Swedish dance-pop producer Discrete returns today with the dynamic, world-spanning single “Drown in Me.” The track pulls together artists from across the globe—Canadian pop hitmaker Kiesza, Icelandic singer/songwriter Ouse, and Colombian artist/actor Dylan Fuentes—uniting them in a technicolor swirl of pure pop energy.
Discrete has spent the last few years developing a euphoric take on pop informed by the ecstatic sounds of dance floors across the globe. “Drown in Me” is testament to his hard work, effortlessly folding three vibrant, diverse artists into one blissful smash.
They sing about the fragility of romance, telling their tumultuous stories lit by Discrete’s neon production. Even as Kiesza sings about the struggles of falling “in and out of love,” the beat remains insistent and the synthesizers continue to shimmer, a reminder that when life gets messy, you can always dance through your struggles, especially if you’re surrounded by friends.
“It all started in Stockholm, Sweden 2019 – says Discrete – where me, Tudor Davies and Adolfo Sistek were sitting in my studio and were all a bit hung over from the night before. All feeling a bit tired and lost, where we tried a bunch of different ideas and then we stumbled upon the bass from drown in me which I played around with.
Then Tudor started harmonizing the bass which he wanted me to find a synth to play but we went with the idea of actually recording his voice instead and almost fully using voices for the whole song. Tudor was writing the lyrics from a personal story of his where he got to tell his story which we all can relate to in different ways. I think everyone has felt this feeling where someone is a bit too much in your life and you want them to mind their own business.”
Tell us about the genesis of your project. How did you get to where you are now?
The core idea of the Discrete project was to be able to create whatever I wanted in my own way. I was stuck in a creative pickle years back where I was only producing for others and wasn’t able to be fully creative.
Getting to where I am now is mainly about persistence and focus. Keep your head up even when the inspiration is low, some days are harder than others but I’m always grateful to try to do my best at all times.
What’s your favorite record?
There’s a lot of them which inspire me in different ways. But what really got me into music was probably Justice’s album from 2007 which really made me intrigued to learn how to produce electronic music.
What is your creative process like?
It’s different every time but usually it’s shared with people. I love making music with other people from the start and bouncing ideas back and forth. Sitting alone gives me a lot of second thoughts about every little decision where if I’m in the room with others I can bounce these ideas with them directly to see if it’s any good or not.
As a producer, are you more attracted to music or lyrics?
Lyrics for me are easiest to write if it’s a story brought up in the room which someone has experienced or if there’s a story which I’ve experienced myself. To be able to create meanwhile directly relating with what is written and then interpret the story to something that more people than only me can relate to.
What’s a fashion trend or era that’s always been stuck with you?
I’m a huge fan of a lot of style and aesthetics but lately I’ve been in love with 90s rave aesthetics for some reason. It all jumps around.
What is the achievement or moment in your career you are the most proud of and why?
Probably actually drowning in me. It’s been so much hard work getting this to the place it is big it’s just the beginning of what I truly want my project to be! It’s been so much fun and it really feels like one of the songs for the books.
What is your advice for aspiring artists that want to achieve what you achieved?
Put your time into yourself and invest in yourself. Don’t work for anyone else, do what is in your best interest always, sometimes working for someone else could be temporarily for your best interest but always keep asking that question.
What would you change in the music and entertainment industry especially after this past year?
It feels like a lot is on its way to better circumstances for everyone in this business and this pandemic made everyone stop and actually reflect on what’s really important for a sustainable business, so hopefully we keep that mindset when the world is ready to go back to normality again.
What’s the future looking like for you?
It’s looking bright
