Sam Mehran

Sam Mehran (/ˈmɜːræn/ MUR-an; August 17, 1985 – July 28, 2018) was an American-Australian musician, songwriter, and producer who co-founded the punk band Test Icicles and later formed the solo projects Matrix Metals and Outer Limits Recordings (OLR).[4][5][6] His solo work differed substantially from Test Icicles and was often produced in a lo-fi manner. He received little critical notice in his lifetime, a Dazed Digital editor commented, however, "Mehran possessed an incomparable talent that belied his relatively low public profile."[7]

Sam Mehran
Mehran in a promotional shot for Outer Limits Recordings, 2010
Mehran in a promotional shot for Outer Limits Recordings, 2010
Background information
Also known as
  • Sam Meringue
  • Sam Crowley
  • Blues Runner
  • Explorers
  • Flashback Repository
  • Matrix Metals
  • Moon Rax
  • Outer Limitz
  • Outer Limits Recordings
  • P.aisley Mist
  • S*A*M
  • Wingdings
Born(1986-08-17)August 17, 1986
Miami, Florida, U.S.
DiedJuly 28, 2018(2018-07-28) (aged 31)
Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Genres
Occupation(s)
  • Musician
  • songwriter
  • producer
Instrument(s)
  • Vocals
  • guitar
  • keyboards
Years active2001–2018
Labels
  • Domino
  • Olde English Spelling Bee
  • Outer Limits Recordings
  • Gunk TV Records

Career

Mehran, along with Rory Attwell and Devonté Hynes, founded Test Icicles in 2004. The band was active until 2006, when it broke up.[8] Mehran began releasing music under the alias Outer Limits Recordings in 2010, which was immediately associated with the era's loose-knit, early hypnagogic pop and chillwave scene. He described himself being influenced mostly by Ariel Pink, R. Stevie Moore, and "basically most music that was recorded before 1990."[9] Music journalist Paul Lester characterized OLR as "heavenly hooks and catchy choruses".[3] Marc Masters of The Wire compared his Foxy Baby album to Ariel Pink's "AM pop blender", and described the Matrix Metals album Flamingo Breeze as a "mini-masterpiece of sub-disco loops".[10]

OLR issued numerous cassette tapes and limited edition vinyl discs, and according to Mehran, the project lasted until "somewhere in the spring of 2011". Its first LP release was the compilation Singles, Demos and Rarities (2007-2010), released on April 15, 2013, and was intended to be its only album.[8] A follow-up, Birds, Bees, Babys, Bacteria, was issued on cassette later that year.[11] After OLR, Mehran co-wrote and co-produced Katie Rush's Law of Attraction (2014).[12] He then produced Puro Instinct's Autodrama (2016) and Samantha Urbani's Policies of Power (2017).[13]

His last work released before his death was his co-writing and co-production of Ssion's O (2018).[14] Prior to his death, he was working on co-writing and production of Katie Rush's second and third album.  The second Katie Rush album Stage Life was released postmortem in April 2019.[15]

Death

Mehran died by suicide at his home in Hollywood on July 28, 2018, aged 31.[16] His body was found the following morning.[4] The album, titled Cold Brew, was eventually released on July 28, 2021, the third anniversary of his death.[16]

Discography

Studio albums

  • Mind Surfers Installation 04/12/08 (2009) (as Blues Runner)
  • Bermuda Telepaths (2009) (as Explorers)
  • Flashback Repository (2009) (as Flashback Repository)
  • Flamingo Breeze (2009) (as Matrix Metals)
  • Foxy Baby (2009) (as Outer Limits Recordings)
  • Wingdings I: Return to Earth (2009) (as Wingdings)
  • Wingdings II: Zarathustra's Puzzle (2009) (as Wingdings)
  • Wingdings III: Symbol of Infinity (2009) (as Wingdings)
  • So Unreal (2011) (as Matrix Metals, collaboration with LA Vampires)
  • I Kontact (2012) (as Outer Limitz)
  • Birds, Bees, Babys, Bacteria (2013) (as Outer Limits Recordings)
  • Birds, Bees, Babys, Bacteria (GTVR Edition) (2016) (as Outer Limits Recordings)
  • Cold Brew (2021) (posthumous)

Compilation

  • Singles, Demos & Rarities 2007-2010 (2013) (as Outer Limits Recordings)

See also

References
  1. Murray, Robin (July 31, 2018). "Dev Hynes Salutes Test Icicles Bandmate Sam Mehran". Clash Magazine.
  2. "Sam Mehran of Outer Limits Recordings has died". The Wire. August 1, 2018.
  3. Lester, Paul (November 8, 2010). "Outer Limits Recordings (No 904)". The Guardian.
  4. Monroe, Jazz (July 30, 2018). "Sam Mehran (Test Icicles, Outer Limits Recordings) Dead at 31". Pitchfork.
  5. Moore, Sam (July 31, 2018). "Test Icicles musician Sam Mehran has died, aged 31". NME.
  6. Connick, Tom (July 31, 2018). "Remembering Sam Mehran of Test Icicles". Another Man Mag.
  7. Bulut, Selim (July 30, 2018). "Remembering Sam Mehran, one of underground music's most unique talents". Dazed Digital.
  8. Jamieson, Sarah (March 22, 2013). "SAM MEHRAN ANNOUNCES OUTER LIMIT RECORDINGS' RELEASE". DIY Mag.
  9. Masters, Marc; Currin, Grayson (September 17, 2010). "Take Time: The Rise of Slow Music". Pitchfork.
  10. Masters, Marc (October 2010). "Soundcheck: Outer Limit Recordings - Foxy Baby". The Wire. No. 320. p. 58.
  11. Renshaw, David (July 30, 2018). "Sam Mehran of Test Icicles, Outer Limits Recordings, has died". The Fader.
  12. Saxelby, Ruth (September 3, 2014). "Katie Rush Channels '80s Movie Nostalgia On "Law of Attraction"". The Fader.
  13. "Samantha Urbani Left Her Band And New York. Now She's Making Gritty Pop For Grownups". The FADER. 19 July 2017. Retrieved 2019-12-21.
  14. Cooke, Cameron (May 14, 2018). "O". Pitchfork.
  15. "Katie Rush returns with new R&B-glazed album Stage Life | The Deli Magazine". m-nyc.thedelimagazine.com. Retrieved 2019-12-21.
  16. Mehta, Jonaki (July 28, 2021). "A Posthumous Album Captures The Humor — And Heartache — Of Sam Mehran". NPR. Retrieved August 24, 2021.
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