Richard Finger: How a Mysterious Dubstep Duo Flipped Off the Formula and Landed a Red Rocks Debut
March 17, 2025
In a scene obsessed with faceless DJs, Richard Finger has found the ultimate loophole: they’re just a finger.
The mystery of Richard Finger is one of the strangest—and most entertaining—storylines to emerge in electronic music so far in 2025. If you spend enough time scrolling through dubstep discourse on X, you’ve probably stumbled across this quirky saga recently.
If not, all you need to know is that somewhere, somehow, a sentient finger managed to strong-arm its way into a live performance debut at the iconic Red Rocks Amphitheatre. And that’s not even the weirdest part of this story.
Who—or what—is Richard Finger? That’s been an increasingly urgent guessing game among bass music fans since the enigmatic artist first appeared on SoundCloud in early-2024. What started with a cryptic upload titled “THe BIRTH OF RICHARD FINGER??????” quickly evolved into a full-fledged spectacle built on unhinged song titles, hilarious social media interactions and dubstep productions that are shockingly—almost frustratingly—great.
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For months, fans speculated whether the project was one artist, a duo or an anonymous collective à la Deathpact. The truth? Richard Finger is actually the brainchild of two producers with over a decade of experience, they tell EDM.com, determined to challenge today’s artist branding standards by doing the exact opposite of what’s expected.
Instead of chasing algorithmic success with vacuous, hyper-optimized promo content, they let chaos do the marketing for them. Using satire, shitposting and outlandish lore, they are giving the middle finger to the moth-eaten music marketing machine.
And it’s worked. Last month, EDM.com Class of 2025 star Tape B announced Richard Finger as the first opener of his Red Rocks headline show in October, launching the mystery even further into the public eye. With just seven songs—all of which are SoundCloud exclusives—and less than a year of existence, their playbook has led to plenty of questions.
Are they an industry plant? Did they blackmail their way onto the lineup? Is this all just one elaborate joke? Richard Finger, of course, aren’t here to clarify anything.
“We love breaking the law,” they told us in their first-ever interview.
We caught up with the anonymous artists behind the most infamous appendage in bass music to discuss their Red Rocks debut, the power of online absurdity and why sometimes, causing commotion is the best marketing plan of all.
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EDM.com: Fans love unraveling the mystery of anonymous artists. How do you balance keeping the illusion intact while also making real connections with your audience?
Richard Finger: It’s less about trying to keep the illusion intact and more about engaging with the people who are engaging with our music. Anonymity just keeps the focus on the sound and not “us.”
EDM.com: Anonymity in electronic music has historically been used to shift focus toward the art itself. Do you see Richard Finger as a character-driven project, or is the music ultimately what you want people to focus on?
Richard Finger: At the end of the day, we want people to focus more on the music than anything else.
EDM.com: Your branding is so over-the-top that it almost mocks traditional artist promotion. What do you think Richard Finger says about the current state of artist branding in electronic music?
Richard Finger: These days, artist branding feels like everyone’s just copying what already works, and people take it way too seriously. We wanted to break that mold and have fun with it, be ridiculous and do something that actually makes us laugh. Music should be about expression, not just playing by the same old rulebook.
EDM.com: The Richard Finger persona is intentionally ridiculous. But satire has a way of revealing deeper truths. What is Richard Finger actually satirizing?
Richard Finger: Richard Finger satirizes the over-the-top, serious nature of artist branding. It’s a way to highlight how ridiculous and fake the mainstream culture can be, while pushing for authenticity and humor instead. We love breaking the law.
EDM.com: Comical façade and social media presence aside, your music is full of creative sound design that has captivated dubstep fans. How would you describe Richard Finger as a producer?
Richard Finger: We’ve both been making music for over a decade, so we do have experience under our belts. But this time around, we’re not taking it as seriously—while still putting 100% effort into the music we create.
EDM.com: Your first-ever live show is at Red Rocks. Not exactly a low-key debut. How do you even begin to conceptualize a performance for such an iconic venue when your entire brand is based on absurdity?
Richard Finger: We’re just going to do what we normally do: write music and play it. Our “brand” may be absurdity. But the music will speak for itself.
EDM.com: Much speculation has been made online about your identities. Do you have a plan for how to present Richard Finger to the world at your debut show?
Richard Finger: No.
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EDM.com: Given your first release was less than a year ago, some controversy has been made about such a new artist being given the opportunity to play at Red Rocks. What is your message to those who are skeptical of the booking?
Richard Finger: People like to speak on what they don’t understand. When we were booked for this show, Tape B and his team had no idea who we were. Once again, we think the music speaks for itself.
If you cause enough commotion, the opportunities are endless.
EDM.com: Red Rocks is a venue known for hosting legendary performances. What does playing this stage mean to you personally, and how do you plan to make the most of this opportunity?
Richard Finger: All jokes aside, it truly is an honor and unexpected to be able to share our music on such a legendary stage. This set will be the most effort we’ve ever put into a performance. Tons of new music, remixes and edits.
EDM.com: Do you see Richard Finger as a short-term experiment or a long-term artistic vision?
Richard Finger: We’re just writing music, sharing it with the world and having fun. We have no expectations of how far this will go.
EDM.com: Is there anything else you’d like to tell the world about Richard Finger?
Richard Finger: We are not an industry plant. If anything, we’re a middle finger to the industry and the way it operates. No corporate bullshit. Just two friends making music and having fun.
Follow Richard Finger:
X: x.com/richardfingerr
Instagram: instagram.com/richardfingerr
SoundCloud: soundcloud.com/richardfinger
