Me & Melancholy
Creating synth-pop music with a dark and atmospheric vibe, Peter Ehrling is a singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. He draws inspiration from the genre’s pioneers such as New Order, Depeche Mode, and the Smiths, as well as contemporary alternative rock bands like Radiohead, Weezer, Smashing Pumpkins, and Bloc Party.
He mixes electronic and organic sounds to create his own distinctive style. His self-produced debut album, made in Stockholm, Sweden, features catchy melodies and haunting lyrics that reflect on loneliness, night, and darkness.
“Under the cover of darkness”
Gefühle der Einsamkeit, Sehnsucht und Unsicherheit, ist die Liebe Realität oder Fiktion? “Just like a dream”, der Opener des Albums, illustriert den Zwiespalt zwischen Hoffnung und Realität. Der Einstieg in “Under the cover of darkness” ist fulminant und definiert die musikalische Ausrichtung.
Diese Ausrichtung wird mit “We are the people of the night” konsolidiert, in der exquisit selektierte End 80er Synthie-Sounds den Gegensatz zwischen “night” und “darkness” oder “behave” und “learn” verdeutlichen. Die Nacht steht für Freiheit, Spaß und Abenteuer, während das Verhalten und Lernen für Konformität, Langeweile und Einschränkung stehen.
Mit “So alone” wird das Tempo akzentuiert, bevor “You can’t stop it now” in die Abgründe der Melancholie stürzt und seine Tristesse versprüht. Und wie ein Phönix aus der Asche erklingt “Remember me in color”. Ein großartiges Stück Electronica in dem der Künstler sich seinem Ende stellt, sich jedoch, im Gegensatz zu früher, sich aber nicht mehr davor fürchtet. Es sollen die guten Zeiten sein an die man sich erinnert.
Danach folgt “Told you”, welches vor allem durch seine eindringliche Synth-Pop Melodie brillieren kann. Dem reduzierten “Isolation” folgt das exzellente und bereits bekannte “Never give up”, das in seinen Facetten auch ein Track von “Some great reward” sein könnte. “I have seen evil”, einer meiner persönlichen Favoriten, ist harmonisch aus akustischer Perspektive und verstörend aus der poetischen, und reflektiert den ewigen Kontrast, der auf diesem Album dominiert.
Ebenfalls vorab erschienen, “One of these days”, ein großartiger Release, der mich durch seinen Vocal part schon damals fasziniert hat. “Sometimes” und “Never saw it coming” würde ich fast ins Jahr 1982 klassifizieren wollen, vor allem zweitgenanntes klingt verspielt und doch düster. “Hypnotize”, quasi die Hitsingle des Albums, erinnert mich stimmlich an Paul Weller und sorgt mit “Not even you can get under my skin” für einen perfekten Abschluss.
“Under the cover of darkness” von Me & Melancholy beamt einen definitiv zurück in die 80er, vergisst aber auch nicht seine eigenen Akzente zu setzen. Peter Ehrlings Produktion ist mehr als nur gelungen, immer wieder entdeckt man neues im Arrangement.
Jeder Durchlauf zieht einen mehr in den Bann, Traurig, melancholisch und sehr dunkel ist der Eindruck, aber auch Hoffnung und Erlösung schimmern durch. Zu erwähnen ist sicher auch die brillante Selektion der Klänge, die das Hörerlebnis nochmals steigern. Genreliebhaber werden dieses Album lieben und für 80er-Neueinsteiger ist “Under the cover of darkness” ein "Hidden Gem", den man unbedingt entdecken sollte!
“Under the cover of darkness” (EN)
Is love real or just an illusion? Feelings of loneliness, longing and insecurity haunt us. “Just like a dream”, the first song of the album, captures both the hopeful and the realistic aspects. Already the first track of the album, “Under the cover of darkness”, sets the tone and direction for the rest of the songs. “We are the people of the night” follows, using end 80s synth sounds to contrast “night” and “darkness” or “behave” and “learn”. The night represents freedom, fun and adventure, while behavior and learning imply conformity, boredom and restriction. The tempo rises with “So alone”, before “You can’t stop it now” plunges into the depths of melancholy and sadness. Then, unexpectedly,
“Remember me in color” plays. A stunning piece of electronica in which the artist confronts his end, but without fear this time. He wants to be remembered for the good times. Next comes “Told you”, with its catchy synth-pop melody. The simple “Isolation” precedes the amazing and familiar “Never give up”, which could fit in “Some great reward” as well.
