Mild Minds & edapollo turn the tables: A candid conversation about “IN YOUR EYES” and creative collaboration [INTERVIEW]

In an exciting reunion, GRAMMY-nominated electronic music producer Mild Minds and rising Melbourne-based musician edapollo have joined forces once again for their latest single, "IN YOUR EYES." The track, released via ODESZA's esteemed Foreign Family Collective label, follows the success of their 2023 collaboration "EVERYTHING" and showcases the duo's evolving creative partnership and unique sonic alchemy.

Known for his lush, emotive soundscapes that blend elements of house, UK garage, ambient, and organic instrumentation, Mild Minds has established himself as an influential voice in the electronic music scene. Meanwhile, edapollo has been making waves with his genre-blurring compositions that seamlessly weave together downtempo electronica, indie, and dance music, captivating audiences with his immersive live performances.

As "IN YOUR EYES" hits the airwaves, the duo sat down to discuss the inspiration behind their new track, their individual artistic journeys, and the magic that unfolds when they collaborate in the studio. Through a candid back-and-forth exchange on the eve before the song's release, Mild Minds and edapollo offer a glimpse into their creative process, revealing the passion, experimentation, and mutual respect that fuel their musical partnership.

Mild Minds: Hey mate how's it going? Excited about our song tomorrow?

edapollo: Haha yep very excited, I think it's a special one for sure.

Mild Minds: Yeah, was definitely missing an upbeat one like this on my new album. Glad you brought it to the table in time for Summer. What inspired the demo for this one?

edapollo: Definitely. Well, I'd say that when we toured together, I think listening to each other's music each night and chatting production and music a lot definitely inspired some new ideas. And immediately when this tune started forming, I thought of your sound and felt it would be an interesting one to develop together more.

We send each other a lot of demos back and forth for feedback, but I felt pretty confident about this one straight away. What about the demo made you want to dive in and refine it further, do you think?

Mild Minds: There had been some discussion about missing a song like 'Formations' on my new album, or at least something upbeat. This had been discussed the same week and just felt like it was perfect timing. At the same time, we had discussed pushing the album back a few months, so whether it went on the album or not, the plucks and major-y chords were fitting to summer and definitely worth exploring.

This is the first tune I've dropped since our collab 'Everything' almost a year ago. What have you been working on in the time since, and have you gone in any new directions with your sound?

edapollo: I've been writing a lot of new music and trying to experiment and push the boundaries of my sound a little more, so I put out a couple of the more downtempo leaning tracks earlier this year. I'm seeing this year as a year to experiment with things and collaborate more, as I find it's a good way to find new inspiration and direction.

How about you? How's the album coming together, and what can we expect from it?

Mild Minds: It's coming together well. Submitted about 10 demos in Jan. Have since scrapped about 5 of them as I think I can do better. So far lots and lots of garage, broken beats, vocal samples, emotion, and interesting rhythms. Less 4/4 and seemingly less singing. I've been exploring the idea of using synth sounds that are traditionally reserved for club tunes and tryna to use them in an emotional and lush way. Taking some inspiration from the vibrancy of artists like Jamie xx through to the darkness of Burial. Aiming for 8-9 tracks.

What about your sound? Have you explored anything new stylistically on new demos, or still sticking to what you know?

edapollo: I think playing live more over the past couple of years has definitely changed the way I produce in some ways. I'm thinking more about how things will translate in that context, whereas before I'd not consider it quite so much. So I think it's definitely taken my production in a more upbeat direction. I'm also trying to focus more on emotional feeling in a song, rather than overdoing the production side. Sometimes in the past, I'd find myself focusing on things that didn't matter to the listener as much, for example, very detailed sound design etc. I still love doing that, but I'm seeing it as more of a secondary part of the process and focusing more on the fundamental elements and whether there is enough emotion and draw there, before going deeper.

Do you think it's important to evolve your sound on each record you make? How do you find a balance of keeping your identity but also pushing new ground?

Mild Minds: I don't really have a formula for that these days, as I don't like to overthink or compare to previous works. I do think it's important to consider what's happening around you, as nobody is excited by something that sounds dated, and I think we do that naturally by listening to new music. My aim for the first record was to 1. simply make what I was finding inspiring and 2. to force myself to stay out of my own way, for example, not overthinking things or vetoing a track too early.

So I'm planning to do that again as it seemed to work. I do imagine some people will see it as a change in direction, but to me, I'm doing the exact same thing, and those two points are my ethos for the project beyond the creative ideas.

Ok so finally, everyone tends to be better at different things. What do you think we both bring to the table when collaborating

edapollo: With what you bring, I think you have a great ear for creating catchy and vibey ideas that stick in people's heads. I think you also have a very strong attention to detail, especially with vocals, both with the delivery and the lyrics. I think you are pragmatic with production and focus on what elements are carrying a track, and you tend to know when to remove something that isn't really needed there.

Mild Minds: And in my experience, you're very fast in terms of how you create and can generate more abstract ideas through resampling things in ways I wouldn't imagine. It's also helpful that you think outside of the box when I may be trying to make something fit into a box.

With "IN YOUR EYES" out now and more collaborations on the horizon, Mild Minds and edapollo's creative synergy continues to evolve and captivate listeners. As they push each other to explore new sonic territories while staying true to their artistic identities, it's clear that this dynamic duo has much more in store for their fans in the coming months and years.

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