SEPIA MEMORY BANK is the creative home for the prints & sounds of R.J. Stefanski - a Detroit-born artist currently based in Brooklyn NYC.

Although this space is brand new - Stefanski has been steadily releasing original music and mixtapes since 2011. He always enjoyed creating artwork to accompany the sounds, and photography quickly became a major component of each release. Indeed, many field recording expeditions were just as much photo shoots.

After an initial series of diverse mixtapes and soundscape experiments, Stefanski turned his attention to the dancefloor and began promoting/DJing with a few friends. This culminated with his curation of the chill out room for their infamous after-hours weekly BAK DØR.

Since relocating to Brooklyn, he has released a NYC-based entry in Bivouac Recording’s “60 Minute Cities” series, contributed a mix to Metamorph’s highly regarded podcast, and performed at Nowaday’s for their one-of-a-kind Planetarium program.

His production continues to fall into three main categories: straight field recordings, experimental noise collages, and the occasional full-length ambient mixtape. Several albums have seen wide distribution, with “The Retired Cosmonaut” and “Sound Therapy Sessions” available on Spotify, itunes, and all other platforms. Meanwhile, Soundcloud remains his hub - with “Relaxing Rain and Loud Thunder” one of the biggest “hits” in the ambient genre on the site, currently sitting at close to 13 million plays.

Not only are many of the prints and sounds on this site captured on the same locations and trips - they are both processes of replicating or preserving a memory of a specific place and time. Each offers a different portal into the experience. His work in these areas tends to focus on taking the usual, mundane elements often ignored in everyday life and reframing them (usually through a hazy, psychedelic lens). Whether examining the abstract lines of a close-up image of blades of grass in a backyard, or closely listening to the sound of cars passing in the rain - a singular voice can be discovered in these images and recordings.

Contact for bookings or questions:
rjstefanski86@gmail.com