Platinum-certified Toronto-based producer YASH just released their newest single “Unicorn” with JUNO award-winning electro-pop artist Dragonette. Originally from Israel, YASH has been making music in some capacity since 1998. The musician has racked up an impressive catalog as a producer and songwriter, with a JUNO nomination under his belt and credits on releases from Tiesto, Steve Aoki, and Red Velvet. YASH’s alter-ego takes the form of a virtual avatar that is modeled to reflect the eccentricity and vibrancy found in his brand new sound.
YASH recently talked to ai love music about their artistry, what was it like working with so many great artists, and the behind-the-scenes look at “Unicorn”. What kind of mood did the artist want to capture in their newest single? And how was it working with Dragonette? You can find the answers and more down below! While reading, make sure to check out YASH’s newest single down below. Let me know what you think in the comments!
Hey YASH, thanks for taking the time to answer my questions. First of all, can you introduce yourself?
Absolutely! My name is Yash, I am a musician and producer from Toronto, Canada. I have been producing and writing songs for a few years and now I’m coming out with a solo project, in which I am represented by an animated avatar named YASH.
How did you get into music? What has that journey been like since then?
I have been playing and producing music since a very young age, around nine or ten years old. I somehow always fell into the producer role, and really enjoyed it. The process of seeing a song come to life is really magical to me. Eventually, though, I developed an itch for putting my music out there for the world and possibly performing on stage. That’s how the spark got lit for me to start an independent project as an artist. I have studied Jazz and Classical piano since the age of twelve, and I also attended Berklee Music school programs in my 20s for composition. So that’s where my skills for playing composing are from.
What artists or musical genres inspire your music?
I love Beck, Justice, Radiohead, and a lot of house and tech house music. All of this has been a huge inspiration for my music.
You have worked with and written music for a variety of artists! What is your favorite song you have worked on for another artist?
My favourite is definitely “Unicorn”. Dragonette is just such an amazing artist and I had so much fun writing this song with her. I also really enjoyed working on the song “California” with DJ Tiesto. It was a really big honor!
When you create music, what is that process like? Do you have certain feelings, sounds, or textures you want to explore?
I usually start with the beat. It’s always the base of everything. For me, the drums dictate the vibe and then I build everything on top of that. I also like using organic textures in my music, like guitars and horns!
Let’s talk about your recent release “Unicorn”. It is a summer bop! What inspired you to write this?
It has such an infectious bass line and vibe, both chill and urgent, which I love. I think Dragonette and myself were in a very quirky mood that day when we wrote the track, and sometimes you just don’t want to deal with any heavy subject matter. The minute we came up with this baseline and beat we knew it was going to be a fun one. And the music basically dictated the melodies and lyrics. It was a very easy song to write and those are always the best songs!
What was it like working with Dragonette? Any great stories?
First and foremost I love the co-writers and collaborators that I work with. Dragonette is an amazing vocalist and so fun to write with. We wrote this song together with Jenson Vaughan in a session, and we both fell in love with it. We were supposed to pitch it to some Netflix show, and I was kind of hoping it won’t happen. Luckily in the end we got to release it ourselves!
