Ever since breaking out in 2015, MYRNE has far and away become Singapore’s biggest electronic music export. With millions of streams on Spotify, headlining sets at prestigious festivals and clubs around the world, and several acclaimed releases and remixes under his belt - the vaunted DJ and producer seems to find critical and commercial success at every turn.
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But MYRNE is never one to rest on his laurels. Which is why 2024 is gearing up to be yet another momentous year for the EDM superstar. From remixing Lastlings and Linying, to a new crop of phenomenal singles, to forming a progressive house supergroup with yetep and Manila Killa called STARSIGNS - MYRNE is on a tear right now.
We spoke with the multi-talented musician to learn more about his recent and upcoming projects.
Hi MYRNE! How has 2024 been for you personally?
It’s been really fun - every year doing music has been so refreshing and different from the last! It’s definitely been one of my most creatively stimulating years yet. There’s a lot of music in the works with different projects, and I’m finally happy to work closely with a label (This Never Happened) whose output I’ve been a fan of for years.
We really enjoyed your release this past April, ‘Close The Distance / A Matter of Chance’. What was the creative process behind those 2 singles?
Thank you! Instrumental electronic music has always held a very strong place in my heart - yet, I’ve never been afforded the opportunity to really throw myself into that sound, given my work with pop labels or the propensity to follow a “sound”’ After taking some time off at the end of 2023 I really just holed myself up, took plenty of walks, and wrote music that felt natural to me. I ended up with the ‘Close The Distance / A Matter Of Chance’ A/B side that was dedicated to nature, determinism, and chance.
You also had a pair of fantastic remixes this year - one for Lastlings, and one for Linying. How did those come about?
Linying has been a close friend (for almost a decade really!) in music for a while, and I remember being in tears when she sent me the first mixes of ‘Creature’. Naturally, when her House Mouse EP dropped, I just jumped at the chance to put my own spin on it. That EP is one of my favourite records and I hope I didn’t ruin it too much.
The remix of Lastlings - ‘Gravity’ with Manila Killa was also pretty spontaneous. We were about to play the massive Countdown 2023 NYE festival in SoCal (Southern California) and wanted to post a little unofficial flip of a tune we both liked a couple of weeks before. Turns out Lastlings liked it enough to give it an official release! They’re a pair of varied enough records that cover my favourite niches in electronic music.
What is your approach to remixing? We imagine it's a tricky balance between keeping the essence of the original and putting your own stamp on it…
Remixing is the pinnacle of DJ culture, it all really depends on how much you want to preserve the original spirit of the song! There are really no rules. I do think that a lot of the remixes I end up doing flip the original on its head. If it’s really the same motifs and melodies, I’d just play the original instead. Of course there are some great auteurs that keep the essence of the original while still using their own distinctive palette - acts like Gerd Janson and Purple Disco Machine spring to mind.
Your brand new song ‘One Sunrise At A Time’ was just released. Could you tell us more about it?
‘One Sunrise At A Time’ was written after a period of grief and loss, and it was just a reminder to myself to take it one day at a time. It’s not meant to be a sad ballad, but to sound a bit more optimistic and hopeful in the view that things do get better eventually. It’s the first single off my EP slated for August with This Never Happened titled The Four Stages.
There’s a ton of hype around your new group STARSIGNS right now. How did this project come together?
We’ve been longtime friends for a while now, and it only made sense to come together for something greater. A lot of the music that inspired STARSIGNS was simply the music that got the 3 of us into electronic music.
Could you describe the collaborative process between you, yetep and Manila Killa?
It’s pretty democratic, we’re all very experienced musicians and writing together is a blast. One of us will start an idea, pass it to someone else, and then the last one will finish it. In the event of disagreements it’s all unanimous voting.
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The group’s first single features renowned UK singer-songwriter George Gleeson. What was it like working with him?
His voice and writing are stellar and we’ve been looking to work with him for a while! When he sent an idea through we just jumped at the chance. Liam Geddes (a co-writer on ‘Flicker’) has also worked with yetep before, so it was a no-brainer.
STARSIGNS will soon make their debut at the Lost In Dreams festival. What can fans expect?
It will simply be an exhilarating time.
What’s next for you or STARSIGNS?
I’m releasing another single this month before my four-track EP drops in August. There’s also a bunch of exciting collaborations on the way with some long-time favourites of mine.
As for STARSIGNS, I think we’re in a great place. We’re happy to just let the music talk - of which lie aplenty!
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