Known on stage as her alter ego Melotika, Mel Yelle is redefining what it is to be an Electropop artist. In 2016 she hit the Toronto music scene with her rich and smoky vocals over electronic music and has not stopped since. Also referred to as non-commercial retro Pop, her sound is heavily influenced by artists such as Tool’s Maynard James Keenan, Lady Gaga, Madonna, Evanescence, Metric, Portishead, Silversun Pickups, and music of the 70s, 80s, and 90s. Blending eclectic and stimulating sounds with carefully crafted, infectious, dance-able tunes, she stands for self-confidence and embraces individuality. Her lyrics are always laced with a deeper meaning, and her music offers a form of escapism for anyone who feels confused or alone.
Melotika’s journey began in 2013 when she was to enter her 2nd semester of University. Feeling discouraged and unmotivated, she came to realize that her biggest passion was music, and she could not ignore it anymore. Taking her creative pursuits head on, she dropped out of her program and enrolled in a private trade at Recording Arts Canada where she learned sound design, music production and audio engineering. Three years later she discovered herself moving from her hometown Montreal to Toronto, donning the title Melotika.
“Moving to a new city gave me the space I needed to get to know myself. Like going on a date or meeting a new friend. Why not take yourself out and take the chance?”
Her first appearance was on Krosst Out’s single released early 2017, ‘I Don’t Care ft. Melotika’. In January 2018, she released her first single, ‘Unaware Part II (Blindside)’, followed by an EP in Spring 2018 called Unaware.
When describing her first EP Mel explains, “Unaware is about remaining true to oneself while portraying the message that we are all losing our individuality if we continue to follow social norms and listen to what others tell you to do.” These are messages she stands firmly behind and that she will continue to express in her upcoming projects.
The main genre of Melotika’s music is Pop with electronic elements, slightly more edgy. Described primarily as Electro Pop, her songs have catchy hooks and deep, interesting lyrics that have a story to tell. Her fans have compared her sound and vibes to The Weeknd, Jessie Ware, Sinead O’Connor, Madonna, Celine Dion, Cher, Lady Gaga, and Marina and the Diamonds. Her songs are mostly about growth, life experiences, youth and social norms.
Her recent singles, ‘Joy Ride’ and ‘Bury the Bones,’ were well-received by her fans upon release.
‘Joy Ride’ (2019) is an avant-garde Alternative Rock song that seamlessly combines Pop Rock and Industrial Electro music. It was produced with Toronto artist Rain from Pink Distortion Music. Its release was complimented by a visually strong music video of Melotika clad head to toe in otherworldly silver body paint and makeup, strutting confidently and singing fearlessly.
“Joy Ride is about embracing your individuality and finding comfort in being different.”
– Melotika
‘Bury the Bones’ (2020) is a dark blend of Synthpop and Alternative Rock, produced by Toronto artist Sean Savage. The music video takes a direct cinematic approach, telling an eerie story with darkly attractive visuals.
“‘Bury the Bones’ is meant to be mysterious, haunting, and reveals suppressed dark emotions about an unhealthy, fictional love story. As a society, we have a weird obsession with psychopaths, murder, and lust. This song is a creative take on these subjects from the perspective of an individual with an unsettling mind.”
– Melotika
Always ready to push the boundaries of genre, Melotika has collaborated on remixes of her songs, including ‘Joy Ride (Savage Dream Mix),’ a Trip-Hop rework, and ‘Bury The Bones (Savage Deep Mix)’ an experimental Electronica remix. With ‘Blindside – Savage Liquid Mix’ and ‘Millionaires Savage 2k20,’ local producer Sean Savage brought her music to the Liquid Drum and Bass and Deep House genres. She has worked with Captain Ghostnote, an electronic producer based in Amsterdam, on two electronic Funk remixes of ‘Unaware’ and ‘Bittersweet Reality.’
Kicking off 2021, Melotika is an intense feature on German based Synthwave/EDM artist Lazer Squad’s new single ‘Eternal Eclipse.’ Melotika’s sultry vocals and escapist lyricism describe what it feels like to be stranded in the middle of a global crisis with a loved one. It is an energetic electronic production, the product of two genre-bending artists working together to create a new sound.
