Memory of Jane - 'Space Jumps'
Memory of Jane is the alias of 21-year-old French/British artist, Maïlé Doremus-Cook, and subtlety is the name of the game in this beguiling new track, “Space Jumps.”
The single — the first from his debut EP, “In the Double” — is about the alienation Doremus-Cook experienced during childhood as he struggled to fit in. Speaking candidly, he says he wrote it about:
“Wanting to break out of repetitive cycles and to explore new places and feelings. It’s also about growing up and feeling alienated… Being half English, I never felt quite at home in France, so I took a leap of faith and moved to London with my family, which enabled me to deepen my understanding of music and polish my sound. Moving to a new place had a very positive impact on me, but it didn’t remove that feeling of alienation, which I now realise is a big part of me. I will never stop moving, exploring and taking leaps of faith, because it’s in those movements that I really feel at home.”
“Space Jumps,” contains echoes of the pastoral beauty of rural France and the frenetic energy of South-East London. The synth and drum’s sense of urgency clashes with a soothing bass line, as fragile vocals spin a hyper self-conscious yarn. Maïlé hauntingly repeats, “I’ve been walking, looking down at my feet — I’m doing space jumps. Feeling the sky, feeling the earth.” His refrain invokes the feeling of being weighted down by earthly pressures while trying to make your dreams comes true. He goes on: “it doesn’t mean I’m not looking for a better routine.” Self-aware and melancholy, it’s seemingly an ode to knowing you can do better but not knowing how. You get an idea the track’s dizzy jazz-inspired, sometimes elegantly off-key melody could be reflective of the artist’s current set of habits. Habits he knows hold him back, but are also conducive to the irreverent and chaotic nature of art itself. On the flip side, he could be speaking to the mundanity of his rural sensibilities and seeking the excitement and pressure of city life as a better routine.
An unnervingly intriguing video accompanies the song, depicting Maïlé on a psychedelic set in-font of a sequence of blinking, dilated eyes. The effect is chilling in a way you can’t tear your own eyes away from. Who are the people behind the eyes? What are they expressing? It’s surprisingly hard to read someone’s emotions from viewing a close-up of a single, staring eye. The artist himself is similarly mysterious and hard to read. At times, his vibe is reminiscent of Metronomy or early Mount Kimble. It slips into sounding like War on Drugs or Arthur Rusell at others. Resoundingly, you’re hit with a buzzing, minimal electro-jazz sound that’s entirely Memory of Jane.
Wonderland magazine says the EP is: “a masterpiece that will leave you mesmerised from the first note.” And it’s important to note that Doremus-Cook’s talent isn’t purely about emotional intelligence — it’s underpinned by technical brilliance and a clear vision. In “Space Jumps,” Memory of Jane establishes a symbiotic relationship between the artist and the listener and transforms the concept of alienation into something binding. Even those who fancy themselves entirely misunderstood are in good company, standing in quiet solidarity with everyone else who feels isolated.
In true minimalistic form, Memory of Jane creates art pieces that bend to your expectations and experiences, holding a mirror and reflecting what you need to see.
Words by Imogen Sharma
