Qwhyet . WALK BY (Club Version)

I really like how Qwhyet have given “WALK BY” a completely different energy with this club version. The Los Angeles duo take the softer and dreamy atmosphere of the original and add a stronger beat, deeper bass, and a faster and more danceable rhythm. J DROONY's production brings plenty of house and techno influences, while Hijkatelyn's gentle vocals keep the song from becoming too aggressive. What I enjoy most is how the electronic sounds build around her voice, creating a nice contrast between the heavier beats and the softer melodies. They leave enough space for the vocals and the smaller details in the production, and I can hear the influence of underground club music!

It's a version that gives the original song a new purpose, and I particularly enjoy how naturally the two sides of Qwhyet's music come together.

Interview

(•)> What made you want to turn “WALK BY” into a darker, more club-focused track rather than leave the original alone?

Hijkatelyn: I wanted “WALK BY” to have a more upbeat, high-energy mix, something that could get people moving and dancing. I spent my earlier years as a competitive cheerleader, and I remember how cheer mixes and routine mixes could energize an entire room and really get the blood flowing. So I immediately asked J DROONY if he could bring some more life to “WALK BY,” and he did.

Yes, it's the Club Version of “WALK BY,” but I'd like to think of it as more than just a dance track spun by your local DJ.

“WALK BY (Club Version)” is a shared space for movement. Whether it's being used as a workout track for a Pilates or spin class, or as a 30-second segment for youth All-Star competitors to find their rhythm, it's whatever anyone wants it to be.

J DROONY: Honestly, it was kind of on a whim. Hijkatelyn asked me to do a more Ibiza-style remix of our track “WALK BY.” As I started working on it, I got lost in the trance and Eurodance vibe and wanted to capture the feeling I had when I used to party and spend time in Mallorca.

I wanted to really exaggerate that sound. So I pushed the percussion as far as I could into distortion and chaos, then went deep into those almost cheesy early 2000s trance synths I would hear endlessly while hanging around bars and DJ booths in Palma and Magaluf.

There's something about that sound that I think is really cool and also kind of hilarious, and that's the space I wanted this remix to live in.

When I showed it to Hijkatelyn, that's when we realized it wasn't really a remix anymore. It was a whole new version.

(•)> How did pushing the rhythm toward the dancefloor change the emotional meaning of the song?

Hijkatelyn: It didn't. It just made the moment we captured more energized.

J DROONY: I don't think it did, and that was the point. We wanted to keep the emotional center and core of the song, which is why we maintained Hijkatelyn's vocals as the centerpiece.

My goal with the production was to see how far we could push it into club territory while maintaining the emotional meaning of the original. So I think the energy changed, but the emotion and longing of the track remained the same.

(•)> The vocals stay intimate while the production gets heavier. How did you keep that vulnerability from getting swallowed by the club sound?

Hijkatelyn: I'd chalk that all up to J DROONY and his production skills. He did an outstanding job maintaining that balance.

J DROONY: Sonically, I think it came down to carving out space for the vocals. There's only so much room for each frequency, so you have to make sure you're not bogging things down from a production standpoint. That allows the vocal to shine on its own.

But you also have to walk that line between making something new and keeping enough of what made the original version special, so the new version still feels familiar.

(•)> What sounds or production choices were most important in giving the Club Version its physical, late-night feel?

Hijkatelyn: I think I told J DROONY a story about how I wanted the song to feel and what I wanted the outcome to be, and he just knocked it out of the park.

J DROONY: Somewhere between making the gabber kicks as blown out as possible, getting the bassline as gritty as possible, and making the synths feel as close to that late-night warehouse euphoria as possible.

I think what helped me find that feeling most was imagining what I'd want to hear late at night or early in the morning, in a sweaty warehouse with nothing but smoke, lasers, and that perfect sound to guide the moment.

(•)> Was there a moment during production when you realised the remix had become its own song rather than just an alternate version?

Hijkatelyn: Not during production, but afterward. As soon as I heard the finalized track, I was speechless and so excited because it really came out amazing. It was everything I wanted and more.

J DROONY: I think for me, it was probably right after I finished the drums and heard them with the melody. I knew this was something completely unique.

(•)> Qwhyet moves between outsider house, techno and atmospheric electronics. What usually tells you which direction a track should take?

Hijkatelyn: The mood usually dictates how I write. I favor outsider house because I find that the lyrics come to me a bit more naturally.

With techno, I can lean toward a moodier tone rather than feeling loose and allowing a story to flow. With outsider house and atmospheric electronics, I tend to tell more of a story, whereas with techno, I'm creating one.

J DROONY: I usually approach production from two angles. Either I already have something in mind that I'm trying to create, or I start with a blank slate and let whatever comes first, whether it's the drums or the melody, lead me in a particular direction.

Sometimes Hijkatelyn gives me an idea, like she did with this track, and I try to execute it to the best of my ability. I want to get as close as possible to what she's asked for, but from my own perspective.

(•)> How do Hijkatelyn's songwriting and J DROONY's production challenge or reshape each other when a track is being built?

Hijkatelyn: I think we just collide worlds. After more than ten years of being together and working together artistically, we've developed a routine and a system.

Rather than facing challenges or having moments where we need to reshape everything, we each play our roles and stick to what works for us.

I do make suggestions and wear the creative director hat at times, but that's something I've been doing since 2016. It's become second nature to me, and J DROONY embraces it.

J DROONY: I think Hijkatelyn pushes me to think outside the areas I usually gravitate toward, or the boxes I tend to think within.

She's always encouraging me to try new things, things I haven't thought of or even considered trying. And I love the challenge of meeting her requests.

(•)> You've described Qwhyet as a project where emotion and experimentation can coexist. How do you know when a strange production idea actually serves the song?

Hijkatelyn: If something isn't technically musically correct but still sounds good, that's rare and strange. It doesn't happen 90% of the time.

I feel like that's when we've stumbled upon something special. It's those little moments that really give a track its identity.

J DROONY: It's really all about how it feels. I think that's how I always know when something is good or when an idea is worth pursuing.

That's honestly the best way I can describe it. It's just a feeling. When I hear a track and it touches something deep within me, I don't necessarily know what that is, but whenever I feel that way about a track, it tends to be well received.

(•)> “WALK BY” originally came from HUSH. What did revisiting the track reveal about how much Qwhyet's sound has changed since you made it?

Hijkatelyn: Comfort. I know the lyrics hadn't changed, but I felt more comfortable making the Club Version than I did making the original “WALK BY.”

Maybe that's because the hard part, laying down the vocals, was already over. But I really felt at ease with the remix.

When you're making an EP or album, things can feel a bit formal. With the Club Version, I literally felt like my hair was down and blowing in the wind. I was looking forward to exploring that chaotic, energetic side of the track.

J DROONY: For me, I'm always learning. I'm constantly listening to something or watching something, trying to discover new production techniques or ways of creating interesting and unique sounds.

I'd say it's almost an obsession. Hijkatelyn has to remind me that there's life outside of working on music and making beats. It's like one of those "go touch some grass" situations!

But I think what we're really trying to do is explore what club music and emotionally driven music can be.

It's not about being limited to a genre. It's about being able to showcase the truest versions of ourselves through music.

(•)> As you keep moving further into club-focused territory, what part of Qwhyet's identity do you never want to lose?

Hijkatelyn: Being Qwhyet (Quiet), but always letting our music, talent, and artistry speak for themselves.

J DROONY: Us. Just being true to ourselves and always making music and art that's authentic to who we are.

As long as we keep that at the core of what we do, the rest will fall into place.

(•)> That's all, Folks! Check it out on the Pigeon Opinion Playlist