SITARA & Rotoskop’s new single ‘Blue Snapper,’ released via electromantica, is a hypnotic blend of shimmering synthscapes, soulful vocals, and aching emotional undertones. It’s a track born from two histories: Sitara’s genre-fluid, globally infused songwriting and Rotoskop’s dark, melodic electronica shaped by punk, new wave, and cinematic minimalism.

And just weeks later, the story deepens with the Rotoskop Remix, a late ’90s/early 2000s inspired progressive trance take that transforms the original’s quiet longing into a pulse of nostalgia and dancefloor momentum. Both versions carry the same emotional gravity, but speak different dialects of the same truth.

As long-time collaborators on tracks like ‘Surrender’ and ‘Unchain,’ Sitara and Rotoskop have developed a unique creative dynamic rooted in trust, reinvention, and a willingness to dismantle and rebuild each other’s ideas. The duo stopped by to discuss the origins of ‘Blue Snapper,’ the emotional honesty behind its lyrics and production, how their backgrounds shape their shared sound, and what new horizons might be waiting in the expanding Sitara x Rotoskop universe!

WWD: ‘Blue Snapper’ has this balance of melancholy and momentum, where did the initial spark for the track come from, and how did it evolve into its final form?

Rotoskop: The initial spark came from Sitara. I intended to refine it at first. Then I played around and offered a new direction of the song. And Sitara liked it more than the original. So we chose to refine the “second spark”. And it worked out very well.

SITARA: This song is based on another composition called “Silent Snapper” and was originally produced with my former band “Monotone”. This was a project I had together with my husband Henning Schmitz and friend and Co-producer Thorsten Vogel. We created a whole album those days which was never released. So when I started releasing my works as “SITARA” some of these old treasures were dug out from the hard disk and got a new polish. Actually this was also the original connection to Rotoskop because we got to know each other through Thorsten and he even worked on some remixes for Monotone back then. So Rotoskop took this piece and came up with a new approach which I really liked. I then changed parts of the lyrics and so the “Silent” Snapper became “Blue”… 

WWD: Sitara, the lyrics feel intimate yet dreamlike. What emotional or personal space were you writing from when shaping the words for ‘Blue Snapper’?

SITARA: When I first wrote the lyrics I was looking at the situation of a friend of mine who told me he never made it into a relationship because the partners always wanted to change the way he is. And he got afraid of falling in love. So for me the miracle of being together works in accepting one another “just the way you are”. And speaking with each other on a level of trust and really looking at the other person, not just seeing your own projection. So I am putting myself in this situation within the song – longing for connection and really hoping that someday to find a partner who is really open to relate… Well in my case this dream came true… But still I can feel how it was to be rejected and pushed back with criticism and strange ideas of how I should be.

WWD: Rotoskop, you produced the original version and then completely reimagined it for the remix. What drew you back into the track, and what did you want to express differently the second time around?

Rotoskop: Remixing is a kind of work I really love to do. I feel like a little child playing around with my toys/tracks. Even songs that are superficially not fitting to my work as ROTOSKOP are ROTOSKOP songs in the end. In this case I wanted to give the song a danceable drive. And I am very pleased with the output.

The remix taps into late ’90s / early 2000s progressive trance nostalgia. What elements from that era were most important for you to channel, and which parts did you consciously modernize?

Rotoskop: I really admire the work of Underworld. And maybe this was a driving force in my subconscious.

WWD: Both versions carry a distinct emotional undertone. How do you each define the core “feeling” of ‘Blue Snapper?’ Is it the same for both of you?

SITARA: It is about craving for connection. Wanting to be seen and longed for. Waiting for the moment to be able to trust that you are really loved. Being tired of playing games and standing in one another’s way. When? Let it be now! 

In the remix the words are reduced to “How can you say you love me?” which actually expresses the core meaning of the song. Cause if you love me – please really see me. The remix has such a power musically which emphasizes this craving for love. 

WWD: You’ve collaborated before on ‘Surrender’ and ‘Unchain.’ What is it about each other’s artistic language that keeps pulling you back into working together?

Rotoskop: I enjoy not being the singer. And I like the song ideas Sitara offers. Refining them in a female ROTOSKOP style widens my range.

SITARA: I am a big fan of Rotoskop and his production style and I think our two worlds are matching well even though we come from a different genre of music. It is great to see how my song ideas evolve to a different point of view and I really like the power created. Both “Surrender” and “Unchain” are incredible interpretations.

WWD: Could you describe your creative dynamic, who tends to push, who tends to refine, and where do you meet in the middle?

Rotoskop: It is a constant back and forth.

