In a downtown Los Angeles studio space where concrete meets creativity, Rob Tirea is reimagining what electronic music can become. The SoCal-based producer and songwriter has just completed his most ambitious project yet: a live performance video that transforms his forthcoming 'Universal Jest' EP into something closer to emotional theater than traditional electronic presentation. Surrounded by the urban decay and artistic elegance that defines downtown's creative corridors, Tirea collaborated with acclaimed string players Nicole Garcia and Michelle Rearick to strip away the digital gloss and reveal the vulnerable core of his music.

The 'Universal Jest' EP, which came out on July 25th, represents more than just another collection of Alternative Dance tracks. It's Tirea's meditation on what he calls life's "beautiful absurdity": a four-song exploration that moves from desperate seeking to bitter realization, wrapped in production that seamlessly blends rock, indie pop, and electronic elements. But it's the accompanying live performance video, shot by visual artist Jackie Catechis, that truly captures the project's essence.

"I've always felt like there was something hiding underneath the synths: this emotional undercurrent that strings could pull to the surface," Tirea explains. "Electronic music can sometimes feel like a dream with clean edges, but adding strings lets the imperfections breathe. It gave the music lungs."

The collaboration emerged through Fine Line Music Service, the Culver City-based studio that has become a hub for translating electronic compositions into orchestral arrangements. Recent projects include work with Lady Gaga, Laufey, Cypress Hill, and Danny Elfman, with credits spanning from "Oppenheimer" to "The Wild Robot." For Tirea, it represented a chance to explore vulnerability in a medium often associated with digital perfection.

Violinist Nicole Garcia, fresh from her performance with Lady Gaga at Coachella 2025, brought years of experience working with artists from Michael Jackson to Elton John. "I love electronic music," Garcia shares. "I have been obsessed with listening to UK house and garage since the 90's. Artists like Groove Armada, Underworld and Orbital are always in the rotation. Naturally, this made Rob's collaboration irresistible."

The process of reimagining electronic compositions for strings requires more than simple transcription. It demands understanding the emotional DNA of each track and finding ways to honor both the original's digital precision and the organic expressiveness of live instruments.

"After listening to Rob's music and playing Joe's arrangement that created the space for the violin lines to soar over and through the electronics made this process easy and a joy," Garcia explains. "The beautiful thing is that Rob really wanted us to shine, so he basically gave us free rein to play around and be free and expressive within his music, and that is rare."

Cellist Michelle Rearick, whose credits include "Tenet," "The Lion King" soundtrack, and Vampire Weekend's "Only God Was Above Us," found herself drawn to the project's emotional honesty. "I do always aim to do my best to support the vision of the projects I'm lucky to be involved in," she notes. "Finding the pieces that resonate is very special, and allows an extra breath of creativity."

The collaboration between Garcia and Rearick spans years of shared projects, creating an intuitive musical dialogue that Tirea was eager to capture. "I've had the pleasure of working with Nicole for years, and we have had some incredible recording and performance opportunities together," Rearick reflects. "We have played dark material, we have played joyful material. It's always so special to share space with her."

For Tirea, the choice of downtown LA as a backdrop wasn't accidental. The area's blend of urban grit and creative sophistication mirrors the EP's central themes. "Downtown's got that mix of elegance and decay, which weirdly mirrored the whole vibe of the project," he explains. "We weren't trying to do anything flashy but just to keep it raw and let the surroundings tell part of the story. There's something about strings echoing off concrete that feels strangely intimate."

Visual artist Jackie Catechis, known for her work with festivals like Coachella and Lightning in a Bottle, as well as artists including Flight Facilities and Luttrell, approached the project with an understanding of how to capture intimate moments within larger creative contexts. The resulting video offers viewers a window into the creative process itself: watching electronic compositions breathe new life through acoustic interpretation.

The EP's emotional arc unfolds across four tracks, each representing a different stage of what Tirea describes as life's cosmic comedy. From the seeking vulnerability of "Give Me Love Give Me Light" to the bitter realization of "She Wants A Nobody," the collection maps the territory between hope and resignation with unflinching honesty.

"Universal Jest was written in that in-between space where things feel off-kilter, but you can't help smiling at the madness of it all," Tirea reflects. Garcia and Rearick's contributions didn't simply translate these emotions—they elevated them. "Their strings didn't try to clean up the chaos; they leaned into it. It made it romantic."

The project represents a growing trend within electronic music toward more vulnerable, narrative-driven work. Where the genre once prioritized spectacle and technical innovation, artists like Tirea are finding audiences hungry for emotional authenticity wrapped in compelling production.

"People are tired of pretending," Tirea observes. "We've spent years dancing to songs that say nothing, and I think now we want the rhythm to mean something. Vulnerability cuts through the noise, and it sticks."

For Garcia, who has experienced both massive festival stages and intimate studio collaborations, the contrast offers different creative possibilities. "In the more intimate situation, we have the opportunity to play with the gaps and spaces of the music and shape with the dynamic ranges," she notes. "We can linger so much longer in the gaps and quiet of the music and really exaggerate the dynamics for a more expressive performance."

The live performance video serves as both documentation and artistic statement—proof that electronic music's future lies not in abandoning its digital roots but in finding ways to humanize them. By stripping away layers of production and highlighting the emotional cores of his compositions, Tirea creates space for genuine connection.

"Electronic music and classical strings aren't always natural bedfellows," Rearick acknowledges. "But I personally love the combo of electronic music and classical strings very, very much. Have always felt they are well suited."

As 'Universal Jest' prepares for its July release, the live performance video stands as evidence of Tirea's evolution as an artist unafraid to explore vulnerability within electronic music's framework. It's a project that asks what happens when you strip away the safety nets of digital perfection and let human imperfection take center stage.

"That there's beauty in letting your guard down," Tirea concludes. "I think in electronic music, it's easy to hide behind production, behind the drop, behind the glitch. But vulnerability is what sticks. If this version of the music makes someone feel a little more seen, or sits with them a little longer on a quiet night, then that's everything. It's less about spectacle and more about resonance."

In a downtown LA studio where concrete walls held space for acoustic strings and electronic textures, Rob Tirea discovered something that extends far beyond his 'Universal Jest' EP. He found a way to make electronic music feel like coming home: messy, imperfect, and achingly human.

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Rob Tirea's 'Universal Jest' EP releases July 25, 2025. The live performance video featuring Nicole Garcia and Michelle Rearick will accompany the release.

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