It's not only that producer Charlie Yin has his finger on the pulse when it comes to the music he creates under the name Giraffage, it's that his brand of electronic pop sets the pulse. No matter the tempo, it's exhilarating. Inventive samples coalesce together with unusual rhythms, smoldering synths and spot-on guest vocalists for an alluring, infectious sound.

We spoke with the home-loving producer about the benefits of food delivery service in America's tech capital, finding collaborators via the internet and the stash of tracks that are yet to come!

Hometown: San Jose, CA

Homebase: San Francisco, CA

If you were to creatively describe your sound, how would you?

Basically my sound is a crazy mash up of everyone I’m listening to at the moment. I tend to draw a lot of influence from my surroundings.

How did you originally begin producing? What did your earliest recordings sound like?

I used a really rudimentary guitar tablature software that outputted General MIDI to make songs. A lot of it was indie rock leaning, but I eventually started making more electronic songs as time went on. All my early songs sound like they’re straight out of a Geocities/Angelfire website.

How did you come to link up with the vocalists your tracks feature?

Basically the internet! a lot of vocalists that I’ve worked with I’ve never even met in real life. I’ve done some studio sessions here and there, but I think the most fruitful songs blossom from the comforts of our own home.

How necessary is a vocal companion to electronic music?

The human ear is the most sensitive to the vocal frequency range, so in that sense the voice as an instrument probably cuts through the mix the best. But I don’t think you necessarily need to have a vocal for a good song. Some of my favorite electronic songs are vocal-less.

You do a lot of remixes. What are the key ingredients that hook you on a song? Do you instantly know what direction you'll take it? How does the remix unfold?

When doing remixes, I definitely look for a good vocal hook. it’s hard for me personally to remix songs that have no vocals whatsoever. I tend to just rewrite almost everything about the instrumental but keep the vocals intact. I always love it when a remix sounds nothing like the original, and I try to apply that to my own remixes.

What's it like to be a creative in the current climate of San Francisco?

It’s cool. San Francisco probably has the best food delivery network in the entire world, so I pretty much never have to leave my apartment. There’s a lot of noise about techies and gentrification, but honestly I just tune all of that out and live in my own bubble. I might move soon anyways.

How do you spend your time when you're not making music?

You can find me stroking my cat or eating some good ass food. I also enjoy chess and video games.

Other than your laptop, what's an electronic tool that you can't live without and why?

A 49 key midi controller. I don’t know how a lot of other producers use anything less than that!

What are your goals as a producer? What's ahead for you in 2017?

I just want to keep making music that I personally enjoy. I’m sitting on a bunch of music right now, so expect a lot of new stuff in 2017!

For more profiles on up-and-coming artists, visit our Artist of the Day page.