Q: “Yellow” at its core is a colorful and quirky queer love story. Tiiva then takes that story and elevates it to new heights with their euphoric remix. Tiiva, walk us through your creative process in reimagining Luan Meiʼs song.
TIIVA: I usually start with just the vocals, chopping everything up, retuning… recording in a new bass and making a drum pattern from samples. I kinda dive into the sentiment of the song cause that’s important, and just have fun cause that’s always the most important thing.
Q: Luan, how did you feel hearing the remixed version for the first time?
LUAN MEI: The first time I heard the remix I was incredibly surprised. Obviously, I didn’t exactly know what to expect as I never imagined my songs being remixed, and that was a great surprise. If the original track in my mind is made of warm colours like, orange and yellow, the remix is full of purples and blues, with a completely different twist, cosmic and sparkly, which I loved from the beginning until the end.
Q: What would a dream music video for this track look like for you?
TIIVA: One made by my collaborator and pal Ling Heaney, some kinda digital colourful splash of shapes that draws you in and make you feel high.
Q: How would you describe the general state of music made by and for queer folk today?
TIIVA: I think there are a lot of amazing artists and bands out there, pushing for change and moving things forward. No one is ahead or behind in this, as long as the meaning behind the music represents that desire for change and the queer voices are happy then that’s great.
Q: What do you want people who are just discovering your music to know about you?
TIIVA: Being vulnerable is scary but you make it worthwhile.
Q: Do you plan on working together again on future musical projects?
TIIVA: Yes 100%, really excited about what comes next (you’ll just have to wait and see)
Interviewed by Brynn Hinnant
