Mei “Frankenstein” + Interview
☆ By Sophie Gragg ☆
Photos by Sophie Gragg
ALWAYS BRINGING A GROOVE TO HIS TRACKS - Mei has found a way to evolve his sound with each track while always sticking to his roots. Mei follows his previous 2020 release “Rudimental” with “Frankenstein”, a track that highlights the sweet nature of Mei’s soundscapes. Previously going by Brandt Orange, the name change and new music serves as a new chapter and direction for Mei.
His upcoming project explores raw topics following a break up touching on everything from religion to reflection. Check out his latest single “Frankenstein” and read below to learn about the name change, his upcoming LP, and more.
LUNA: How have you been doing lately? How has quarantine been treating ya?
MEI: It’s a bit all over the place. Lots of ups and downs. It’s a pretty confusing time, but definitely going to be a memorable time for sure.
LUNA: What inspired your name change from Brandt Orange to Mei?
MEI: Brandt Orange is an alter ego I created to kind of cover up my insecurities; I didn’t feel like my own stories were worth telling. Brandt is a character you could fall in love with in a movie. He’s way more confident and enigmatic than me. So I wrote songs about made up experiences that Brandt had. Through the process of writing this upcoming record, though, I realized that all of the songs I was writing were about my own experiences, which is what ultimately prompted the name change. It felt weird to tell my stories through someone like Brandt. That being said, I think Brandt may come back in the future at some point...who knows haha.
LUNA: How does this upcoming project reflect your growth as an artist?
MEI: Aside from the shift to my personal stories rather than fantasies, it was a huge learning experience for me on the production end. Definitely cut my teeth on this record. I didn’t really know how to produce my own stuff, so I was figuring it out as I went. Because I was so new to everything, I felt like I was doubling my abilities every couple months. The tightest song on the record would become the sloppiest, then I’d fix it and make it tight again, then a couple months later it’d end up seeming sloppy again. From conceptualizing the larger themes on the record all the way down to nitty gritty mixing details, it was a huge learning curve. It was a blast though.
LUNA: Your music often has a fun, groovy, undertone going on. Sonically, what are some elements you’d like to explore more with upcoming music?
MEI: Right now I’m really trying to explore space. I feel like a lot of this record is up close and personal. The vocal is always the most precious thing in the mix and it’s always right next to you. I set up that intimacy on purpose, but this next time around I want to play around with what it’d feel like if I was further away.
LUNA: “Frankenstein” touches on a more soft, sweet side of your sound. What shaped this direction?
MEI: I’m really just a singer-songwriter at heart. If you listen through the rest of the songs on the record and strip away the drums and bass, you end up with something like Frankenstein every time. The progressions are almost always the same too. Again, it’s just a byproduct of what I grew up listening to. There aren’t really any secrets. It’s always been this...at least for now, haha.
LUNA: The “Rudimental” video is super clean and crisp - love it! What do you like about bringing the visual side of your music to life? Are there other upcoming videos?
MEI: Thank you! Yeah I feel like my music is pretty visual, so videos are crucial to bringing the songs to life. I want the videos to make people have a new realization with the songs; hopefully they fall in love with the songs all over again. I don’t think I wanna say exactly what I have up my sleeve in terms of videos, but there’s a lot we have in the vault already. Excited to share.
LUNA: Are there any common themes or narratives explored in this EP?
MEI: Yeah for sure. It’s basically a break up album haha. Without saying too much, it basically details how much it affected me and how much I changed in the months/years afterwards. Digitalism, religion, ethnicity, grief, self reflection...it’s all in there.
LUNA: Can you share a favorite moment / memory from the creative process of the project?
MEI: I think it’d have to be when we finished the final production on the album and had a full listen through of it with the lights off in my room at the top of this year. It was overwhelming. Not necessarily because of the subject matter of the songs, but more so because of the time I spent trying to get everything right. It was emotional to hear all the work that I did coalesce into one moment like that.
LUNA: Which track means the most to you from this EP & why?
MEI: It changes all the time, but right now I think it’s a song called “Rubber Soles”. I think that’s one of the only moments on the record that my writing and vocal performance really take centerstage. Even though I feel like those are my biggest strengths, it still took a lot of courage to do it the way I did. I’m pretty proud of that.
LUNA: What lyric are you most proud of?
MEI: Again I think that changes all the time. How about I give you my favorite line in Frankenstein since it’s coming up? I think it’s the last few lines that tie the concept together:
“Realize my designs
Cut the main line to my body
Humanize humanize
Frankenstein till she finds me”
LUNA: What are you hoping the rest of the year brings you?
MEI: Honestly bro I just hope the rest of the year is peaceful. I want to feel full and good about what I’m doing. It’s easy to get sidetracked watching what other people are up to, especially the further you get into it. The more you know, the more you realize your shortcomings (look up the Dunning Kruger effect). It’s kinda fucked up. But anyways, I wish the few of you that made it to the bottom of this q&a the same: some peace. It’s hard to come by these days.
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SPOTIFY
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slowthai by Rosie Matheson 🤩 https://t.co/z7SDfFQ5iF
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RT @i_D: Ian Kenneth Bird photographs young punks on Polaroid: https://t.co/MKT0tMUqO9 https://t.co/a0tTl12ML5
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RT @AnOtherMagazine: #DreamHome – this isolated idyll in the mountains of Lanzarote 🌵 📸 via Nowness, photography by Clemence Blr 🔁 https://t.co/GUusdxD0cg