Gloria Jessica debuts music production chops for ‘What Are We Now?’

Sinjitos Collective, the label run by Santamonica’s Joseph ‘Iyub’ Saryuf, released Gloria Jessica’s EP ‘What Are We Now?’ on 28 June.

Comprising two songs, the title track showcases Jessica’s distinctive powerful vocals that flow across a background of evocative synths and mechanical percussions that add to its bold sound.

The track implements a metaphor of a car ride as she imagines herself in the driver’s seat with a passenger — a representation of a person, opportunity or even a dream — sitting beside her, as she invites them to “drive slow and fast” (part of the lyrics) in determining their future.

"We don't need to know what the future holds, but we must know what we want and not be afraid to make mistakes," she conveys.

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Known to many as a finalist on the reality competition series The Voice Indonesia, Jessica comes even more into her own via this release, being directly involved in the writing process for ‘What Are We Now?’ particularly from scratch and ultimately able to freely express her darker persona in music.

Having never used Logic Pro before, she dove head first into music production using the software. The track’s raw cut was then refined by Iyub who gave it an even more cinematic mood — with an edge.

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The result is just over four minutes of effervescent synthplay with a hint of electro-industrial sensibilities that lures listeners into anticipating what they’ll hear next as the track progresses.

Listen to Gloria Jessica ‘What Are We Now?’ here.

Amira Waworuntu is Mixmag Asia’s Managing Editor, follow her on Instagram.