Alex and Jasmine, congratulations on the release of the Really Cute EP! How much time did it take for you to complete the EP in full and what is the story behind “Really Cute?”

Thanks!!!!! It took about 4 months from starting our first song to submitting the EP. “Poppin’ Champagne” and “Don’t Tempt Me” took a long time, since they were the first 2 songs we started, and it took a while to find the right sound. (The “Don’t tempt Me” project actually broke a couple times. Probably because it goes so hard… but who knows. Thankfully it was recovered). The other tracks we finished pretty quickly. The song “Really Cute” was written on a little 25 key keyboard with a speaker in it. We started with the “pop chord progression,” playing the melody for the vocals and drops over it until we had lyrics to it and a beat in our heads. Then we took it into Ableton. The other tunes we already had a beat made in the DAW and would write concurrently, so this was an interesting way to make a track. When we showed it to 6TH STREET for feedback, he said we should name the EP “Really Cute.” (The original name of the EP was “Cute and Dangerous,” titled after another tune that we had made in this time).

Do you have a favorite song on the EP and why?

Alby: “Don’t Tempt Me.” This tune sums up the EP for me. Killer hiphop part – cute pop buildup thats HYPE af – and i love the drops.

Jassy: “Feel You.” I love the chorus vocals, they are ethereal and dreamy, I could listen to it on repeat. I also love how it changes to a fast rap type verse, there is a lot packed into one song.

What were the most groundbreaking concepts that you learned while making your EP? 

A and J: 1. HAVE FUN!!!! If you aren’t having fun you are doing it wrong. 2. BE YOURSELF. You can (and should) take inspiration from all sorts of places, but at the end of the day only YOU can make YOUR music. 3. There are NO RULES to writing or being creative, so don’t be afraid of anything.

What are some of your favorite approaches for quickly getting a great idea down in the DAW? 

A: Quickly? First I turn my phone off to avoid distractions. I like to turn the metronome off after I establish a groove, so I would start with something rhythmic like drums (if you already have an idea for a melody or some lead sounds, you want to make sure your beat follow the same swing/groove). Don’t spend too much time picking samples or doing sound design, grab some of your “go to” sounds and keep moving (you can swap out sounds later). I like to add a sub or 808 to my drums. Once you have a solid beat (2-8 measures), you can start duplicating it and making transitions, variations, fills, and playing with different main sounds over the top of the beat. Focusing on transitions early on will help maintain forward momentum and generate new ideas. You can arrange it later, these “superloops” are great for getting ideas out quickly. Timers and lists are also great tools for working quickly.

How do you approach Collabs? Do you have any best practices to share?

A and J: Get to know the person you’re working with! Everyone is different, so communication is the key to success.

Do you have a favorite Weekly Download?  What are your top 3 favorite Weekly Downloads?

A: They’re all my favorite lolz. but i really like all the special guest one’s!! The Zeke Beats and Mr Bill ones are really good. 

Tell us about your new Product available in the Producer DJ marketplace.

J: So I recorded a bunch of words and phrases like “hey,” “woah,” and “are you ready?”…

A: and I glitched them out for everyone to use in your new tunes!!!! It’s a fun pack of really cute vocal samples!

Who are you listening to for inspiration these days?

A: charli xcx, g jones, jacob collier, noga erez, tipper, kodak black, ivy lab, rico nasty, 100 gecs, mr. carmack, the unlocked album by kenny beats and denzel curry, lab group, yheti.

J: Panic! At the Disco, Kid Cudi, Childish Gambino, Ariana Grande, YNW Melly, Kodak Black, Lil Uzi, Rihanna, Jeff Buckley, Smino, Rico Nasty.

What are your top 5 favorite VST’s at the moment?

A: 1. pro-l2 (ff) – 2. Soothe2 – 3. echo (Ableton) – 4. reverb (Ableton) – 5.eq8 (Ableton)- also Ableton’s grain delay is SICK.

What can we expect from ALBY X JASSY in 2021?

A and J: We’re going to keep making music!!!!

Is there anything else that you would like to share with us? 

A and J: Just wanted to say thanks to everyone at Producer Dojo for being so awesome! This EP wouldn’t exist without the support from everyone in the Dojo community!

Stream/Download the ALBY X JASSY Really Cute EP here. 

Follow ALBY X JASSY on Social Media: ALBY IG , SC, FB, TW and JASSY IG, SC, FB, TW

Buy the New ALBY X JASSY Really Fun Vocal Sample Pack here