PLANET ZYHA—the multi-genre duo known for cinematic storytelling and mesmerizing performance art—is set to release their latest single, “Angel,” featuring FAWNA. Complete with a music video that draws audiences into the wider universe of PLANET ZYHA, the single is an experience not to be missed.
In this exclusive Q&A, PLANET ZYHA opens up about the stories behind the music, lessons learned along the way, and what keeps their passion alive.
MusicsWeek: How did you get started in music?
PLANET ZYHA: My mother was a pianist, so I started classical piano at a very young age, but dropped it. In high school, my two best friends were guitarists and asked me to learn bass to form a band, and that's where I really fell in love with music & music making. I picked up the piano again, and it was then that I realized you can use the piano to create your own melodies that it ''clicked''.
MusicsWeek: What inspired you to become a musician?
PLANET ZYHA: Our high school heavy metal band called ''Populus'' was pretty serious at the time and when we split up after University, I started Tron Sepia with another childhood friend who was into electronic music (psytrance specifically) - so I don't recall any memories where I wasn't practicing some form of music on a regular basis. I never ''became'' a musician - it was always part of my identity as far as I can remember.
MusicsWeek: Can you tell us a bit about your background and upbringing?
PLANET ZYHA: I grew up in Montreal, which is in the French Canadian province of Quebec. My parents are both Scientists, and the rest of my family have more conventional career paths - I was always that ''special'' oversensitive kid that everybody knew would turn out to be an Artist. In College, I studied film production and had a few short films tour the festival circuit. It's when I discovered the electronic music scene with my wife & Planet Zyha partner that my career changed path.
We started a collective of artists called Eden Creative to present a theatre show in a dome at festivals, and started doing epic immersive parties in Montreal. Eventually, this evolved into a serious multimedia company (Eden Creative Studio) that became our day job
MusicsWeek: What's your favorite memory related to music?
PLANET ZYHA: There are too many!! Instinctively, I started thinking about our live shows when reading the question. Although my favorite thing in the world is composing music, there's something about performing your own creations live that is absolutely priceless... performing our very first Planet Zyha show at Genesis in 2023 to an ecstatic crowd of 500 people was definitely a memory I won't forget!
MusicsWeek: What's your biggest passion outside of music?
PLANET ZYHA: Storytelling. Whether it's with video, photography, or live performance, my favorite thing is to engage people with stories. I especially love interactive storytelling, which is something I like to explore with dance music, but also with immersive projection experiences like we do with our studio.
And if I reaaaally need to answer something that isn't related to my work, I'd say my cats.
MusicsWeek: How do you stay motivated and inspired?
PLANET ZYHA: My wife & I are really busy, so we have rigorous systems of time management & workflows.
I plan everything ahead! I have Excel sheets with all my tracks and plan my music sessions in my calendar with clear goals (ex., playing, writing, mixing, content creation...). I do reserve some sessions for pure play or ''creative explorations'' - but I almost always have a goal when I sit down at my DAW to work on music. I believe creativity is a muscle, and I'm constantly using it at work or back home. It helps that my wife is also an artist, so we're always brainstorming! So my trick in a nutshell is to keep the valve of creativity open ALL THE TIME, and the inspiration will always be flowing.
MusicsWeek: What's your favorite song to play live?
PLANET ZYHA: Our song At Night. Our music being bass music/EDM means it's usually instrumental, but on this one, Ariane & I sing in the original recording. It's also a track on which Ariane performs (fan veils and sometimes burlesque), and I get to sing on it with my heavy metal/growl voice. I love the energy of Ariane dancing and me singing simultaneously... we should do more of that!
MusicsWeek: What's your creative process like when writing songs?
PLANET ZYHA: I usually start with a core idea - it can be an emotion, the need to bridge two genres of EDM in a live show, or a flip/remix. Usually, my best tracks are written with a strong emotion at its core. Although 99% of the songwriting is done with a computer, there's usually a moment where I will sit at the piano to write down a melody or explore counterpoints/chord progressions.
MusicsWeek: Do you have a favorite album or artist that influences your work?
PLANET ZYHA: I'd say Sphongle, Infected Mushroom & Skrillex have had a huuuuge influence on my music and on me as a person. Recently though, I've been vibing a lot on LSDREAM's and CloZee's collab project LSZEE.
MusicsWeek: What's the most challenging part of being a musician?
PLANET ZYHA: Obviously, it's self-doubt, but I think I'm working myself out of it. It was particularly present with my previous project Tron Sepia but now with Planet Zyha I completely changed to mindset to focus solely on ''the work'' - with a strict schedule, not caring about results, focusing on writing the best music & creating the best content around it - there's no more space for doubt!
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