“I have seen evil”, one of my personal favorites, is soothing musically but disturbing lyrically, reflecting the everlasting contrast that dominates this album. Another song that was released earlier is “One of these days”, a great release that impressed me with its vocals. I would almost place “Sometimes” and “Never saw it coming” in 1982, especially as the latter sounds playful yet dark. “Hypnotize”, the quasi hit single of the album, reminds me of Paul Weller’s voice and ends with “Not even you can get under my skin”.
“Under the cover of darkness” by Me & Melancholy takes you back to the 80s, but also adds its own touch. Peter Ehrling’s production is more than successful, you always find new things in the arrangement. Every time you listen to it, you get more enchanted, feeling sad, melancholic and very dark, but also seeing some hope and redemption.
The brilliant selection of sounds also deserves a mention, as it enhances the listening experience. Genre lovers will adore this album and for 80s beginners, “Under the cover of darkness” is a hidden gem that you should not miss!
Q&A
You have just released your new album “Under the cover of darkness”. How would you introduce it to our readers?
It’s a bit darker than the first album and the main theme of the album is around darkness and the night. I have always been a night person and enjoy being up late and of course that makes it hard to get up in the morning. It’s always felt like this is not the way you should be and that I will grow up some day to be like everybody else. I still don’t like mornings and are just as tired as when I was a teenager. But it’s just mornings, when I get up and have a few cup of coffes I’m all good. So maybe I just want to have more time in general :-) Anyways, the album is a dark electro/synth album and use lots of vintage synth sounds from the past (80s/90s) but blended with something from today. I like beats and rythmic sound so most tracks is kind of dancable, but with a melancholic touch to them.
How did you decide on the number and selection of songs for this album?
I was aiming for a 12 track album and tried to just select songs that was perfect for the album theme. It think it was down to 13 for a while and I didn’t have Hypnotize on the album, but then someone told me I just have to have that song in the album and then it was 14 and I just felt that this was it.
What was the secret behind creating such a stunning and authentic 80s sound?
I’m not sure if there is any secret. Actually I kind of never listen to music from the 80s, but for sure I grow up listening to lots of synth music then. I haven’t really listened to much synth music since the middle of the 90s. So maybe that is the secret, when I create music I’m just so unaware of synth music since then so in my head it could as well be 1988. Then I just love the sounds from these old synths and I can sit for hours just playing around and creating new sounds and beats.
Looking back at the production process, which song gave you the most trouble?
I guess most of the songs had some problematic thing that took some time to solve, but one particullar thing that I had to work alot on was the transition between Just like a dream and We are the people of the night. I really wanted it to feel seamless so that you don’t hear when it go from track 1 to 2. It sounded good but I was not sure how it would be in for instance Spotify. So that was the first thing I checked on the release date :-)
Which five songs from your discography would you recommend to our readers who want to get a taste of Me & Melancholy?
I would recommend Just like a dream, Never give up and We are the people of the night from the latest album and then You promised to keep it safe and Something from the first album.
What are the chances of seeing you perform live on stage?
Right now the chances are pretty low, I don’t really have the time it would take. But I would love to be able to be on stage in the future when a good opportunity comes up!
If you could chat with any musician, living or dead, who would it be and what would you discuss?
That’s a good question. Just because it would be impossible to talk with someone dead I need to choose that. I think I would choose to chat with Ian Curtis and I would like be able to get to know everything about him and the struggles he went through.
What are your plans for the near future?
I am very soon releasing a collaboration with the talented Gregory Kodric, 3rd of November. Then I am very soon releasing another single with Gränsen (my Swedish project) and a new gränsen album before Christmas, will be simular to Me & Melancholy but in Swedish and might be more guitars on some tracks. There might be something more with Me & Melancholy before christmas :-)
