t have to and because of that im forever grateful for them and everything they are building. Also a DJ named Khrome , neobounce resident, has been my number one supporter, pushing me I don’t think id be where I am now if weren’t for Khrome backing me

Contact Info:

• Website: https://notsobashy.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/notsobashy?stkn=MWFjZThqdjYyaWE2MQ%3D%3D&utm_source=qr
• Soundcloud: https://on.soundcloud.com/FTMFdyPH4PK1KyOiGS

Image Credits
ky-leigh Martinez @ky_leigh on ig are the photos shoot in the studio.
for the photos shot at the event @toomuchbajablast