Past releases such as Things We Lost and Black Leather Fantasy have shown MELØ to be more than just a purveyor of dance tunes. In the modern age, you need to offer more than just an infectious beat and an addictive groove. MELØ indeed imbues his tracks with that, but there is so much more going on here too.
The connective vibe that runs through his music is a heady blend of illicitness and sophistication that is the hallmark of the dance scene and the clubs that cater for it. A mix of high class and street culture weaves a sense of escapism, adventure…even hedonism… that the dance music world feeds off, and the latest single, Hopeless Romantic Creatures, is oozing with such qualities.
Even before you tip your toe into its dark and delicious waters, the title alone gives you a sense of the sultry flavours to follow, suggesting being lost in the moment, looking for love where ever you might find it and for whatever purpose. It implies freedom and fun, abandonment and desire.
And then, the music starts. Well, less mere music and more the soundtrack to the night of your life, potentially, and certainly the soundtrack to the life of the night. It might at first sound like a simple collection of beats and grooves, dynamic shifts through highs and lows, euphoric feelings and addictive dance culture motifs, and yes, it is all that, but that is the beauty of it.
Between those seemingly simple sonic structures, there is space. And it is the space that makes all the difference. That space is where the additional musical atmospheres are formed. That space is where new tones and textures create something more than the sum of their musical parts. It is the border between the creator’s intentions and the acoustic universe’s whims. A place where accidents happen with excellent results. A place where opposites attract and create undreamed sounds. It is a place of atmosphere and anticipation. It is all that and more.
I would argue that a musician can only build so much of a song; after that, it often takes on new life. Sometimes this is because of the half-heard sounds that bubble up from these musical spaces. Sometimes it is because the listener unconsciously shifts the nature of the song as it enters their own world. MELØ makes music which does both.
Hopeless Romantic Creatures is more than just a dance track. Dance tracks are rarely more than quick hits, electronic highs that help keep the everyday world at bay for three to four minutes. Here we see so much more at work. Here we find music which is like a magic trick, or a painter of fine art, music which conjures scenes and scenarios that are romantic (obviously) but dark; full of joyous euphoria but edged with danger; full of life and also love, and lust, and longing and perhaps loss.
Some people make music that reflects the world that surrounds them. MELØ makes music which brings to life the world he wants to live, work and play in. And it is a fantastic place to visit.
Spotify https://open.spotify.com/album/1TLyqb5sLo3lVhJCTPNwqC?si=y4TQCNZHQqyJAF9vvlw7MA
Stream/Download ‘Hopeless Romantic Creatures” https://ffm.to/melohopelessromanticcreatures
[…] has been noted before, not least by myself, but MELØ makes music that walks a very fine line. Certain aspects of the music cause the listener to recall […]