Sound Advice: Cheat Codes

Join Cheat Codes on Sound Advice, the weekly interview series covering artists’ journeys and their creative process. In this episode, we discuss dance-oriented trio’s cross-genre collaborations, new album ‘Future Renaissance’ and more.

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Welcome to Sound Advice, the series spotlighting artists’ creative process and their SoundCloud journey. We’ll get the inside knowledge straight from the source on how musicians, producers and creatives are leaning into everything SoundCloud offers to elevate their sound, get heard and catapult their careers. Sound Advice is now available in audio format on the SoundCloud Stories profile.

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On this episode of Sound Advice, we dive into the creative synergy behind Cheat Codes, the trio of Matthew Russell, KEVI and Trevor Dahl. The group formed in 2015 and are now celebrating 10 years of criss-crossing genres like pop, dance, EDM, country, R&B and more with the release of their latest album, ‘Future Renaissance.’ Throughout the past decade, Cheat Codes has reached over 7 billion streams through tireless collaborations; with each other, with friends and remixers, and with marquee artists like Dolly Parton, Demi Lovato, Travis Barker and saxophonist Kenny G.

We find out more about some of the cheat codes that have led to their success, from being able to produce everything in-house on a budget to building on your skills with each project. We also talk about the crew’s journey with SoundCloud, where they built up a following with a steady stream of free edits, alternate versions, viral remixes and genre-blending originals. They continue to offer vocal stems and remix contests on SoundCloud, which help Cheat Codes find collaborators and new versions of songs for their DJ sets. We find out more about how they use timestamps and analytics to test new songs and understand what fans are feeling in real time. 

Tune in to hear how Cheat Codes took it back to their roots while making ‘Future Renaissance,’ the stories behind their most memorable collaborations, and what to expect on their upcoming tour. If you enjoy this episode, make sure you check out their episode of Voice Notes on SoundCloud, where Cheat Codes break down the new album track-by-track.

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LISTEN TO THE AUDIO EPISODE OF SOUND ADVICE FEATURING CHEAT CODES

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LISTEN TO ‘FUTURE RENAISSANCE’ BY CHEAT CODES

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LISTEN TO EXCLUSIVE VOICE NOTES FROM CHEAT CODES

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Things We Talked About In This Episode of Sound Advice

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How Cheat Codes Built Their Project Independently, From DIY Music-Making to Fine-Tuning Their Creative Process

• Cheat Codes joins us on Sound Advice from different cities in the US — Matthew Russell from Las Vegas, Trevor Dahl from Portland and KEVI from Los Angeles — but taking it back to the very beginning of Cheat Codes, they remember how they all met in LA as young, hungry artists. Here, they get into the story of how they came together, formed Cheat Codes and started working on music as collaborators. 
• In their very first session as a trio, they wrote “Visions,” their first single. Looking back on 10 years of their career, they can see a golden thread running through the project: it started out as something enjoyable and creatively fulfilling for them first, rather than a job or business, and they’ve kept that attitude going. As they explain, “The easier you make it, the further you’ll go.”
• Cheat Codes are best known from their cross-genre collaborations and broad tastes: from country songs with Dolly Parton, pop-punk anthems with All Time Low and Travis Barker and pop hits with Demi Lovato, among myriad others. So what is the cheat code for a great collaboration? 
• In their early days, the trio saw an opportunity in the DJ world: many DJs were producers, but hardly any DJs were also songwriters, instrumentalists, vocalists and mixers. This created a rare-yet-integral opportunity to bring every element of making a stand-out track in-house, rather than outsourcing much of a track’s creation to others.
• As they tell it, not only did this allow them full creative control over their music, but it kept their overheads low in the beginning, which meant that they felt less pressure to quit or change course when their early work didn’t immediately resonate with listeners. By bringing it all in-house and releasing a new track every month, Cheat Codes could become better artists and navigate the industry gradually, on their own terms. 

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Cross-Genre Collaborations and Going Back to Dance-Pop Roots on ‘Future Renaissance’

• On their latest album, 2025’s ‘Future Renaissance,’ Cheat Codes have gone back to the source, to a dance-pop sound that launched them as a trio, with stellar collaborations from the likes of CeeLo Green, Kenny G and more. After trying out genres like country, R&B, hip-hop and more, they explain their return to dance-pop — and reflect on how they’ve come full circle with a crew of songwriters, performers and music videos directors who helped shape their story. 
• Here, they also tell the story of their breakthrough collaborative track with Demi Lovato, “No Promises,” and how the track is part of their story of going from DIY artists to signing with a major label for the first time.
• Today, Cheat Codes utilize the major label infrastructure to get A&R access to vocalists, musicians and songwriters from across the industry, which has been an amazing experience for them as artists. But they came up as DIY artists and embody that spirit to this day, finding collaborators online and doing as much as they can themselves. 
• Here, they share advice to fellow up-and-coming artists about how to build momentum, craft songs that will get the attention of an online fanbase and how to gradually work your way up to bigger and bigger collaborations. As they elaborate, you’ve got to make the most of every opportunity to maximize your track’s reach. And you never know which track could be a breakthrough hit, so “you have to step up and swing for the fences.”
  
