​aivi & surasshu

Aivi and Surasshu are an electronic music duo made up of pianist Aivi Tran and electronic composer Steven “Surasshu” Velema. They are known for their distinct fusion of piano and chiptune, which is present not only in their solo work, but also in compositional efforts for other projects, most notably the soundtracks for Steven Universe and Ikenfell.

After meeting at the 2012 Game Developers Conference, the pair began working together on an album, The Black Box, which released the following year to positive reception.

Soon after The Black Box, Tran was approached by Steven Universe creator Rebecca Sugar, who asked them to join the project as a composer. Wanting to continue working collaboratively, Tran chose to fill the role as a duo with Velema.

Steven Universe ran for five seasons with Aivi and Surasshu’s involvement. Following the show’s initial run, the duo helped to compose the soundtracks for the subsequent projects Steven Universe: The Movie and 20-episode epilogue series Steven Universe Future. The soundtrack for the show and its related media has been compiled into four albums, with the first and second containing music from the show’s initial run, and the third and fourth containing music from the film and epilogue respectively.

Since then, they have returned to working on their own projects, most notably a second album (as stated on Velema’s tumblr). They have also continued to compose for other works, including Australian indie production Way to the Woods, and the universally acclaimed Ikenfell, both of which released in 2020.