Melis Breaks Down Every Song on Her New EP "Apex"
Melis is a singer, songwriter and producer based in Berlin. Her new EP exploring such topics as loneliness and body image issues creates an unusual mix of intimacy and anxiety. Its ingredients are huge drums, gentle guitars, a warm blanket of synths and Melis's trademark soft yet powerful vocals. We asked Melis to tell us the stories behind every song on "Apex".
Blue
Melis: "'blue' stands for the blue light, aka the phone screen. the song is about our constant chase after validation of ourselves and our bodies which we look for online in terms of 'likes'. it's about my personal dilemma between the comfort and the anxiety that social media administers."
Melis: "'blue' stands for the blue light, aka the phone screen. the song is about our constant chase after validation of ourselves and our bodies which we look for online in terms of 'likes'. it's about my personal dilemma between the comfort and the anxiety that social media administers."
Empty Space
and i'll never find the words to say
how i feel about the world today
it's insane and i guess i need to find my way
how to fill in all the empty space but not today
Melis: "it's probably my favourite lyric from the ep. i remember these words flowing out as i was writing the melody with my co-producer Jachym. i wanted to share my thoughts about the current state of the world, and the madness of it all. equally, it is about the importance of tending to our inner selves, rather than always filling up that space with external stimulation."
and i'll never find the words to say
how i feel about the world today
it's insane and i guess i need to find my way
how to fill in all the empty space but not today
Melis: "it's probably my favourite lyric from the ep. i remember these words flowing out as i was writing the melody with my co-producer Jachym. i wanted to share my thoughts about the current state of the world, and the madness of it all. equally, it is about the importance of tending to our inner selves, rather than always filling up that space with external stimulation."
Feeling Fine
Melis: "i was inspired by the online dating culture of my generation or "tindering", in search of what a very talented czech musician dné coined as "semi-feelings". for me, semi-feelings signify an almost hedonistic approach to love and dating. it's about looking for someone, and "feeling fine" in that given moment, despite knowing it might not last forever, sometimes not even until the next morning. i echoed those sentiments in my video for this track."
Melis: "i was inspired by the online dating culture of my generation or "tindering", in search of what a very talented czech musician dné coined as "semi-feelings". for me, semi-feelings signify an almost hedonistic approach to love and dating. it's about looking for someone, and "feeling fine" in that given moment, despite knowing it might not last forever, sometimes not even until the next morning. i echoed those sentiments in my video for this track."
Rain
Melis: "for me, listening to the sound of rain is the most soothing activity. i get mesmerised and open my windows so i can just sit comfortably in my apartment and listen to the gentle tapping of raindrops falling on tree leaves or window sills. i wanted to capture that gentleness in the simple production elements. the song is a love song, and it's about longing for your lover to call you when they want someone to come over. it's probably my favourite track from the ep."
Melis: "for me, listening to the sound of rain is the most soothing activity. i get mesmerised and open my windows so i can just sit comfortably in my apartment and listen to the gentle tapping of raindrops falling on tree leaves or window sills. i wanted to capture that gentleness in the simple production elements. the song is a love song, and it's about longing for your lover to call you when they want someone to come over. it's probably my favourite track from the ep."
Apex
Melis: "on 'apex' i voice my anger and frustrations with concepts such as "fake news" and social media. it's a bittersweet thing, the fact that we have come so far in terms of technology, yet somehow all the progress seems to be fueling a superficial and self/money obsessed mass culture. the song is a bit sad and a bit happy at the same time. much like life itself."
Melis: "on 'apex' i voice my anger and frustrations with concepts such as "fake news" and social media. it's a bittersweet thing, the fact that we have come so far in terms of technology, yet somehow all the progress seems to be fueling a superficial and self/money obsessed mass culture. the song is a bit sad and a bit happy at the same time. much like life itself."
Melis working on music