SITARA: Yes, sometimes Rotoskop is sending me a new arrangement and a whole sentence is missing or there are spaces created that are new to me. Then I have to breathe deeply and let go. As a songwriter each song has a story and you think that it only works when the whole story is told as you wrote it. By giving it into another producer’s hands it is interesting what the other thinks is “unnecessary”. We have a good trust in letting the other one rearrange and place new ideas. Like with “Surrender” Rotoskop took part of the verse and made a completely new chorus out of it – which is amazing and creates this really catchy hookline. In “Blue Snapper” I created a totally new vocal line to the chorus after Rotoskop had created the new sound cause the old one just didn’t feel right anymore. So we both push and refine and meet where we both are happy in the end.

WWD: Your music blends the electronic underground with genre-fluid indietronic elements. How do you navigate your different musical histories when you’re in the studio together?

Rotoskop: Modern technology makes it possible to work separately. Another constant back and forth.

SITARA: The good thing about working this way is that we both can dive into our own world and then exchange. For production we can work in our space with the setup we need. Playing live together then is really exciting ´cause that is where the elements merge on the spot and together we create a new picture.

WWD: Collaboration can sometimes challenge your comfort zones. What surprised you most about each other while making ‘Blue Snapper’ and its remix?

SITARA: Sometimes I am going mad about one specific word or note. That can be quite challenging for my colleagues :). Also I tend to have insecurities not knowing what I like. Then to make decisions and say – this is it now – is really difficult for me. I could go on polishing and working on a song. But then there would be no release ever. When Rotoskop presented the new version of “Blue Snapper” I was amazed that a totally new song was created. For me it had a new vibe and actually hit the point of what I wanted to express much more than the original “Silent Snapper”. With the remix it was just enjoyable for me because when Rotoskop presented the remix I was simply happy. I loved the remix as it was and as a surprise I didn’t ask for any changes 🙂

WWD: With Rotoskop on production and Sitara on vocals and lyrics, how much do your roles overlap or cross-pollinate during the creative process?

Rotoskop: I don’t think we have roles. It is a creative flow of the both of us.

SITARA: Since I am not only a singer and writer but also sound engineer and producer, I think we can discuss things on an equal basis. 

WWD: Sitara, your background blends Europe and India, and your sound carries that fluid global identity. How has that bicultural experience shaped your current work, and is it present in ‘Blue Snapper?’

SITARA: I see myself as a citizen of the world. I learned in my young age that we all should be thinking without borders and be free to live in peace, respecting one another and keep caring and sharing love. Well, some kind of hippie-conditioning. Spending a lot of time in India which I feel as my home too has confronted me with a lot of different cultures. I have learned so much by traveling and always hoped to stay humble and open. In my lyrics I channel my experiences trying to keep my spirit free from prejudice and always looking for a key to happiness. Not complaining but facing the darkness. I call my style “The beauty of sadness”. I want to feel and be real. 

WWD: Rotoskop, you’ve moved from punk and new wave roots into cinematic electronica with deep emotional weight. Do you see ‘Blue Snapper’ as part of your evolution, or a deliberate departure?

Rotoskop: I think I found my “style” throughout the last decade. It is a melting pot of different styles. With Sitara I like to evolve a more female aspect of my work.

Both of you infuse emotion into electronic music in a very human way. What does emotional honesty mean to you in a genre that often hides behind production?

Rotoskop: Music is a human art. Not content. And we all have emotions. Some of us express them with music. Like we do.

SITARA: For me music always is emotional. In times of millions of statements and opinions I find it more and more important to give space to really feel something. Being human still is an advantage and in times of AI I can only say – AI can do a lot. But it can’t be me.  

WWD: Sitara, you’re preparing your immersive 3D audio live set and album ‘The Dark Stage.’ Does ‘Blue Snapper’ hint at any direction your solo work is heading toward?

SITARA: ‘The Dark Stage’ is my very personal statement. In this I am trying to create my very own vision of music. It is an adventure looking into the darkness of my soul – and the songs go from dramatic ballads to jazzy electronic or even techno. My “problem” as a musician always was that I could not be put in a frame of genre. So with this album I am showing different aspects of the way I write songs and simply don’t care about how things “should” be. The speciality about this album is that I am producing natively to be mixed in 3D. So it will be an audiophile explosion.  

WWD: And for both of you—is this collaboration chapter still expanding? Can fans expect more Sitara x Rotoskop sonic worlds in the future?

Rotoskop: There is a lot more to come. Promised!!!

SITARA: Like Rotoskop said we have a whole bunch of songs in the making. So this chapter is just another opener!

WWD: We can’t wait to listen! Thanks for the chat 🙂

‘Blue Snapper’ is available here