Grammy-award winning pop producer Fernando Garibay’s latest collaboration with Armin Van Buuren was born out of a deep kinship and served as a natural return to form.

“In our business, we find that goal-oriented writing is sometimes not the most honest, and definitely not the most fun,” Garibay told me. “Instead we focused on a beginners perspective; where every decision is based on what we’re feeling, regardless of what we know.” “Phone Down,” the duo’s latest release since their platinum hit “I Need You,” is a melodically pristine and infectious pop song. “The sound, the lyrics, the vibe, it all just fell into place,” van Buuren said of the track.

The song serves as a powerful ode to lost love. “I can’t put my phone down; I can’t be alone now, when I close my eyes all I’m seeing is you,” the unnamed singer croons over a thick 808. Garibay said that the track evolved naturally alongside Van Buuren, and that “Phone Down” was born from raw emotion. “It’s like working by pure instinct, but at the same time trying to forget that your instinct comes from experience,” Garibay said. The track itself, while catchy and rhythmic, is incredibly melancholic. I asked Garibay to further describe the headspace they were both in when crafting the song. “We try to ask ourselves the right questions,” he said. “What are people going through, and what is it that’s genuinely moving us right now?” When asked to elaborate on what those answers might be, he said, “When we get chills, we know we’re on to something, and that’s where we want the listener to live, in that space where we feel heard, loved and perfectly aligned.”

Check out the colorful lyric video for “Phone Down” below.

Mackenzie Cummings-Gradyis a creative writer who resides in the Brooklyn area. Mackenzie’s work has previously appeared in The Boston Globe, Billboard, and Metropolis Magazine. Follow him on Twitter @mjcummingsgrady.

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