We lived within about fifteen miles of each other almost our entire lives, but our destiny wasn't to meet until we were 1000 miles away from home. It was backstage at Littlefield in New York City when we first shook hands. Mvstermind - RFT's 2014 Best Musical Act - was in town with MME to perform at MCADay, an event I was co-producing. They kicked ass. And as life would have it, they accidentally left behind a fairly expensive pair of headphones I was more than happy to grab and bring back to St. Louis. Mvstermind pulled up to my house to retrieve them and that’s when we discovered our proximity to one another, as well as our shared overwhelming attraction to creativity, music, and positivity. I told him to let me know if he ever needed to a violinist.
Fast forward from there and one night I sat in his home studio, messing around on my violin while a custom track thumped in the background. I had never composed music before and wasn’t sure where to start. But he did. Singing an off-the-cuff melody over the beat, he knew exactly what complementary notes were needed to make it come to life. I instinctively replicated the sound on my violin by ear, and our musical co-op began. It was a natural fit, meeting a few more times to get the right sound and feel, then recording - another first for me. It was exhilarating. Creating music is one of the best feelings in the world. And after that song, we started another.
Out of the blue, I said, “I can sing, too.”
He looked at me a bit unsure. “You can?”
I nodded, my eyes lighting up as my mouth curled into a smile. I could.
To encourage and help me move along, Mvstermind sang a scat riff into the mic for me to emulate. I did, a little more freely with each go-around, and ultimately making it my own - until a technical issue cut us off.
“Man…And you were just really starting to feel it!” he said, excited.
I was.
Mvstermind reignited my passion for musical creativity. Although my surgery and recovery cut our sessions short and prohibited us from fully finishing those songs, I won’t ever forget those nights. They reminded me again of who I am – bits and pieces I had forgotten – and who I want to be. The part he played in my soul’s resurrection is permanently imprinted in my memory. Aside from being an awesome friend and never ending inspiration, Mvstermind is an incredibly talented artist and visionary who is destined for greatness.
Making music however he could from his early days, on small Casio keyboards and big synthesizers at school, Mvstermind’s dad brought home a beat making software when he was 12, officially starting his career. Since then, creating music has been just as imperative to his life as breathing oxygen. To paraphrase, it is innate for Mvstermind to create. He intends to keep creating until every single one of his dreams comes to fruition, and beyond that, will continue to live a life that inspires others to do the same.
“Expressing myself through music is beyond the most crucial element to my survival.” - Mvstermind
He has a new album coming out: “RARECANDY2 - Green Aventurine,” featuring all-stars Mir, Ciej, and Con from the MME camp. The first single, “God’s Speed,” drops on February 18th and will be available on Soundcloud and iTunes.
Not only is he about to bless us with an album that is sure to be a masterpiece, but he’s also going to gift us crazy sick videos by local videographer studio and magic-makers Louis Quatorze, a gang of live performances, and, last but definitely not least, a dope clothing line collaboration with St. Louis-based creative collection fashion label, Civil Ape.
Their teamwork started way back before what we see today. Responsible for the trippy artwork and design for Mvstermind’s first album, A.D.D., Civil Ape also brought to life the concept behind MME’s unique collectible trading cards. Their goal had always been to move their partnership further into world of styles and textiles, and through focused intent and noses to the grindstone – it’s now happened. Their first collection includes hoodies, tees, beanies, and MME hockey jerseys - they’re really doing it.
Go forth and experience the world of Mvstermind / MME in all its forms: audio, visual, performance, wearable…I could go on and on but I need to stop and go place my own order before they sell out – because it will. I don’t give praise where it’s not due – but this kid is the truth, and I’ll always support him and his crew.