His sublime, sexy melodies envelop you like a cloud of smoke - Mind Bath’s R&B is a distinctive combination of fluid production and vocals that drip slow like honey. After two initial EP’s and releasing a few dreamy singles on his own Bedrooms Dubs label, the Montreal-based artist has a lot in the pipeline. He will be releasing a music video for the newest song, “Girl (You Are Everything)”, on May 22nd and is dropping his first full-length album, Baby You Can Free Your Mind, on May 31st. Don’t miss the MTL album release show on the same day, at Le Ministère.
From his production to his visuals, Mind Bath has created an intimate world of close friends and collaborators, including several projects with Parisian-born, Montreal-based producer, DJ, and multi-instrumentalist, Ourielle Auvé, also known as Ouri, who is featured in the music video for “Siempre” - along with a crew of local artists and friends.
You’ve mentioned that you initially got into making music when your grandmother gave you a guitar - how does that debut influence your current sound and when/how did you start producing beats?
I don’t really play guitar on my music now, but that was the catalyst to get me singing in public for the first time. I’ll use my guitar sometimes to write and get vocal melody ideas out. The instrument itself has hardly ever made it onto the recordings, but I’ve made a few nice things in the past months, where she’s there to stay.
I started making super minimal GarageBand beats in Berlin in 2013 and had them all in a folder called ‘Bedroom Dubs’ which is now the name of my label. There was some weird, nice stuff in there, but I lost the folder to a computer crash. Back your shit up! Only two got saved and I released the ‘Bad Timing (Bedroom Dub)’ a few years ago. My friend hooked me up with Ableton when I moved back to Canada and that’s where I work now. I use it in a bizarre, amateur way and my old computer hates plug-ins, but I’m doing my thing and it’s working for me.
You shared on your Instagram that your most recent release, “Scorpio”, was the first song you ever wrote. What made you create a reimagined version of it now?
Ouri and I were building a live set and I showed her the old version for the first time. We both really liked the melodies and lyrics but wanted to make something more avant garde and meditative, so that we could open the show with it and lure people in. She’s a genius producer and I don’t let the things she makes me lay around unreleased.
How did you start collaborating with Ouri, and after living in so many different places, what made you decide to stay in the Montreal scene?
I knew to stay in Montréal because things fell into place for me so quickly here. Like I met Ouri within a few weeks. We were on a bill together at the Arbutus Records loft and wrote ‘Over New York’ the next week. Berlin and NYC were so wild and challenging, so when I came here I just wanted to be a sober monk and work hard on and album and experience some of the slow pace and peace this city can offer an artist. I’m itchy now though - what’s up next? I can’t do another winter.
How has working with friends developed you as an artist?
I’ve learnt so much from my friends and music would be lonely without them. If you drop your ego and allow collaboration to be just that, you’re going to bend and be pushed. It’s so good for you. Aesthetically I’ve kind of built a world around my friends too. I’ve never ‘cast’ anything. The people in my visuals are just family. Love them.
In an interview with Ones to Watch, you mention that “Flower Tattoo” is your ‘first feel good release that doesn’t come from some place of pain.’ What inspired you to switch up the mood?
Listen, I’m tired of the tortured artist trope and what it does to us. I see how important it is for us to freely express difficult emotions and how healing that can be for a listener. I’ve also seen what cyclical memories of suffering do to me. I’m always going to be real with you but positive, sexy tracks are like a healthy boundary I’m putting up so I don’t feel so raw all the time. More to come ;)
I really love the beat you sampled from Britney’s “I’m a Slave 4 U” - what are your favorite pop icons to draw inspiration from?
Hmmm Janet, Prince, and Bjork have probably directly inspired/influenced my project the most.
What’s the story behind your first full-length album, Baby You Can Free Your Mind? You’re releasing it on your own label, Bedroom Dubs. How has that process been?
It’s been a slow reveal. I said I wanted to do it independent from day one, but then some lack of self-worth and financial stresses crept in, so I shopped it. I just needed one more industry person to dick me around - and it happened. Amen. I have a small and incredible team of passionate people working with me and I’m free. I’m learning so much about the business side right now too, which is really important. It’s literally crazy to keep yourself in the dark about it with non-artists running your career. I’m so open to the right label coming along for the next one, but how good would it feel to find success on your own and keep your cheques?
Speaking of your creative process, you’ve said in an interview that writing songs makes you feel like a magician. When working on this album, what was a time when you felt the most magical?
The actual making of this album felt messy and long and so experimental at times that those moments of groove magic were intangible. I really remained patient and focused, though. Nothing was rushed and the attention to detail was crazy. I was trying to do the most and I’m glad I did, because it’s rare for an artist in my position to make a proper full length like this, with so many videos too. I really have to thank all the people who helped me. None of us ever said no. I feel magical now on my victory lap.
Photo credit: Maiko Rodrig
