The DJ has signed on to collaborate with MEYA, an app that harnesses the power of dance music for mental health
Once a wrinkle in the landscape of American youth, anxiety has since folded over in multitudes, now almost entirely eclipsing the personalities of modern generations. The zeitgeist of this particular era we are living in, and in all likelihood the eras to follow, is dominated by gross uncertainty and patterns of discontent. The problems of modern society are so all-encompassing that they call for equally extensive solutions: social and political reformation, a global shift in approach to singular and corporate carbon footprints, world peace, an enormous rise in access to health care, etcetera.
It is unfortunate that these solutions seem less than feasible in our lifetimes, much less in the next few hours—so when the smaller troubles of life pile on, we find ourselves seeking practical, abridged, self-oriented solutions for our anxiety. Solutions that, preferably, do not just ease the constant, blaring noise seeping into our collective minds, but also inspire escape from it.
It is through this gap that MEYA emerges, creating a mindfulness platform in which music, meditation, and mental health intersect. The result of this alliterative fusion is what MEYA calls “healing frequencies,” which serve as facilitators of relaxation and alleviators of stress.
An app centered around mindfulness, you may be thinking, is nothing new: from the popular app Headspace to competitors Calm, Aura, Insight Timer, and MyLife Meditation, there is no shortage of apps designed to ease anxiety apps (or, it seems, hacky names for said apps.) MEYA, however, stamps itself as different in that it has an unexpected speciality: dance music.
A plethora of genres are available for each mediation session. Ambient soundscapes, organic downtempo shamanic rhythms, and uplifting electronic beats are just a few options for those seeking an alleviant to focus, sleep, meditate, move, relax, or find motivation and inspiration.
The global shutdowns of warehouses and festivals have disconnected the world from the great healing power that music can provide. MEYA’s founder, Raffael Ricci, hopes that his platform can help users rediscover those healing powers. “Our aim is to make meditation as easy and enjoyable as listening to a song and extend ‘beyond meditation’ by sharing practices and insights to help unleash the inner power that we all have inside. Our mission is to help our users achieve an empowered and awakened mindset, equipping them with the tools to transform any life challenge into an opportunity.”
The incorporation of music breaks with the tradition of meditation, but, according to MEYA, has established itself as an effective form. The platform seeks to reduce stress, quiet the mind, and bring meditative states by harnessing the human affinity for rhythm and connectivity through dance. The experience of melting into music, shutting off the outside world and all of its bureaucratic muddles, is one that MEYA leverages.
The app draws from ancient tradition, modern science, and contemporary music innovators. Lee Burridge, forefather of Hong Kong’s underground club scene of the early ’90s, and Jamie Jones, renowned Welsh DJ, have signed on as partners with the app, each contributing exclusive productions for MEYA users.
For his first contribution to the platform, Burridge remixed his quintessential track “Float On” that pulls its listeners into a melodic trance. The song’s meditation remix begs listeners to dive into that trance and “change your perspective on life…from a victim mentality to a victorious reality.”
For Document, Burridge shares a playlist for creative daydreaming. “Music itself is a meditation,” the DJ explains. “A moment to let the mind wander to another realm. A different place. Electronic music especially can be patient and the extended time tracks are given allows them to slowly unfurl. As you let everything else drop away and focus the mind on the groove it’s easy to feel a sort of hypnotized state of mind overtake you. A musical daydream of sorts.”
