Mersiv has spent years refining a signature sound that fans have come to expect: heavy, deep and built for live performances that hit with all-encompassing force. Once an artist finds a formula that works, there’s an inevitable temptation to keep perfecting it.But for Mersiv, the more interesting question is what happens beyond the expected.
That exploration is taking shape on his upcoming album, Nostalgia, which draws from the rock and punk influences that shaped his childhood.“I used to play guitar as a kid, and I would cover bands like Tool and Metallica,” Mersiv, whose real name is Anderson Gallegos, explained in an exclusive EDM.com interview at The Caverns in Tennessee.
“I sucked at guitar, but I loved playing covers.I’m figuring out how I can combine these worlds.” The result is a record that ties those influences into Mersiv’s electronic world, incorporating guitar samples, more vocals and a greater emphasis on melody and emotion.
“I wanted to make songs, not just wubs,” he said.“I wanted to make something that people can sing along to.
I put a lot of my emotion into how I make music, [especially] the more pretty stuff that has depth.There’s a lot of personal stuff I’ve gone through that gets transcribed into it.” Scroll to continue more from edm How X Games CEO Jeremy Bloom Is Reengineering the Live Experience Through EDM That doesn’t mean Gallegos is abandoning the heavier side of Mersiv.
Instead, Nostalgia gives him room to explore the parts of his musical identity that don’t always fit neatly into a live set.“Usually, I try to make heavier tunes or more bangers.
This [album] has a lot more melodic elements.I’ve been tapping into that more because that’s my favorite style of music,” he said.
Gallegos is allowing himself to follow ideas that hold emotional weight, giving curiosity more power than any established formula.His willingness to let things develop ...