Exploring the aura of mmeadows
From left; Cole Kamen-Green and Kristin Slipp of mmeadows; photographed by Alex Munro.
Basking in the light of a new year, the glimmer of a new era, new beginnings, new projects, new perspectives and reaching for new tiers of enlightenment — mmeadows present their anticipated new album Light Moves Around You. The duo of Kristin Slipp (of Dirty Projectors) along with multidisciplinary artist Cole Kamen-Green follow up their 2020 EP debut Who Do You Think You Are? with a full length focused on the art of re-centering toward more elevated states of being.
Light Moves Around You is a pop art study of embracing the mystic glow of the aura in the modern, cotemporary age. "By Design" zooms in on the grids that comprise the concrete realities of our lives, whilst slowly expanding the focus to a larger Panavision point of view that reaches across the edge of the finite and into the infinity pools of oceanic splendor. Examinations of the self and spirit abounds on reflective tracks like "You Should Know By Now", surveying the pensive landscapes of the mind and heart that explores the drives of dreams, the roads and weathered routes of desires and the intricacies of everything that makes up our identities. The title track moves in waves like moods that undulate like the waters of rivers and streams that rush and surround the composites of rocks, pebbles, dirt and sand that make up its elemental opposite of earth and sediment.
"Light" levitates and hovers like rose pedals being blown about in the breeze or droplets of water ascending into the liminal states of evaporation. The duo presents the rites of reconciling with themselves and others, treading past the material and immaterial contrivances for a substance that is centered around living one's own truth as heard on tracks like "Baby-By". Kristin and Cole of mmeadows embody the brightness of the things that serve us, the things and people that help us be our best selves, moving toward those better and brighter places; exemplified on the single “Working On Me”. Following the jump, mmeadows provided us with an exclusive assemblage of further things that spark joy and jubilation as a companion piece to Light Moves Around You:
mmeadows’ dream 5
The sounds and styles of mmeadows’ Cole & Kristin; photographed by Alex Munro.
Huun-Huur-Tu, Tuvan throat singers
This ensemble performance is so groovy. I feel deeply connected to my voice as an instrument, and am moved by the many ways in which the voice is used in folk musics across the world. This video had me spellbound when I first saw it:
Candy.mntn
I found this designer on Instagram and have purchased several items from her Sunday sales. Every piece is one-of-a-kind and clearly made with so much care. Her vision and aesthetic is strong and I love that I feel like I’m wearing art when I put these clothes on. She also often accepts payment on a sliding scale, which makes this beautiful clothing more accessible.
Fascinations and fancies by mmeadows; photographed by Alex Munro.
Rosalía, “G3 N15”
Our favorite album of 2022 is Rosalía’s Motomami. The songwriting is brilliant experimental pop, the production is shiny and heavy, the creative direction is (as always) out of sight, but it’s her voice that hits hardest. One of our favorite tracks on the album is “G3 N15”, a spare recording that features nothing but a church organ and Rosalía’s vocal, so close and intimate and dynamically sensitive. She has such an exquisite instrument and her devotion to vocal craft shines through no matter what effects it gets treated with, no matter what the instrumental is doing. Her voice is the star.
Master soba noodle maker
The care, attention to detail and command of the craft that Shuichi Kotani wields is stunning. Every time I’ve watched this I want to hone my own craft (and eat fresh noodles asap).
Cole & Kristin of mmeadows; photographed by Alex Munro.
Beverly Glenn-Copeland’s album Keyboard Fantasies
Our tourmate and friend Will Sheff turned us onto this record and this artist. This music is beautiful and strange — it achieves a gorgeous pastoral, serene vibe without feeling at all saccharine. Glenn-Copeland has a pretty fascinating story, and we very much relate to the process in which he made this record. Keyboard Fantasies was written in Glenn-Copeland’s home in rural Ontario and though instrumentation is synthetic, the compositions are inspired by the natural environment where he lived.
mmeadows’ Light Moves Around You will be available everywhere February 3.