Cas du Pree & Mike Harley
Dutch artist Cas du Pree and producer Mike Harley join forces on “Blank Page,” a vibrant dance-pop anthem inspired by creativity, collaboration, and fearless experimentation. In this interview, they discuss the song’s origins and their evolving partnership.
1.”Blank Page” explores the fear of running out of inspiration and creative ideas. How challenging was it to turn such a personal concern into a catchy, dance-pop track?
Cas: To be honest It really wasn’t challenging at all! I contacted Mike with my lyrics and he had music lying around. As soon as I heard it, I knew they’d fit together and I already had a melody in my mind straight away. We adjusted the music here and there to fit my melody and our track was born!
2. Your collaboration with Mike Harley grew from mutual support on XRPRadio into a creative partnership at EastLondon Recordings. What was the moment when you both realized you had a special musical chemistry?
Mike: The chemistry was instant the moment we stopped just championing each other’s music on XRPRadio and actually started swapping stems. For me, it was seeing how Cas’s incredible melodic instincts and polished pop vocals interacted with my production style. I tend to focus heavily on the architecture of a track—building that deep, driving house foundation and electronic grit. When I threw his vocals over what I was working on, everything just clicked effortlessly. We realized we were filling the gaps in each other’s sound perfectly, bridging the UK and Netherlands electronic scenes seamlessly. Signing with East London Recordings was the ultimate validation of that chemistry; it gave our partnership the perfect home to scale up.
Cas: Ever since I heard the music of Mike on XRPRadio I knew I wanted this type of music in my radioshow. I build my show around that and kept pursuing them to work with me. 3 years later and we finally did it! Always go for what you want and never stop trying.
3. You’ve cited Dua Lipa’s dance era as an influence on this release. Which elements of her approach to songwriting and production inspired you most while creating “Blank Page”?
Cas: I just love how she plays around with unusual breaks and builds. She doesn’t do a traditional pop structure and is not afraid to shake things up. This combined with her catchy rhytm changes and unforgettable melodies… Well, enough inspiration to go with 😉
4. This track was recorded in your new home studio in the Netherlands. How has having a dedicated creative space influenced your songwriting, recording process, and overall artistic direction?
Cas: I have always had a dedicated space to record. But my new studio feels a bit dark with all the green and walnut paneling. That makes it cosy, warm, almost like a cocoon. A place that isn’t only in my home, but is part of my home and feels like it too. A studio to me should feel like that.
5. You mentioned that Mike loved the demo vocals before hearing the final versions. Can you tell us more about how the song evolved from that initial demo into the finished single we hear today?
Mike: It’s true—I completely fell in love with the raw energy of those initial demo takes. Sometimes as a producer, you hear a scratch vocal and there’s an unpolished, authentic emotion in it that you know you’ll never perfectly replicate in a hyper-sanitized studio session. I told Cas straight away that we had to keep that core feeling. From there, the evolution of the track was about building a massive, cinematic electronic landscape around that raw hook. I focused on structuring the build-ups, dialing in the synth textures, and crafting a huge drop that paid off the tension of the verses. We took that intimate, initial demo spark and dressed it up in a premium, main-stage house outfit.
Cas: I mean, the demo takes were fine. I didn’t feel they were as good as Mike did. I just wanted to send him some stems so he could work on building up the music further. If you want a track to be great, you have to rehearse. And the demo takes weren’t rehearsed yet. Obviously I heard him and took what he liked about the demo takes into my rehearsing process. That’s how we kept the essence of the demo takes with an even better punch!
6. “Blank Page” marks what you describe as a new era for Cas du Pree, combining polished pop melodies with your experimental instincts. What can listeners expect from the upcoming releases that have emerged from this collaboration?
Cas: Well… Expect anything! I love experimenting but I feel like this is what I love to create. Danceable tracks with a personal lyric and feel. All I want is to be happy with what we created and if it happens to resonate with our fans… I have everything I could want from it.
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