This episode’s guest is Oslo-based creator, Live Sollid Schullerud, who produces progressive electro-pop under the act name, Mörmaid.
Whilst Live is now associated with futuristic electronica, her musical roots lie in a very different genre: jazz.
Before evolving into Mörmaid, she spent years as a jazz musician, an experience that Melody A.M. reckons continues to influence her work in subtle but significant ways, particularly in her attention to rhythm and melodic complexity.
Live’s first Mörmaid release came in the summer of 2020 with her debut single, ‘Turn Away’, but - as you’ll hear from our interview - the groundwork for her sound had been laid much earlier. She began conceptualising the Mörmaid project by experimenting with production and songwriting well before that.
Signed to Beat Palace Records, the UK-based label, Live released her debut album, Pearlescent Dark, earlier this year. Recent single, ‘Wet Summer’, has received a lot of attention, first of all because it’s great and because of the eye-popping music video that accompanied it, created using the Generative AI tool, Midjourney.
The use of AI in art has long sparked debate and Live herself has expressed ambivalence about the part it plays in her artistry. In our interview, we talk about the reactions to the music video as well as the impact of AI.
Very shortly after we spoke, Live put out her latest music video, ‘Bury All’, in which artificial intelligence didn’t play a part and which makes for a fascinating watch in its own right – we would highly recommend giving it a couple of minutes of your time. You can also check out the Best of Mörmaid playlist, which accompanies this episode, on our website at www.melodyam.com/mormaid
