The Artist Explains: Red Moon - 'Medusa'
Pop artist Red Moon takes us on a subconscious magical journey through the ocean with her recent track ‘Medusa’ - which was produced by Magnus Skylstad, who has worked with major names like AURORA. She took a moment to talk us in more depth about the track and it’s tales of beautiful sea creatures.
So your track ‘Medusa’ is out now, how does it feel?
It’s really a great feeling to have Medusa finally out there. This song brings me so much joy and I hope it will bring others some too.
Can you tell us what the track is about?
Medusa is the Italian word for “Jellyfish". I knew I wanted to write about those beautiful sea creatures for a while, as they represent something special to me personally. When Magnus and I wrote the song, I felt as if tho it had become a symbolic statement as well as a personal song. A reminder to myself that we all can be these glowing creatures in the dark sea.
In a lot of ways, the ocean can be similar to our mindset. It can represent our world, our subconscious, our emotions, the memories we stack away or the feelings we repress. Sometimes things get really heavy in my head, so I wanted to create something uplifting musically. Something that sounds like you’re floating in the water effortlessly. A song that reflects both on speaking up and finding a voice and inspiration from within. The beautiful thing about someone who laughs is that it is contagious… and so is our light.
The track sees you working with producer Magnus Skylstad, who has worked with some amazing names. How was that experience and how did that partnership come about?
Magnus and I wrote this song during our first session a year ago in Bergen. I loved working with him, as it felt so natural and fun. I remember there was snow on the ground but it was really sunny, and the reflection was very bright, while we were on our way to get some lunch nearby the studio. We couldn’t stop humming the melody. The song put us in such a good mood that day.
Medusa is the Italian word for ‘jellyfish’, do you have a favorite sea animal or creature?
Jellyfishes are definitely one of my favourite sea creatures. They are such an old species, mystic and dangerous and extremely beautiful with their unique forms and colours. I find it so interesting how they must communicate with each other, such as other animals can. Not in the same way we do. Whales sing to each other and perhaps jellyfishes send light signals instead. I also discovered that Jellyfishes don’t swim, but get carried by the wave of the ocean.
You were raised in a small Norwegian town called Nittedal, which is surrounded by forests. Do you feel your childhood surroundings contributed to your musical style?
I was raised in between Switzerland and Norway. It’s been a lot of forth and back I won’t lie. To me (Hakadal/ and then later Nittedal) in Norway always felt like a safe haven and more of the natural part that was within me could be alive, or perhaps the child inside of me could always be. It also feels like a strong family bond is here. In Switzerland I lived in a city called Basel, which felt very different. I remember I really wanted to live in a city, and now I seem to need a bit more nature to balance me. When I think about it, I feel very lucky to have had the opportunity to have parents from two different countries because I was able to learn more languages and know many cultures. I found it to be a good early lesson to have experienced both a challenging and safe environment, as it brought me new prospective and what I really appreciate.
Music is going through a tough time around the world at the moment. What have you been doing differently and how has this affect you?
It has indeed, and we do live in an uncertain world, as we always have. Maybe this brought even more things to light. The good and the ugly, and it can be a valuable opportunity to breathe, to understand what truly is important.
The last couple of weeks I’ve started to feel more productive again and have been working on sounds and production. I’ve been using time to write and do art. What I still find difficult is to find a rhythm of habit. So I try to just find better habits then my old ones and take it day by day.