Melody's Echo Chamber
Born: 1987
Location: Aix-en-Provence, France
Genre: Neo-Psychedelia, Dream Pop
Years Active: 2012 -
Real Name: Melody Prochet
Meaning of the Name:
Way of Working: Singular vision
Associated: Tame Impala
Essential Releases
Melody's Echo
Chamber (2012)
Feminine psychedelic haze.
Bon voyage (2018)
Multi-genre work of warm sentimentality.
There are two sides to every story. The 2013 break-up of Melody Prochet and Kevin Parker (of Tame Impala) was a creative goldmine for both musicians that resulted in a series of songs detailing the split. Their partnership, however, was professional as well as personal, adding another intriguing layer to the drama. Parker had produced Prochet's debut album, Melody's Echo Chamber (2012), in its entirety. Despite the record's critical acclaim, it perhaps doused an already simmering flame.
Prochet told the Guardian:
"In my heart something felt wrong with the press and people’s reflections."
Her major contributions to the soothing, psychedelic album were often overlooked during a stampede of praise for Impala's LP Lonerism, which released one month later and would be nominated for a Grammy. The perception was that Prochet's album was merely a Tame Imapala side project, an appertif to whet the appetite. Soon after, amidst the acclaim, the couple split and their forlorn relationship would be played out in 21st century form of call and response.The first entry in the saga is likely 'Nothing That Has Happened So Far Has Been Anything We Could Control', from Lonerism, which features Prochet as a guest vocalist. The deeply personal effort is about a relationship near breaking point, Parker refers to the girl as "Elodie", a French name similar to "Melody" that indicates it's about the couple. The lyric 'I am just here waiting for the perfect time to tell you' is particularly portentous, suggesting Parker was wrestling with how to end things.
On the post-split 'Shirim' (2014), a song on which Prochet played every instrument herself, almost as if to show the world she is more than a side project, she replies with
"I'm feeling kind of low. I've listened to your song."
and"all I do is force you to miss me but you won't."
It seems clear that Parker ended the relationship, which he confirms on 'Eventually' (2015) with:"If only there could be another way to do this, cause it feels like murder to put your heart through this".
While the dialogue between the two artists captivated fans for years, Melody Prochet would go on to prove her pedigree as a solo artist with her experimental, eclectic albums, such as Bon voyage and Emotional Eternal. Her multi-layered psychedelia is both disorienting and surreal, designed to unpredictably slide between states and jar the listener with dense synths and introspective lyrics.While Kevin Parker undoubtedly played a key role in the beginning of Melody Prochet's career, she went on to show a male-dominated industry that an independent woman can be the author of her own story.
Skills
*This is a work in progress. Values are subjective.Emotional Impact
70
Mental Impact
60
Originality
65
Artistry
75
Authenticity
75
Live
70
Production
85
Musicianship
75
Singing
85
Songwriting
80
Danceability
60
Fun
65
Consistency
70
Range
65
Cool
65
Charisma
55
