Teeming with funk and frivolity, Perth collective Mal de Mer present bodacious, brand new single Mirage (as well as the darkly comical accompanying video) which marks the final, alluring glimpse into the group’s forthcoming EP Sanguine, officially set to drop on 8 July.
A slinky, funked-up shoe-tapping track, ‘Mirage’ continues Mal de Mer’s genre-defying journey with expected glimmer and groove. Inspired by such acts as Parcels, Anderson .Paak and Lil Nas X, ‘Mirage’ flows along with jangly keys, warm guitars and the striking, sun-soaked vocal stylings of singer Saskia Fleming. Beneath the infectious electronic pop lies a bittersweet break-up narrative; definitely a (car windows down) blast-able anthem.
While ‘Mirage’ serves as a final taster ahead of EP, Sanguine, the song was created in super-quick time, as drummer James Marelich explains: “It’s always a great feeling finishing music and finally releasing it, but this one feels especially surreal as we only wrote it a couple of months ago! Watching it transform from an idea into a full-fledged piece of music so quickly has been awesome”.
“Mirage is a nonchalant narration of leaving someone that you should have left a long time ago. To me, this song feels like a shower argument – you get to speak your truth, uninterrupted, and finally put that person in their place” -Saskia (Mal de Mer)
Working with long-time Mal De Mer visual collaborator Sarah Gelmi on the official video for ‘Mirage’, Saskia says: “The video is a satirical send up of leaving a crappy relationship – it taps into the joy of moving on and looking back with relief.” Indeed it is a comical ode to farewelling a lousy relationship, played out visually and playfully thorough clever use of shadow, light and colour to emphasize the action.
Mal de Mer teamed up with Broderick Madden-Scott on mixing and producing duties, and Joe Carra on mastering for their upcoming sophomore EP Sanguine. Set for release July 8, the group are poised to truly encapsulate the buoyant and transformative notions of the EP’s moniker. Saskia adds: “Sanguine as a body of work follows the disorienting journey out of a toxic situation, and the metamorphosis that takes place afterwards. I reckon the theme of Sanguine is best encapsulated by the definition of its title: optimistic or positive, especially in an apparently bad or difficult situation”.
Mirage is out NOW, we can’t wait for the EP.
Sanguine is out July 8 and available to pre save HERE