In the past 3 years Melotika has performed several live shows in Toronto, and has been touring Canada’s East Coast, Montreal, Ottawa, and British Columbia. She has performed in popular Toronto venues, including The Mod Club, The Hideout, The Piston and Hard Luck Bar. Her music can be found on several independent playlists on Spotify and she has performed on radio stations such as 105.9 FM the Region in Ontario and 101.5 FM The Wolf in Peterborough. She appeared as #8 on the Top 10 charts: Electronic Albums “Specialty Charts Early June 2018” on CFBX 92.5 FM in Kamloops, BC. ‘Beautiful Disguise’ was charted first place on the week of February 8, 2021 on Valley FM 89.5 (Australia). Currently, her music is being played every week on Amplified Radio Network.
Right now, she is focused on her upcoming album Dancing Without You, and released the first official single off the album ‘Beautiful Disguise’ on February 12, 2021. This Synthpop track is shaped by New Wave and 80s music, with just a hint of 90’s sound for a retro feel. Heavily inspired by artists such as Blondie, Eurythmics, and Depeche Mode for the project, the vocals are run through tape, providing an intense vintage texture. Both catchy and mysterious, the music accentuates a story about a ‘forbidden beautiful lover.’ Mel stays true to her interesting turns of phrase and off-putting statements in her lyrics:
“The Devil inside of me is the devil inside of you…” Beauty is the disguise and Melotika needs to break free from this deep down, toxic person.
Her second single ‘Crazy’ released on April 16, 2021 is a Dance Pop track shaped by New-Wave, 80s music, and Disco. With an addictive groove, the music tells a deranged story about obsession and the craze behind falling in love with someone new. Revealing cliché concepts and emotions often expressed through modern film, music and social media, Mel describes a society that lost all sense of control and self-worth with her lyrics “No empathy for the one I call my own, now I’m stuck in this place all alone.”
Influenced by the 80’s, 90’s and House music, the third and album titled single ‘Dancing Without You’ is available on June 18 2021. With a new school take on Electropop, ‘Dancing Without You’ tells a euphoric and empowering story about moving on from the past with a new love and never looking back.
“I started writing this song right when the pandemic hit in late March 2020. The original was a jam demo inspired with a friend I met online.” Melotika shares. “I was bummed out that the song wasn’t going to go anywhere so I took my melodies and lyrics and recreated the song while the pandemic was still going on. I felt like the world needed some good energy.”
The full concept album Dancing Without You is expected to be released in Fall 2021. It is a collection of songs expressing the true turbulent emotions Melotika felt in her late teens/early 20’s.
“It tells stories of heartbreak, new beginnings, confusion, and stories of my youth while remaining in that ‘escapism pop’ realm. This is sort of like a personal diary exposing super vulnerable moments of my life, through electro pop dance music. If I were a teenager, this would have been the perfect pop album to listen too. I created that for myself and to share with the world. This is an homage to my older self, saying goodbye to the past and moving on as the ‘new me.’ Finally.”
– Melotika
Continuing the trend of genre-bending set by the first official single, the entire album is heavily Disco and New Wave influenced with a touch of 90’s pop. Dancing Without You combines pop escapism, true storytelling and catchy tunes. Inspired equally from the late 70s, 80s and 90s, this album mixes the past and the future. Working again with Sean Savage as producer of the album, they have crafted just the right sounds to bring Melotika’s lyrics to life.
“The pandemic and lockdowns really got me thinking of who I am and what I want to do with my music. I’ve been carefully crafting the perfect collection of songs as an independent artist for my first full length album.” – Melotika
Rolling with the times, Melotika has been performing live on Instagram for her fans and hosting interviews with other artists in her IGTV series on Instagram called “Hang Out & Chat.” The show aired bi-weekly, each episode an interview with a guest. Typically lasting an hour, the conversations dive into deep and fun topics. She has also begun a series on YouTube where she professionally reviews and reacts to popular music as a singer songwriter. Due to the pandemic, no physical live shows are on the agenda, but more episodes of “Hang Out & Chat,” new YouTube content, and live stream performances of her new 2021 music can surely be expected.
She is also a playlist Curator on Spotify with growing playlists. She curates a wide range of genres, including pop, electronica, alternative rock, and alternative hip hop.
Referring to the recording studio as her “happy place,”Melotika continues to produce powerful, genre-defying music. She unabashedly draws upon her personal life and experiences to craft her songs, fearlessly embracing her individuality and calling on others to discover the beauty and confidence within themselves. Always ready to throw a dance party, this tour-de-force is looking to reach fans with her message worldwide.
SOURCE: Official Bio
LINKS:
https://melotika.com
https://twitter.com/Melotikamusic
https://www.instagram.com/melotikamusic
