Pop Culture

Artist Spotlight: mimete

Taking her stage name from a Sailor Moon character, mimete is the musical project of singer-songwriter and visual artist Rinn G, who blends elements of bedroom rock, dream pop, and shoegaze. She released her debut EP daygleam in October of last year, a hauntingly ethereal collection of songs that attempt to grapple with the nature of change, here cast less as a day-to-day reality and more like a ghostly presence floating through the room as the walls slowly close in on you. “When will the way be clear?” she ponders on ‘false air’, her pillowy voice caught in the haze; but the music feels like a way of filtering that air, too, drifting through it. On her follow-up tracks, ‘milk & water’ and ‘in my time’, which she dropped at the tail end of 2020, the lighter qualities of the EP are replaced by a kind of heavier breeze to reflect the themes of social anxiety and intrusive thoughts that permeate them. Even as the production leans, or rather plunges, into the darker, sludgier corners of shoegaze, there’s something more refined about it, too; the songwriting is sharper, the vocals more pronounced. But when the thick wall of sound kicks in, it’s hard not to find yourself sinking into that abyss.

We caught up with mimete for this edition of our Artist Spotlight Q&A series, where we showcase up-and-coming artists and talk to them about their music.

I’m assuming your stage name is a reference to the Sailor Moon character of the same name. For someone who’s not familiar with the series, what is it that resonates with you about the character, and how if at all does it tie into your musical project?

Yes! Sailor Moon has always been an extremely important part of my life. I actually got my own name “Rinn” from Chibiusa’s dub name “Rini” about 16 years ago. It only felt right to get my artist name from the same series. I’ve always loved Mimete and her aesthetic, and thought it would be funny since her character wants to be a performer, but is purposely annoying about it. It has a pretty ring to it too, so I felt like it would convey my aesthetic well.

What inspired you to start making music, and how did you settle on this particular sound?

A couple of years ago I was at a very difficult time in my life and a creative crossroads, so I needed a new outlet. Music ended up making the most sense for me since I played the bassoon in high school and really missed it, but I hadn’t picked it up in 10 years and wanted to write my own music, so I started teaching myself the ukulele.

Once I met my girlfriend, who is a shoegaze solo artist (GODRAYS), she inspired me to continue in this direction, talked me into picking up the guitar, and introduced me to so many new styles of music I hadn’t even heard of. Dreampop had such a pretty name and stood out to me a lot so I slowly fell in love with it. It was the easiest way for me to understand guitar-focused music because the ethereal sound gave me a way to connect to it right away. So a year ago I started writing songs and taking singing lessons, and now I’m just catching up.

You’ve said that the songs on your debut EP “encapsulate all of the progress I’ve made after steering my creative energy in a new direction.” Could you talk more about how that artistic evolution came about, and how that theme of change informed the songs?

I have always been very passionate about creating, and for a long time, cosplay was my only outlet. It wasn’t a very healthy hobby for me personally, and got to the point where I started to neglect other areas of my life and settle for choices that didn’t really suit me. It took a lot of difficult decisions to steer my life in a new direction while also taking a step back from cosplaying. Doing both at the same time was daunting, but music was my way to move forward, even if I had to start from almost scratch.

The songs in daygleam reflect the feelings I had while I was in denial, while I was letting go, and my thoughts as I continue to have as I feel critical of my own past.

You also created the EP cover – what was the process behind this particular artwork? And as a visual artist, how are you looking to combine those different art forms?

I wanted a very DIY look for my first EP as a bedroom artist, so I decided to make a dreamscape collage. I put on Candy Claws for 9 hours while aimlessly gluing holographic paper, cotton balls, glitter, and other random bits to a piece of cardboard, until it started to make sense to me. In a funny way it felt similar to the process of making the EP.

It was refreshing to make art with my hands again. I realized visual art is something I can never really quit, and it inspires my music tremendously.

I love the idea that everything I make has a visual component, so I want to use that in any opportunities that crop up. Cosplay has taught me photography, make-up, sewing, and so many other skills, and college taught me some videography and graphic design. So I can definitely call on all of those skills eventually. Maybe through a music video, set design, or something else? I’m still figuring that out but it’s exciting.

 I love the darker, moodier direction of your latest couple of tracks. Is that something you wish to explore more in the future, both lyrically and musically?

Thank you! That’s something I’ve been thinking about for sure. I’m trying out a lot of different things right now, but I know for sure that I want to keep my sound at least a little bit ominous. I’ll probably play around with both softer and heavier songs, and find a way to make them work off of each other. I love the idea of making music that’s beautiful, but something is always a little bit unsettling about it.

Both the EP and the recent single were mixed and mastered by Jonathan Mackall. What do you feel he brought to these songs?

As someone who has been creating and mixing music for years, Jon brought so much experience and insight into my music. He knew exactly the vibe I was going for, loved it, and made sense of it. I’m still learning so much, so working with someone who was honest about what worked/didn’t work and added his own touches was important to me.

What’s something you’re looking forward to in 2021?

This year, I really want to work toward being comfortable as a vocalist so that I can start performing, even if I have to keep my shows online for the time being. I’m excited to see how much I can grow while also exploring my sound.

mimete’s daygleam EP and milk & water are out now.

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