Step 'Into The Light': A Deep Dive Into Mees Salomé's Latest on Colorize

Mees Salomé’s latest release on Colorize, 'Into The Light,' represents a sophisticated balance between melodic depth and the high-octane energy of a peak-time set. Developed from a vocal demo by Tyler Mann, the track underwent twenty iterations and three masters to perfect a sound that bridges the gap between home listening and the massive systems of Tomorrowland or Pacha.

By combining his formal musical training with a willingness to embrace "happy accidents" in the studio, Salomé continues to carve out a unique space in the electronic landscape where organic textures meet driving club rhythms.

Q: Into The Light blends melodic emotion with club energy - what was the first idea that sparked the track?

A: I was lucky enough to be one of the people who received the original demo of Into The Light to work on. The vocal immediately hooked me. There was something about the groove in Tyler's delivery that felt really natural and honest. That inspired the way the drums and bass started to move together in this solid, steady flow. Once I found the right chord progression, everything began to lift his vocals in a way that brought out that club energy without losing the emotion.

Q: How did this collaboration with Tyler Mann come together, and what made it feel like a natural fit? 

A: We got connected through our publishing, and from the first moment I heard his voice, it just clicked. Tyler has this beautiful calmness and control in his voice, but at the same time it feels powerful and meaningful. It's really captivating. I'm genuinely a big fan of his voice, so it felt very natural to build something around that.

Q: What was the starting point of the track - groove, chords, or overall atmosphere? 

A: For me, it almost always starts with the chords and the general feeling of a song. Emotion leads the way in my process. I'll get a first idea down and then play around with different chord progressions and sounds until it feels right. Only after that do I start working on the drums to find the groove and hint at what the drop might be. At that point I usually have half a song, and then comes the part of arranging everything and deciding when specific moments should happen. That's honestly where a lot of my tracks tend to get stuck for a while.

Q: How did working with Tyler influence the direction of the track compared to your usual workflow? 

A: Tyler's lyrics and melody were already written when we started working on the record, which actually gave me a really strong foundation. Instead of building everything from scratch, I could focus on finding the right chords and textures to elevate what was already there. It became more about supporting his story and melody rather than creating a new one from zero.

Q: Which elements of Into The Light most clearly reflect your signature sound? 

A: I think it's that balance between melodic emotion and club energy. It's a track you can listen to at home with headphones, but it also works on a night out. It's important to me that my music carries a feeling. That feeling might be different for everyone, but as long as it makes you feel something, I feel like I've done my job.

Q: Why did you choose Into The Light as the title - is there a deeper meaning behind it? 

A: The story behind the song and title really comes from Tyler. He wrote Into The Light during a period where he knew his life was changing and the song lives in that moment of tension between excitement and anticipation. It's about stepping into something new without knowing exactly what's next, while holding gratitude, and maybe even some nostalgia, for the people and moments that brought you to this moment.

Q: Were there any happy accidents in the studio that ended up shaping the final track?

A: Yeah, actually. In the second part of the song, just before the drop and again in the final section, there's this really clear major chord that stands out. That wasn't intentional at all. I accidentally hit some wrong notes while playing, but it sounded kind of great. So we kept it and ended up making it a key moment in the track.

Q: How many iterations did the track go through before you felt it was finished? 

A: I think there are something like 20 different versions and 3 different masters. The core of the track is actually still very close to the first version, but we spent a lot of time on sound design and the mix. There is a lot going on in the record, so the hardest part was getting all the different elements to work together so it sounded full and clean, without becoming chaotic or overwhelming.

Q: How do you balance creating melodic music that works both for headphones and peak-time club sets? 

A: For a track to work in a peak-time set, it needs energy. But that energy isn't just about gritty kicks or dark bass sounds. It's about what the track makes you feel. There is a difference between dark techno type energy or uplifting kind of energy. The latter is where I mostly focus on. Listening at home and listening in a club are two very different experiences, but in both cases it's the emotional response that creates a great moment. That feeling and energy are always my north star when I'm producing.

Q: Mees, your background spans guitar, piano, drums, and formal training at Codarts - how do these skills influence your productions? 

A: Playing different instruments has really helped me understand how individual sounds interact with each other. It's given me a more musical way of thinking about electronic production. I think that's also where my desire comes from to make electronic music that still feels natural and organic, rather than overly programmed or rigid.

Q: How does this release build on your previous work on labels like Filth on Acid, This Never Happened, and Armada? 

A: Each of those labels represents a slightly different side of my sound. Filth on Acid leans more into the raw, club-focused energy, This Never Happened is very emotional and melodic, and Armada sits somewhere in between. Into The Light feels like a natural continuation of that journey for me, it brings those worlds together in a more balanced way. I'm getting more comfortable blending emotional depth with dance floor energy, and this track reflects that evolution quite well.

Q: How does performing at festivals like Tomorrowland and Pacha Ibiza inform your studio approach? 

A: It really helps to experience the energy of places like that and to feel how music translates in those environments. Listening to a track on a huge sound system is completely different from hearing it in your own studio or living room. You start to understand how certain elements hit in a room, how low-end moves people, and how space in a mix really matters. It also helps to hear your own music in the context of a full DJ set, next to other tracks. That can really pull you out of the music production tunnel vision and listen to the track as a whole.

Q: What part of the track are you personally most proud of in terms of production or sound design? 

A: I think it's the groove of the drums combined with the rave synth in the final drop. The groove carries the whole track, but that synth in the last section really lifts the energy and gives the ending that extra push. It's one of those moments that still makes me smile when I hear it on a big system.

Q: Did you have a specific emotional or narrative theme guiding the arrangement?

A: Honestly, not really. As lame as it might sound, I mostly let the process guide me. In this case I just followed what feels right and try not to overthink it too much.

Q: How involved were you in the final mixing and mastering of the record? 

A: I did the mixing of the record myself and then handed it over to a professional mastering engineer to do his magic. It's good to get a fresh pair of eyes on the track, to give it that last little push.

Q: Why did Colorize feel like the right label home for this collaboration? 

Colorize really feels like a label that genuinely loves melodic music. I've met the team multiple times, and you can just feel that passion. They're great people to work with and they truly understand the sound and the emotion behind the music, which makes a big difference as an artist.

Q: Have you tested the track live yet, and how has the audience responded? 

A: Yeah, I've played it multiple times already, and it's been incredible every time. It's one of those records that keeps the party going and really hypes up the crowd. I genuinely love dropping it in my sets and feeling that reaction.

Q: Looking back, which release or remix do you feel was a turning point in your career so far? 

A: That's a hard one to pinpoint, but the release party of my first album Big Thoughts Like Elephants was definitely a big moment for me. We had a live broadcast on Dutch radio and recorded the whole set on video, and that exposure really helped kickstart things. Shortly after, I released Magnolia and A Simpler Time, which were picked up really well. That eventually led to me doing a remix for Joris Voorn only three years after my first release, which still feels pretty surreal to look back on.

Q: How do you see your sound evolving next - deeper melodies, club grooves, or something entirely new? 

A: Honestly, I'm not sure yet. Like most people, my taste changes over time, and so does the music I make. I'll always be melodic music, but I don't know exactly what my sound will evolve into. Lately, I've felt an urge to create something more deeper and less club-focused, maybe a body of work that's meant to be listened to from start to finish, like an album. But who knows.

Q: Has collaborating on Into The Light opened the door for more joint projects with Tyler or others in the future? 

A: Absolutely. Working with Tyler has been a really great experience, and I'd love to do more together in the future.

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