Kat Harlton
Platinum-certified producer Yaakov Gruzman, has stepped into the spotlight as YASH with his single “Unicorn”, released on June 24 via all streaming platforms.
“Unicorn” is a fun, light-hearted track that features JUNO award-winning electro-pop artist Dragonette. The new song follows YASH’s debut release “Bohemian Like You”, a captivating dance track released in 2021 that has garnered over 800K Spotify streams to date.
Toronto-based YASH has racked up an impressive catalog as a producer and songwriter, with a JUNO nomination under his belt and credits on releases from Tiesto, Steve Aoki and Red Velvet, to name a few. To debut his new project, YASH’s alter-ego takes form as a virtual avatar that is modeled to reflect the eccentricity and vibrancy found in his brand new sound.
Originally from Israel, YASH has been making music in some capacity since 1998. From a young age, he had lyrics and melodies dancing in his mind. Drawing inspiration from artists as diverse as Beck and Freddie Mercury, YASH creates unique, melodic live experiences by incorporating organic instrumentation and profoundly inspiring lyrical content into his sets.
Not satisfied solely pursuing his own projects, YASH is a hurricane of creativity behind the scenes. As a writer/mixer/producer he was nominated for Dance Recording of the Year at the 2017 Juno Awards for Shaun Frank’s “Let You Get Away” ft. Ashe. He is platinum-certified with over 500K EP sales as the producer and writer on the song “Monster”’ for Kpop giants Red Velvet, which charted at #1 for US World Albums (Billboard) and #1 on iTunes Top Albums Charts worldwide. He has three certified gold records and has produced and written songs for world-famous acts like Tiesto and Steve Aoki.
I had the opportunity to chat with YASH about his new single, songwriting and what’s next.
Kat: Can you talk about the inspiration behind your latest single “Unicorn”? How did this collaboration with Dragonette come about?
YASH: I loved working with Dragonette on this as she is an amazing vocalist and so fun to write with. We wrote this song together with Jenson Vaughn in a standard writing session and we both fell in love with it. We were supposed to pitch it to some Netflix show but I was kind of hoping it wouldn’t happen. Luckily at the end we got to release it! The song just has a good vibe and the bass line is definitely infectious!
Kat: You are an accomplished producer with a JUNO nomination under your belt and credits on tracks by Tiesto and Red Velvet. How does writing or producing for other artists differ from the approach you take to your own project?
YASH: This is a very different process really. When I am in a session the main goal is basically to sell this song to another artist. It is important to be a little detached from the song and tailor it a bit to where you would like to pitch or who your client is. This is the exact opposite when you are producing for yourself. You should never be detached but rather really emotionally involved in the process – that’s how you get an authentic sounding ‘you’. I really enjoy the freedom that gives!
Kat: What can audiences expect from one of your live performances?
YASH: The live performances will definitely include a lot of technology, projection tricks and effects but mainly I want to make sure I make a connection between the audience and the character, as he is the performer. So a lot of live playing on my part as well.
Kat: What has been the biggest career highlight for you so far? What have you learned along the way?
YASH: I really enjoyed and am proud of the work I did for the past years and working with top names like Tiesto, Steve Aoki etc.. It was amazing. I have learned to always keep evolving in your craft and try to not get stuck in the chase and enjoy yourself. That’s how you get inspiration.
Kat: What’s next?
YASH: I am launching a full 6 song EP in the fall and will be coming out with tons of content so fans can get a glance into Yash’s life in this crazy industry. There’s also an animated video to accompany the release of “Unicorn”! You can follow me on @yashplant on IG and watch the video on my YouTube channel @Yash Planet.
Connect With YASH
Facebook: /yashplanet
Instagram: @yashplanet