We Caught Up With ATYYA To Talk About His New Album "THE INDIVISIBLE," Different Approaches To Production & More [HIHF Interview]

Well-rounded artists in electronic music take things to a new level. Their technical understanding of music, combined with a never-ending passion for exploring new sounds, can produce timeless wonders that truly make us feel something. Few do it better than Canadian producer Tyy Clark, better known in the bass music community as ATYYA [pronounced ah-tie-ah].

For over a decade, ATYYA has been pushing boundaries in forward-thinking dubstep, downtempo and experimental bass music. His signature sound has taken him to unique settings all around the world, including Shambhala in Canada, Lightning In A Bottle, Guatemala, a hot air balloon in Turkey, and most recently, Envision Festival in Costa Rica.

Towards the end of February, ATYYA released his new album titled THE INDIVISIBLE. This 10-track project is the latest treasure trove of illustrious sounds from the versatile producer. Spanning across the sonic spectrum, this nearly 36-minute journey covers new approaches to 140/dubstep, downtempo, UKG and experimental bass music.

Each track seamlessly flows into the next, jumping between 140 and 85 bpm ranges. Packed with breathtaking sound design, tension at the right moments, well-thought out percussive flow and melodic soundscapes, THE INDIVISIBLE is one of ATYYA’s most powerful projects to date. Find yourself getting down to tracks like “Origins” and “High Level” featuring Rakjay, or getting lost in thought while listening to tracks like “New Style” featuring Rider Shafique as well as “Rise”.

We were fortunate to speak with ATYYA about THE INDIVISIBLE, his approach to producing different styles of music, plans for 2024 and so much more in this exclusive interview for Heard It Here First. Check out the full conversation below and let us know if you plan on catching an ATYYA set later this year!

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HIHF: When you think about previous albums you’ve put out, how did you approach THE INDIVISIBLE when you first started diving in? Was there a particular theme or story you were trying to convey?

ATYYA: I wanted this album to be driven by shuffling percussive grooves, warm mid bass tones, and strong melodic elements. I found it to be a fun and exciting challenge to make music that goes off on the dance floor and also has memorable melodic elements.

HIHF: There are some beautiful transitions in the album between songs; it’s almost like you are mixing in key during a DJ set. Was this intentional from the start? Were you drawn to anything in particular (genres, artists, etc.) while creating the album? Tell us a little bit about creating a journey-like experience with an album.

ATYYA: I like to make the intros and outros of my songs “DJ friendly”, but also musical. I like when the intro emotionally prefaces what is to come, and in most cases, I like the ending to be resolute. I didn’t preplan how the songs would flow into each other, but after hearing the album front to back I can see what you mean. I actually released the album on vinyl a couple weeks ago with only 300 copies made! You can check out more details here.

HIHF: The album includes three songs that feature vocalists (Rider Shafique, Finnoh and Rakjay), each of whom bring their own flavor and seamlessly fit right in with the instrumental. What led to the decision of selecting these vocalists? Have you worked with them previously?

ATYYA: I have made music with Finnoh before – check out our tune “Arson” if you haven’t! I had never made anything with Rider or Rakjay prior to this album, but I’ve been a big fan of their work, so I reached out and we made it happen! I am really happy with how our first tracks together came out.

HIHF: What do you want fans to walk away with after listening to THE INDIVISIBLE? What’s your main message to listeners?

ATYYA: The message of THE INDIVISIBLE is that when we are immersed in sound, we are INDIVISIBLE. When you are on the dance floor, even if you’ve never met the people around you, you are intrinsically connected to them in a special way. The letters “D” and “I” are also darker on the album cover to highlight the hidden word “INVISIBLE”. Sound system culture is hidden to much of the world, which is kinda badass…it’s like we know a secret that the rest of the world has not uncovered yet.

HIHF: I love that! That’s a really cool message. Now that the album is out, what’s next for the ATYYA project? What are you most looking forward to for the rest of 2024?

ATYYA: I recently got back from Envision Festival in Costa Rica, which was insane! I have more shows for THE INDIVISIBLE Tour this Spring, cool festivals to look forward to this Summer, and an even bigger Autumn: “THE INDIVISIBLE: Fall Tour”. I am also sitting on some dope collabs & remixes coming through the release cue. Oh, and more ATYYA UKG!

HIHF: Your discography covers a wide variety of styles and tempos. How does your thought process in the studio differ when making heavier bass tracks versus angelic downtempo tracks? Do you prefer producing one style more than others?

ATYYA: In all of my music, I like to focus on making the drum groove really tight and full so that the drums can carry a lot of the energy, rather than cramming the track with sound design over a simple beat. When making a “banger”, I design the drums to knock harder and carry more energy, whereas on a downtempo song, the drums sit a bit more transparent in the mix and there is more emphasis on melody and harmony. I went to jazz school for piano, so when I write downtempo it comes more from playing the keyboard and finding melodies and chord progressions. I love them both equally, as they both tune me into a different aspect of my creativity.

HIHF: You’ve been releasing music for well over a decade. Who were some of your earliest inspirations when you were first starting to produce? Who are some artists today that inspire you?

ATYYA: Thats right, it’s been 16 years now. When I started producing I was in a b-boy crew, so I made breaks. My early inspirations were Stanton Warriors, Deekline, Crystal Method, Prodigy, etc. Shortly after that I got into OG dubstep, so names like Benga, Caspa, Kromestar, Coki, & many more were really inspiring. To see what bass music inspires me today, check out my playlist “Bass Music Selects”.

HIHF: One of my favorite ATYYA moments in recent memory is your sunrise set 3,000 ft. in the air in a hot air balloon! Tell us a little bit about how that came to be.

ATYYA: Yeah! That was wild. This amazing couple named Chelsey & Oren were at this private retreat in Spain that I was DJing at. We started chatting and they mentioned they do retreats, too. They wanted to book me in Turkey for one of the retreats and do an ATYYA DJ set in a 20-person hot air balloon. After the retreat in Spain, they emailed me and, despite it seeming almost impossible to pull off, they said they had it all figured out, so we booked my flights to Turkey! A few months later, sure enough I was in Turkey 3000 ft. in the air playing my music!

HIHF: That’s amazing! Truly a 1 of 1 experience. Lastly, for our readers that also produce music, I understand you are also an Ableton instructor. Tell us a little bit about what you do on that side of music. Do you have tutorials, sample packs and/or masterclasses available?

ATYYA: Sure thing! I am the founder of “Production Labs”, a pro audio company that provides sample packs, Ableton Templates, and our flagship product “The Producers Portal”. This is a 12-unit Music Production course that teaches you a proven start-to-finish method for finishing electronic music. It’s great for producers of all levels!

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We can’t thank ATYYA enough for taking some time to chat about his new album THE INDIVISIBLE, music production and more in this very insightful conversation. What did you think of THE INDIVISIBLE album from ATYYA? Let us know in the comments below or on our social media!