yuniVERSE is an Indonesian-Australian alt-popstar in the making. She’s teamed up with Corin Roddick, best known for his work as one half of the dream-pop duo Purity Ring, for their third release together: “l8 nite txts.” I had the pleasure of chatting with both of the eclectic, electric artists about the joys of collaboration, the blurry lines of genre, and what sounds are going to be ruling our 2023.

Sparky: What brought the two of you together? How did your initial collaboration come to be?

yuniVERSE: I met Corin in Australia through his sister when we went to see Purity Ring at Splendour in the Grass festival. We’d kept in touch, so when I finally came to LA I shot him a DM to see if he’d be down to collaborate and the rest is history.

Corin: I had heard some early demos and her style caught my attention as being something different, so when the opportunity of working together came up, I was interested to see what we could create.

What was the inspiration behind “l8 nite txts,” and what was the process of building out the track?

Y: For me it was a cathartic release, getting to process emotions and thoughts that I had buried long ago. I took inspiration from relationships of people around me and my past where I spent a lot of time in that space knowing I was in a toxic situation. “l8 nite txts” is the back and forth that was happening in my mind at that time.

C: The song was built around a simple piano melody with different textures layered on top. The “OK” sample heard throughout was accidentally captured from in-between vocal takes. I tried to create as much contrast as possible between each section, and the sample ended up being the missing piece that tied it all together.

What are your favorite aspects of collaboration? How does joining forces help shape your sound?

Y: I love the ‘no rules’ approach, taking pieces that you think shouldn’t go together and being able to experiment. I used to find it super difficult to give my input or share creative ideas fearing that I would be shut down, but when working with Corin, he’s always down to try something different. Without the encouragement in these sessions, I think I would have boxed myself in rather than just going for it. Having my ideas heard—even if they don’t always work—has been such a massive part of finding my sound.

C: Collaboration is my favorite part of making music- a single idea from someone else has the potential to completely transform a track. It’s always so exciting when something I would never think of ends up taking the song in a totally different direction. I think collaborating with yuniVERSE has pushed us both out of our comfort zones to try new things.

Who else would you like to work with? Do you have a dream collab?

Y: Oh man, so many—Charli XCX, Tinashe, FKA Twigs, SAINt JHN—to name a few.

“L8 nite txts” is starting 2023 off with a bang, what should fans expect from both of you as collaborators and artists in your own right?

Y: Thank you! I think 2023 is going to be a year of exploring the yuniVERSE sound. There are a lot of fun tracks in the pipeline, along with bangers to absolutely rage to—a lot of getting the unspoken off my chest.

C: We’re having lots of fun experimenting with each song to create different moods, so there will definitely be more to hear from us together. Beyond yuniVERSE, I’m also working with some other exciting artists this year, and, of course, new Purity Ring material is always in the works.

What do you see as the “future” of music? What artists do you anticipate having a big break this year? What sounds are going to be dominating both the underground scene and mainstream music?

C: I think we’ll continue to see the walls between genres dissolve. At this point it feels almost impossible to come up with a completely original singular sound, but there’s still so many ways to recontextualize existing sounds into something new. It’s been inspiring to see a new generation of artists taking creative risks. I have no idea what sounds are going to dominate the zeitgeist of 2023, hopefully it’s something I didn’t expect!

What’s a track you have on repeat right now?

Y: VenBee - “Messy in Heaven” Absolute FIRE.

C: Full Body 2 - “2g ether” Loving their fresh take on shoegaze.

yuniVERSE, when did you start making music, and what inspired you to start?

Y: Since I can remember, I have always wanted to create and work on my own project. For a really long time I would try and dip my toe in, but I think I got in my own way a lot, or didn’t have quite the right chemistry with collaborators. So, really working with the right person/people this past year is ultimately what allowed me to pursue my passion and inspired me to start.

In your own words, how would you describe the music you make? Would you consider yourself falling under a particular genre/niche?

Y: I find it really hard to categorize myself into a specific genre, maybe emo-R&B crossed with hyperpop. Overall, I feel the music I make can, at surface level, feel really fun and high energy. Weaving my inner most hidden thoughts into fun melodies where if you peel back the layers and read between the lines, you will find that it’s definitely a lot darker than first impressions. Which I think is a perfect analogy to who I am.

What are your goals as an artist for this year?

Y: At this stage, continuing to explore the soundscape we’re creating is so exciting for me but I would absolutely love to be playing shows and collaborating with other artists for sure.

You can find yuniVERSE on Instagram and Twitter: @yuniv3rs3. Check out Corin on Twitter, @CorinRoddick and Instagram under @purityring.