Image credit: Oleg Larin (@beside.himself)
A humbling listen, Russian music producer Melldu’s ‘Mute Theatre’ leaves the mind to wander about days spent on open fields without a cloud in sight. The alternative electronic music producer has received much-deserved hype around his organic meets alternative electronic sound, with airplay in the leading & globally recognized Adidas Originals store. The ‘Mute Theatre’ song release forms part of a vibrant picture, which comes to light on the 2nd of April, a full-length album also titled with the name Mute Theatre via Maida Maori.
We chat with creative Artem Romanov a.k.a Melldu below.
Stream/Download: Melldu’s ‘Mute Theatre’
Describe your sound for us. What do you want people to feel when they hear your music?
I think there are no exact answers here. I transfer emotions and meaning to my music from my own life, my own experience. If the listener is on the same mental wavelength as me, they will always understand my message, and they will also feel the emotions that I’ve put into the music.
Tell us about the title “Mute Theatre”. What inspired it?
The title Mute Theatre came to my mind after watching videos from the Physical Theatre on YouTube, it seemed to be very creative. Deep thoughts soon followed and I realized that this is a very good title for the thoughts and emotions in music. Mute Theatre is a series of future albums. Containing a philosophical meaning about our life.
Which 3 artists have influenced you the most growing up?
If we talk about childhood, then this is definitely Sting. My father often listened to his music and it influenced me. When I started to create my own music, the most important for me was Nils Frahm, Ry X and Hans Zimmer.
How did you discover your particular sound?
My main source is to mix the elements of the music that I love. It can be things from different genres, but overlapping with one vibe.
Tell us about one of the first struggles you faced (as a group or a solo artist) and how you overcame it?
The first struggle is with oneself, when you are constantly looking for perfection. And this applies to everything; from creating music, life.
What are the most important pieces of equipment to you?
Of course a laptop, guitar, keys, and my fav VST plugins. Recently, I’ve started using Elektron’s Digitakt, which helps me write a more lively drum line.
Tell us about the music scene in Russia. What is one of your favourite aspects of it?
To be honest, I don’t follow the Russian music scene. The musical space is very overcrowded, a lot of music is released every day and because of this, really worthy musicians simply go unnoticed. This is a problem.
Music for the individual or the masses – which do you want to create?
For the individual of course. My personal music is unlikely to ever be popular and I love it. This is something special for people who think and feel.
Do you have a favourite memory of your career so far?
I hope that these are still ahead.
If you could work with, or perform alongside any artist living or passed, who would it be?
Good question. It’s hard to find one. A lot of artists influence me. Probably Thom Yorke.
What kind of message are you trying to send with your music?
The main message is emotion. All my music carries emotion. Without this important message, the rest is meaningless. More often than not, I’m looking for something between emotion and philosophy.
What can we expect from you in the near future? Any upcoming projects or gigs in the pipeline that you would like to tell us about?
There will be more new tracks. I took a break from creating, and for a long time I did not release any tracks. I was looking for my sound. Now I’m back in the game :).
Follow Melldu:
Website – Facebook – Twitter – Soundcloud – Instagram – Spotify
