Justin Bieber, Diplo and Skrillex share the journey behind ‘Where Are Ü Now’
Just when you thought you’d heard enough about “Where Are Ü Now,” Justin Bieber, Skrillex, and Diplo sat down to share the technical process behind creating the summer anthem. In a new interview with the The New York Times, the notorious trio put aside their antics for an insightful explanation behind choosing to work together, how Diplo manipulated Bieber’s vocals to create unexpected additions to the track, and taking in the incredible response that they have received.
“Skrillex probably never would have done a song with Bieber a year, or two years before,” Diplo starts off. But after a chance meeting where Diplo approached Justin with the idea to collaborate with Jack Ü, they walked away with a slow, piano ballad. Diplo and Skrillex play around on their computers throughout the interview, showing just how dynamic “pressing buttons” really can be.
Working with nothing but Bieber’s original ballad, Diplo explains how they were able to extract such a unique sound. “If you manipulate vocals, it’s something really original.” He shows how they added their own manipulated harmonies, and even pitched and bounced a vocal line so far that it became the famous “violin flute sound,” within the song. “We’re always trying to find something you’ve never heard before.”
“It’s cool that we’re in an era still where people think that people have no talent if they make computer music.” Skrillex says, almost sagely. “It’s awesome. It just shows how young it still is, and how relevant it’s going to be for a long time.”
Watch the full interview on NY Times here.