THE ELEM is the transatlantic project of songwriter and producer M.L. Leichter, founded in Portugal in 2025 and built around a rotating cast of remote collaborators. The third single. ‘Times That… [Radio Edit]’ is out today [12 Oct] and the ‘Perhaps, It’s Me’ EP is due November 16 through Absolute Label Services, UK. The music blends rock with alternative and indie – tackling themes of psychological and emotional territory, death, paranoia, unfulfilled love and the fear of the unknown: asking the hard questions about the human condition.
There is no lack of star power behind this ambitious work, Mike Fraser handled the mixing at Armoury Studios in Vancouver, with mastering by Billy Joe Bowers at Casa de Amor in Tucson, Arizona, and the single artwork by James Marsh. Finding the right person to handle the mix became a journey in its own right but with Mike Fraser [whose credits include AC/DC, Aerosmith, Metallica, Franz Ferdinand, Rush, Joe Satriani, Elvis Costello, Norah Jones, among others] on board there is no question that persistence paid off. Similarly, bringing in James Marsh, famed for his gorgeous Talk Talk covers, ensured that the visual side of the creative vision was delivered in style.
THE ELEM says of his inspiration, “I don’t know where it comes from, some people call it magic or mystical, I just call it The Unknown – but then comes the long process of editing”. Huge numbers of elements are blended for each final song, sometimes 70 vocal tracks brought together, and only perfection will do.
His creative process begins with an initial spark of melody and lyric arriving fully formed before the more painstaking work of production and arrangement begins. THE ELEM is unafraid to experiment with forms and format, allowing choruses and verses to gently shift shape and mirror rather than merely replicate each other. That instinct extends to his choice of collaborators. For every song, multiple vocalists are recorded before M.L. Leichter selects whichever performance best serves the material, prioritising emotional range over technical polish. Rhythm, too, lies at the heart of the music, with the drummers being given both time and freedom to drive the vision, and expand and fuse percussion of all kinds. THE ELEM describes the process as “Capturing the story as it unfolds”.
This is the culmination of a life journey over two decades that has seen shifts in focus, inspiration and location. With the melodic, layered, and deeply human ‘Perhaps, It’s Me’ EP , THE ELEM delivers a project unafraid to challenge, and to sit inside life’s biggest, least answerable questions. It is all here: mystery, intensity, and an epic emotional climax that draws listeners into a larger-than-life sonic experience