  

Maximizing a Track’s Potential for Virality and Chart Success Through Multi-Version Releases 

• As part of their release packages, Cheat Codes often present different versions of a track, with sped up, slowed down and acappella versions available. This is a move that taps into old school DJ culture, but it’s a very contemporary and strategic way of operating, too. Here, the trio explains how these different versions of a track can open doors for remixes, edits, collaborations and other connections. 
• In today’s online world, for Cheat Codes, the more versions of a track there are in the world, the greater the chance you have of reaching more listeners and having a hit track. Beyond that, it’s a move that allows Cheat Codes’ fanbase of fellow artists to connect with them; by remixing and making edits of these versions, fans can get heard by Cheat Codes, collaborate with them and get played in a DJ set. 
• Here, Cheat Codes tell the story of one fan-producer, a drum & bass artist called Arcando, and how a remix contest that Cheat Codes hosted led to Arcando getting played in their DJ set, and later, led them to collaborate in their LA studio. For the trio, it’s proof that if you put these opportunities out on SoundCloud, anything is possible and everyone can be a winner. 

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How Cheat Codes Use Remixes and Contests on SoundCloud to Grow Their Audience and Collaborator Pool 

• One way that Cheat Codes built their profile and skills as artists was through remixing tracks. Here, the trio talks about some of the early remixes that got their viral attention, and how one remix for a major pop star set off a chain reaction of exciting work in 2025. These remixes were uploaded to SoundCloud, and the feedback Cheat Codes got inspired them to enter remix contests on SoundCloud, too. When they charted third in a contest hosted by ODESZA, and got personalized feedback and positive energy, it inspired them to keep remixing and, eventually, host their own remix contests. 
• Nowadays, Cheat Codes use SoundCloud to host remix opportunities. From there, they discover new artists and potential collaborators, building a dedicated fanbase of active listeners who post comments on their tracks. This feedback has become important to Cheat Codes. They share how with timestamped reactions and comments on their tracks, they can see which vocals, melodies, hooks and breakdowns are getting the most positive reactions from their fans, which in turn influences how they program their live performances. 
• Beyond that, they also use SoundCloud analytics to see where in the world these fans live, and tailor their international sets according to the varying tastes of different markets. Here, they discuss how the United States differs from Europe, and which elements of their music they hone in on to satisfy the different crowds.

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The Making of ‘Future Renaissance’ and What’s Next In 2025

• On their latest album, ‘Future Renaissance,’ Cheat Codes reflect on how they made some amazing memories. The trio goes round-table to share some of their favorites: working on “More Than Anybody” with saxophonist Kenny G, writing “Go To Hell” with CeeLo Green and working with some of their earliest collaborators again on two music videos, for “Don’t Leave” and “Stand By Me.” Across these tracks, they’ve learned lessons on what makes a hit collaboration, how to tap into the cultural moment and honor their roots as artists.
• When Cheat Codes put together their 2023 country album, ‘One Night In Nashville,’ it was from a series of happy yet unplanned collaborations with country artists that inspired them to do it. On ‘‘Future Renaissance,’ though, they were much more intentional. Here, they talk about the genesis of the album and going back to their dance-pop beginnings. 
• As part of the roll out for ‘Future Renaissance,’ the trio are on a global tour throughout 2025 to celebrate, as well as opening for Katy Perry. Here, they tease what fans can expect from both tours, and how the shows differ. 
• The process of writing ‘Future Renaissance’ has made the trio reflect on what makes a great album, and what their favorite albums are, too. To close, they discuss what keeps drawing them to the album format and drop some gems for listeners to check out, too.
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Links and Extras 

Follow Cheat Codes’ journey on SoundCloud.
‍Press play on Cheat Codes’ 2025 album, ‘Future Renaissance.’
Check out Voice Notes with Cheat Codes here.
Hit play on Cheat Codes’ collaboration with CeeLo Green, titled “Go To Hell.”
Listen to Cheat Codes’ collaboration with Kenny G and Izzy Bizu, “More Than Anybody.”
Go back to where it all began with Cheat Codes’ first-ever collaboration, “Sex” with Kriss Kross Amsterdam.
Hit play on Cheat Codes’ collaboration with Demi Lovato, “No Promises.”
Check out Cheat Codes’ global tour dates for 2025 here.
Explore some of Cheat Code’s wide-ranging influences, including Avicii, Calvin Harris, blink-182 and Drake, to name a few. 
Listen to the Festival House Bangers playlist on SoundCloud.
Never miss an episode and follow the official Sound Advice playlist on SoundCloud.

Getting The Most Out of SoundCloud

Learn more about using DMs to connect with fellow artists and potential collaborators.
Learn more about how to make a custom playlist on SoundCloud.
Learn more about unlimited uploads, available with an Artist Pro subscription.
Learn more unlocking access to unlimited distribution, available with Artist Pro.
Learn more about getting heard with SoundCloud’s updated algorithm, available to Artist and Artist Pro subscribers.

To discover additional features a SoundCloud Artist or Artist Pro subscription offers, visit here. To catch up on past installments of Sound Advice and make sure you don’t miss out on future episodes, visit here.

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_{CREDITS Host: Vivian Host, Executive Producer: Mike Spinella, Producer: KC Orcutt, Audio Engineer: David “DibS” Shackney, Coordinator: Trevor McGee, Editorial Associate: Lauren Martin}