Building Bridges With Pure Instinct: sabukaru Meets Glasear

Atlanta-born artist, producer, and DJ, Glasear has become one of the most in-demand names shaping the sound of internet-era music. His credits stretch across a wide spectrum, from Ericdoa and Glaive to PinkPantheress, Bladee, Yung Lean, Destroy Lonely, Ken Carson, and even Chief Keef. Yet his approach remains anything but formulaic.

Whether he’s building a trance-infused bridge for a pop star or weaving moody textures for underground rap, Glasear’s philosophy is simple: make something that sounds cool and push it into a world that feels new. In this conversation, he talks about chasing music against the odds of a skeptical upbringing, why he believes taste is just as important as technical skill, and how his solo work has become a space for pure experimentation.

We also get into the stories behind some of his most iconic tracks, the ways he pushes past the plateau every producer eventually hits, and the unexpected side quests he’d happily take if music were ever off the table, especially lemon pepper wings or a perfect Faceit 10 run.

Abeer: How’s it going, Glasear? For the sabukaru readers who might not know you yet, could you tell us who you are and where you’re from?

Glasear: I’m Glasear, I’m from Atlanta, I’m an artist, producer, dj, 

Abeer: Was there a specific moment where you realized this could be more than a hobby and that music was going to be your path?

Glasear: When I was 16, I got a 1080 on the SAT, and I knew I couldn’t get into a college that my family would be happy with. 

But I think maybe it was having my first major cut with an artist, I somehow landed a song with Chief Keef in like 2020, and to me at the time, that made me believe anything can happen. The song ended up leaking recently. I remember Bobby Raps sent me the song randomly to show it to me, and I was like, ‘dude, you know I did the piano, right?’ The song is called “Until Woodland Hills” if anyone wants to Google it.

Abeer: You’ve also collaborated with artists who live in totally different worlds, from PinkPantheress to Destroy Lonely to Bladee. How do you shift your approach from one session to another?

Glasear: With every artist I work with, I like to think about the worlds that they create with their music, and how I can contribute to it or bridge it with other worlds. I believe music is all the same thing: rhythm and melody. 

On “Stateside” by Pinkpantheress, I worked on the bridge, and I tried to include elements of UK hardcore and trance in the synth work I did, trying to bridge two things I like. 

Also, everyone works differently; some artists I would just send random beats I made on the day of, or other artists I could be working on post-production. It is just kinda random to me. At the end of the day, I just try to make some stuff that sounds cool and crazy to me. 

Abeer: When you’re not producing for others, how do you approach your solo work differently?

Glasear: I like to think of my solo work as a creative playground. I don’t really have any expectations for it or anything, I don’t care about it doing well or getting big numbers or anything like that either. 

As a producer, I’ve faced a reality where not all artists want to accept all my ideas, and instead of forcing those things on them, I’d rather just make it for myself so the world can hear. 

Abeer: Your new EP “oasis” feels really cohesive but still full of surprises. What was the starting point for this project?

Glasear: I've been wanting to release an EP for about 4 years, but I didn’t feel like I was good enough at music yet to execute the sounds and what I wanted to make up until this year, when I finalized it. It started with the track “Brightside” with Organ Tapes, that track was made in about 2022, and then I took a hiatus from working on my solo project to learn more, and then I learned how to sing and made the tracks “rich broke” and “globalheatdeath.” Having 3 songs of production and 2 songs of vocals made it feel complete to me, and I decided to put it out. 

Abeer: As an Asian-American producer, do you feel like you’ve had to move through the industry differently?

Glasear: It’s never been an issue for me ever, but the real issue of being an Asian-American producer is the familial pressure. My parents wanted me to be a lawyer/doctor, whatever, and they never fucked with me making music, and they were angry at me for wanting to do this with my life. So, like if you’re some young asian kid reading this, don’t listen to ur parents and do what you wanna do, you only have one life, live for yourself. 

Abeer: If you could pick three tracks you didn’t produce but absolutely love, and three of your own that mean the most to you, what would they be?

Glasear: My 3 tracks would have to be, “White Film” by Tujiko Noriko, “Q’iwanakax-Q’iwsanakax Utjxiwa” by Chuquimamani-Condori & Joshua Chuquimia Crampton, and “LIL KIM” by Black Kray 

Out of my own would be:

“Mistake” by Ericdoa, Fun Fact by Bladee and Yung Lean, and Stars by Pinkpantheress, and NOLA by myself, sorry I added a 4th.

Abeer: With so many tools available now, what do you think is the best way for someone to really lock in and grow as a producer?

Glasear: 3 things: Melody, Rhythm, and taste. Get your pitch good, train your ears to hear every frequency, understand good rhythm, understand good music, and don’t take shortcuts.

There will be a day when you hit a certain plateau of skill as a musician, where you already know every knob on the mixer, or every menu in the DAW, or know every scale. And at that point, the only thing you can do to surpass that plateau is to be mindful and intentional of what you choose to make, and have it be backed by your taste. There’s an endless world of music, and knowing what’s good and elevating your tastes will make you the best producer alive. 

Abeer: You’ve already worked with huge names. Who’s a completely unexpected artist you’d want to collab with next, someone outside of your usual world?

Glasear: NAV or Panda Bear or Kevin Shields.

Abeer: If producing was illegal for a day, what would you be doing instead?

Glasear: I’d really like to open a wings spot, make hot lemon pepper wings, Atlanta style, or I’d go skateboarding and make animations, and make more visual art. 

Abeer: What’s next for Glasear that people wouldn’t expect?

Glasear: Faceit Level 10

Interview & Words by Abeer Salah 

Edited by Josh Moore