After an unforgettable 25th anniversary edition of Miami Music Week, we’re back in full force. This time, we caught up with Canadian producers Control Room and RUMPUS, along with U.S. producer AK RENNY, to chat about their latest collaboration, “PAY UP,” their creative process in the studio, and what the future holds.
Paul Biegel and Caleb Larsen, better known as Control Room, captivate audiences with their catchy basslines and club-ready dance music. The duo has received support from major names like Dr. Fresch, Wax Motif, Habstrakt, and BIJOU.
On the other hand, RUMPUS brings his signature energetic house blend to the dance floor. His hit track “Feel The Beat” has amassed over 5 million streams on Spotify, and his music has garnered widespread support, with features on HBO’s The White Lotus and Hulu’s Into The Dark.
Meanwhile, AK RENNY—who initially launched her career as a DJ and rapper—transitioned into music production in 2019. Since then, she’s been reshaping the bass house scene with releases on well-respected labels like NightEnjin, GRL GANG, Hood Politics, Ferris Wheel, and Bassrush.
We believe this collaboration, released on Space Yacht, is truly one of a kind. Dive into our exclusive interview with Control Room, RUMPUS, and AK RENNY below.
Hello everyone, and thanks for joining us today. How’s it going?
Control Room: Great! We’re all pretty busy right now, but we’re hanging in there.
RUMPUS: Awesome! Just getting ready to head to MMW next week!
Let’s dive into your single “PAY UP.” How did the idea for this track come about, and what led to the decision to collaborate on it?
Control Room: Caleb and I were on the island for a stag, and Danny called saying we should start another song. We changed our flights and stayed an extra day in Victoria.
RUMPUS: The boys were in my city for a stag. I picked them up the morning after and brought them straight to the studio. Hangovers were in full effect—LOL—but we powered through and made the first version of the tune!
The track features a powerful low-end with heavy synths and AK Renny’s sizzling vocals. Can you walk us through the teamwork involved in creating this, and how you divided the tasks, like who handled drums, synths, bass, sound design, and mixing?
Control Room: Well, we spent a lot of time working with Danny to get the instrumental sounding right. When we had the main idea down, we sent it to AK, and she sent these fire vocals a week later. After that, we got them sitting right in the song, and it was done!
RUMPUS: We did the first version together in person, and then after that, we updated and laid out the track in some Zoom sessions over the next few months. The song evolved over time and ended up being quite different from the original version. When we had the instrumental dialed, we sent it to AK, and she crushed the vocals!
We absolutely love the breakdown—it really gives listeners a moment to breathe. How did you decide on the chords for that part of the track?
Control Room: I was working on the song a couple of weeks after we started it, and I was pulling in Splice loops to see if I could find something to beef up the breakdown. I found something I liked, and I wrote some notes similar to that, and it became the breakdown.
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Each of you has performed the track live. After countless hours in the studio, what’s it like to finally bring the track to life on stage?
Control Room: Honestly, it’s the best feeling, especially on a big collab like this. We’re all so happy this one got to see the light of day!
AK RENNY: It’s such an amazing feeling to bring this one to life. And the moment I played it out, I knew it was not gonna leave my set. It’s an absolute crowd-pleaser and gets the energy going!
RUMPUS: We tried really hard to make sure we had a version ready in time for me to play at Shambhala. I dropped it during my set, and the Control Room boys were on stage with me. It was a special moment, and when we saw the reaction from the dancefloor, we knew then we had a banger!
For many artists, collaborations can sometimes rely heavily on one producer carrying the song. But with you four, it feels like a balanced collaboration. Was there any pushback or disagreements during the creation process, or did everything come together smoothly?
Control Room: No disagreements, but the original idea we wrote together was quite different. We spent many hours on Zoom together, making sure we had something we all liked. Although, on our next song, I think we are going to try not to stray so far from the initial idea. Haha!|
RUMPUS: The original idea was pretty cool, but then Control Room made some changes to the song, particularly in the lead synth, which I really dug. So, we rolled with that and kept building on the track from that point. It was an easy process, as we are all friends, and it’s always good vibes—even if someone has a bad idea—we can have a laugh and move on easily!
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Can you share one piece of advice for aspiring producers who are looking to collaborate with other artists?
Control Room: Compromise is key. In art, everyone feels strongly about their opinion, but to have a successful collaboration, you need to be able to flex on things. It’s a give and take. For landing collabs, make sure you are asking artists that you personally know or who are at a similar spot in their career.
RUMPUS: For me, collabs together in person are the way to go. I find decisions can be made a lot easier and quicker, and you can stay on track to make sure everyone in the room is feeling the direction.
As the festival season kicks off, do you have any plans to do back-to-back sets or possibly release more collaborations?
Control Room: We were all going to Miami for Music Week. We have a couple in the works with AK, and I’m sure we will have something new with Danny in time for Shambhala.
AK RENNY: Always down to work with any of these guys again—they’re absolutely killers who are developing their own style in this industry, and I know they’re just gonna keep growing and growing.
RUMPUS: Hell yeah, love this crew—keep the train rollin’! Gang gang.
Lastly, what can your fans look forward to in the future from each of you?
Control Room: Like I said, we were all going to Miami for some fun, so make sure to stay tuned. I’m sure the socials were pretty entertaining—haha.
AK RENNY: I had a few releases and features coming out between then and May that I was super stoked for, and a spring tour about to be announced. I couldn’t wait to see the boys in Miami, and I joined Jauz during Miami Music Week.
RUMPUS: Miami was fun! I had two shows there, then I was off to Australia for tour a week later. When I got back from Aus, it was straight into summer festival season!
Purchase Control Room, RUMPUS, AK RENNY – PAY UP via this link.
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