Producer Jacques Greene, also known as Phil Aubin-Dionne, and his long-time friend Nosaj Thing, whose real name is Jason Chung, have redefined their collaborative approach to music production by utilizing Ableton Link. This innovative technology allows them to work together seamlessly, enhancing their creative process while maintaining individual artistic expression.
Initially, Greene’s journey into electronic music stemmed from a desire to escape the constraints of traditional band dynamics. “I got so excited about electronic music as a way to not be in a band,” he explained. Greene’s background in rock bands during his high school years led him to relish the autonomy in crafting his music. The shift to electronic sounds offered him complete control over his creative output, eliminating the need to coordinate with other musicians over every detail.
As the pandemic fostered a trend of remote collaboration, Greene and Chung sought to counteract the isolation that often accompanied file-sharing practices. Their new project, Verses GT, embodies a partnership aimed at celebrating both individualism and collective creativity. By leveraging the capabilities of Ableton Link, they can operate separate computers in perfect sync, allowing them to collaborate without the need for constant verbal communication.
“There’s a beauty in playing into each other’s strengths,” Aubin-Dionne stated, emphasizing the trust shared between the two artists. Their friendship, which has lasted for years, underpins their collaborative efforts, making the creative process not only productive but also enjoyable.
The duo’s history of collaboration includes a co-DJ tour in 2017 and various production credits on singles such as the atmospheric track “Too Close” (2023) and the techno piece “RB3” (2024). These projects served as a prelude to forming Verses GT, which emerged from their gradual, organic partnership.
“We so slowly started working together, but at first, there wasn’t a plan,” Aubin-Dionne recalled. The duo began to develop a shared workflow that suited their collaborative style, blending their individual strengths into a cohesive sound. The first aspect of this workflow involved working together in person, spanning cities such as London, Los Angeles, Tokyo, Paris, and Montreal. Each session, regardless of the time elapsed between them, was characterized by in-person interaction that fueled their creativity.
“This record is about our relationship with the internet and friendship,” Aubin-Dionne remarked, noting that their commitment to starting ideas in person significantly influenced the album’s themes. Whether enjoying Vietnamese food or discussing films, their shared experiences sparked numerous musical concepts.
The introduction of Ableton Link revolutionized their collaboration. Rather than taking turns at the computer, they could engage with their equipment simultaneously, fostering a spontaneous musical dialogue. “Having the two laptops running Live at once, in sync, meant that we could build a whole song without speaking,” Aubin-Dionne explained. This setup allowed the duo to iterate and explore ideas more fluidly than traditional methods would permit.
Both producers bring their distinct musical styles to the project, with Chung favoring the Prophet 5 synthesizer and Aubin-Dionne gravitating towards the Prophet 6. Their shared love for the Erica Synths PĒRKONS HD-01 drum machine contributed to the album’s unique sonic identity. Aubin-Dionne described the PĒRKONS as “an amazing machine for these strange noise oscillator bass percussion sounds,” highlighting how they embraced its chaotic qualities rather than attempting to eliminate them.
The duo’s collaborative process also involves a balance between individual expression and collective input. They do not confine themselves to specific roles, such as drums or melodies, and instead focus on what best serves the song. “Once a song and the structure come into place, everything has to work together,” Chung noted, likening the songwriting process to “solving a 1,000-piece puzzle.”
Their approach is characterized by a conscious effort to allow space for each other’s ideas. “The initial bursts of ideas in Link were more of a controlled chaos than a messy situation,” Aubin-Dionne said, indicating a level of intentionality in their creative spontaneity.
In crafting tracks like “Unknown,” a haunting breakbeat piece, they would loop a drumbeat while experimenting with various melodies, showcasing their ability to build upon each other’s contributions. The album’s closing track, “Vision + Television,” emerged from a more ambient foundation, with Chung exploring sounds on the Sequential Prophet T8 while Aubin-Dionne recorded and layered additional elements.
Eventually, Aubin-Dionne concluded that simplicity often leads to the most profound results. “A lot of my music starts as ambient songs, then I add the drums later,” he explained, underscoring their shared philosophy of prioritizing mood and texture in their compositions.
Through their innovative use of technology and a deep-rooted friendship, Jacques Greene and Nosaj Thing have carved out a unique space in the electronic music landscape. Their commitment to collaboration, alongside their ability to maintain individual voices, showcases the potential of modern music production in fostering creativity and connection.
