Dreamgaze to DIY: Inside Tessatura Studio’s Sonic World

Born in New York's DIY scene and now rooted in Pittsburgh, Tessatura Studio has evolved from a humble creative hub into a vital force shaping the indie landscape. Founded by mastering engineer Jennica Best and producer/mixing engineer Digo Best, Tessatura embodies the intersection of community, collaboration, and craft, a place where dreamgaze guitars, post-punk grit, and heartfelt lyricism converge. With their first Splice release, the team brings their world of texture-rich, emotionally charged sounds directly to producers everywhere.

Our Interview w/ Jennica & Digo

Tell us a bit about Tessatura Studio - how did you get your start?

Tessatura started in 2018 in New York City, right in the middle of the DIY scene. At the time, we were playing in bands, touring, and constantly surrounded by other musicians who needed a place to record that felt creative, collaborative, and affordable. We built the studio with the goal of creating that space, one where indie artists could capture their sound without the pressure of a big commercial setup. Over the years, it's grown into not just a studio, but a community and environment of real collaboration that's deeply tied to the scenes we've been a part of.

You've spent time between Brooklyn and Pittsburgh's indie music scenes. Can you tell us a bit about your involvement in these scenes/industries? What do you like about these scenes and how do they differ?

Brooklyn will always be where we cut our teeth. It's fast-moving, competitive, and incredibly inspiring. There's always a new band, a new venue, a new idea popping up. Pittsburgh, where we've recently relocated, is smaller, but has this tight-knit, supportive community that reminds me of what Brooklyn felt like years ago. Both scenes have their strengths: Brooklyn pushes you to keep innovating, while Pittsburgh gives you the space and encouragement to really grow something unique. Being part of both has been grounding and exciting at the same time.

There's no way we can talk about Tessatura Studio without also discussing your work as a band, Colatura. You've got an incredible EP, If I'm Being Honest, that just released this August on Easy Does It Records. Can you tell us a little bit about your journey making this record and your intentions behind it?

This EP really came during a real period of transition for us. We wrote and recorded it right before leaving New York and then mixed and finished some of the production after moving to Pittsburgh. A lot of the songs thematically deal with feeling stuck and wanting to move forward, so it has been really interesting going through such a monumental change during the production and release cycle. The EP feels like such a time capsule of that transitional period of our lives.

Sonically, the EP leans into both the dreamy, shoegaze-inspired side of our sound as well as the heavier, more anthemic side. Our intention was to make something that felt sonically expansive, but still really personal and vulnerable, a love letter to the parts of you that are still figuring things out.

Something that really strikes me about the record is your penchant for writing pretty catchy and clever lyrics. Even your track titles like '(Every Time I Think About You) It's About Me' and 'Can I Talk To Your Voicemail' embody a playful wit. What's your songwriting process like? How do you approach writing your lyrics?

Lyrics are often the last piece of the puzzle, but they're also probably the most important part of the song for us, which is a funny dichotomy (or maybe why we leave it till last, who knows). We feel like lyrics are where we can really let our sense of humor and honesty come through. We are constantly jotting down ideas for lyrics in our notes app and those often spark a song idea later. Though some of my favorite lyrics that we have written have also come out by accident as scratch lyrics while trying to come up with melodies.

When we're writing, we try not to take ourselves too seriously. Even when the subject matter is heavy, we like to make sure it feels relatable and a little tongue-in-cheek. That's where titles like '(Every Time I Think About You) It's About Me' come from; it's playful, but it's also an honest acknowledgment of how self-centered heartbreak can feel. We like for the titles to feel like little hooks on their own. Something that makes you curious before you've even heard the track.

We think lyrics land best when they're conversational, almost like something you'd say to a friend after a couple of drinks. If they make us laugh, or sting just a little bit, then we know we're on the right track.

We're so excited to have you at Splice. It might be obvious that there aren't a ton of Indie-music driven sample labels out here... What led you to making your first sample pack?

We really wanted to bring the sounds that we use every day in our recordings into a format that other artists could easily use. A lot of sample packs out there are geared toward pop, hip hop, or EDM, which is amazing, but we weren't seeing much for bands in the indie/DIY world. With our first pack, we set out to capture the textures of dreamgaze guitars, live drums, and synths in a way that producers could pull into any genre. We are really excited to be able to fill that indie music gap on the Splice platform.

By launching Tessatura on Splice, you're bringing less-represented genres like Dreamgaze, Post Punk and New Wave sounds to our catalog and audience. What is your relationship to these genres and what do you like about them?

These are the genres we grew up loving and continue to be inspired by. Dream pop and shoegaze have that wall-of-sound, immersive quality that we'll never get tired of, while post-punk and new wave bring this raw energy and angularity that keep things exciting. What we love most is that they're all about atmosphere and mood; they're genres that make you feel something as much as they make you move. That emotional resonance is what we wanted to share in our packs.

Let's talk a bit about recording sounds for sample packs. What was your approach to recording the sounds in these two packs?

We approached it the same way we would making a record: focus on character and vibe, rather than just technical perfection. For the guitars, we used a lot of pedals and amps to create lush, layered textures, while the drums were tracked in ways that kept their live, human feel intact. We wanted everything to sound authentic and to be the kind of sounds that instantly spark an idea when you hear them. We also paid attention to variety: clean one-shots for flexibility, but also more processed, dreamy loops for inspiration.

What does the future hold for you? Any exciting projects in the pipeline?

We're heading out on tour in support of the new Colatura EP, which we're really excited about, and we're already working on new material for the next release. On the Tessatura side, we're planning more sample packs that explore different corners of the indie spectrum, everything from noisier post-punk elements to more experimental ambient textures. It feels like we're just scratching the surface of what we can bring to Splice, and we're excited to keep expanding that world.

Tessatura Studio continues to blur the lines between band, studio, and sound-design collective, a rare blend of artistry and authenticity. Their debut Splice pack bridges the gap between DIY roots and high-fidelity production, giving producers a way to tap into the dreamlike textures that define their sound. Dive into Tessatura's world, and you might just find the spark for your next track.