S17 E4: Mélanie Pain

One thing I’m aware of in myself and others is a shortening attention span and fierce competition for our attention with the sheer amount of information we have to process. If ever there was “it was never like this in the good old days” moment, here you are. As an aside, I actually heard that screenwriters are being told by production companies, distributors or whatever that they need to write scripts that assume the viewer will also be scrolling on their phone whilst watching their show. And like most things in the world today, it feels like an overwhelming problem to solve – and I think it is a problem – but we can all do our bit to try and reign in the relentless assault on our behaviours and art definitely helps. I even try to do it with the way I write my zine – deliberately scruffy and distressed so readers can’t just have a cursory flick through it. I mean it’s more layered than that, but you get my point. So…..here’s the link – as tenuous as ever! - to my guest, Mélanie Pain, whom you’ll of course know through her incredible work with Nouvelle Vague and her equally brilliant solo work. Mélanie has just released her 4th solo album called How and Why and the final single that she released prior to the album launch is called Dreamloop and the song in its own right is truly beautiful, hypnotic and very unhurried. When you listen to the song with the video, you are transported into a world where the ordinary is anything but ordinary and it acquires implications through the camera loops and repeated scenes. It demands you take your time and immerse yourself in what feels like a William Eggleston pastiche through a saturated looking glass. Sit back and let your attention span heal. The whole album is wonderful – enigmatic, sometimes optimistic, sometimes forlorn and always giving space for reflection. Look no further than Colours in the Dark – it is just sublime. https://www.iwannajumplikedeedee.com I Wanna Jump Like Dee Dee is the music podcast that does music interviews differently. Giles Sibbald talks to musicians, DJ’s and producers about how they use an experimental mindset in every part of their lives. - brought to you from the mothership of the experimental mindset™ - cover art by Giles Sibbald - doodle logo and art by Tide Adesanya, Coppie and Paste