Singaporean producer and DJ, MYRNE, rounds off his string of recent singles with a brand new EP titled ‘Circles’. A seamless reinvention of MYRNE’s approach to melody, texture and composition, results in a record that radiates joy and restoration in 2022. Circles, his first EP since signing to Astralwerks, and his first collection of songs since 2020’s ‘Wandering’, features four new tracks, two of which –its glistening title track and ‘What Can I Do’ –have previously been released as a sneak peek for fans. The EP was conceived as he attempted to find stillness in his home studio amongst the turmoil of the outside world. The work continued as he began reconnecting with friends and family, regaining a sense of optimism along the way.
The journey is deeply embedded in all tracks, some of which feature samples of conversations, atmospheres, or found sounds weaved in through his precise beats. This is undoubtedly an MYRNE release worth listening to closely and digging into with multiple listens.‘Emotion’, the stunning centrepiece of the EP, sees MYRNE igniting the spark of giddy romance. He even harks back to his 2020 track ‘Splinter’ as a reference point for this new piece, incorporating a new stack of harmonies and melodies that play off the stormy indie rock spirit of the original. “The idea of just continually improving on your old self was a recurring theme in this album,” MYRNE says of the EP.
‘Faithless’ is a six-minute exploration of Balearic melodies and dancefloor infectiousness. It feels, all at once, like a closing track at a rave approaching sunrise, and a meditative track best played before bedtime. The ‘Circles’ EP is a fresh artistic statement by MYRNE, who took charge of songwriting and vocals on all tracks. “It’s helped me find my sound as an artist and work with the things I like so that when I’m able to collaborate, I can be a bit more centred!” MYRNE says. Each track was laboured over with love and intent by MYRNE, who sought to find new and spontaneous ways to produce a record.
“It was all about being mechanical, touching knobs, humming sounds, instead of planning and sculpting in such detail,” he explains. “You can really hear it in the music -a bit of it sounds unfinished -because I don’t think there really is a point to ‘finishing’ music, just making sure it sounds good then moving on to the next one. I’ve also learned to have a lot of fun ‘in the moment.” ‘Circles’ is all about finding healing in the darkest corners of life, a reminder that there is strength in reaching out and connecting with others. He hopes the EP manages to do that for his fans around the world. “Oh, and I hope they have fun dancing too!” he adds.
