Lauren Mia weaves a cosmic tapestry of spiritual growth and artistic liberation through music

Originating from the sprawling, dynamic city of Los Angeles, Lauren Mia offers a distinct perspective, proving that art can be unearthed from the most unexpected corners of our essence.

Her introspective sound compositions vividly depict her true self. A striking illustration of this is her late-2023 debut album, RE:BIRTH, a brilliantly curated assortment of songs that marked the completion of her cosmic Saturn Return.

This first body of work showcased the kaleidoscope of musical genres she relishes in exploring, having made the decision to release the record independently rather than with a major label. Spanning melodic techno and ambient, to progressive house and psy-trance, RE:BIRTH embodies a thrilling journey of artistic expression.

Lauren Mia's journey as an independent artist is a manifestation of her freedom to make creative choices with the music she releases. This year, she is preparing for her first original EP release since her debut album, entitled ‘Spectral Reverie’, set for release in June.

Additionally, this month, she delivers a full-length remix album of reimaginations from RE:BIRTH, with contributions from the likes of Alfa Romero, SKALA, Anakim, Binaryh, Manti, and other influential artists in her space.

Releasing music under her own imprint Ear Porn Music since 2019, this year will see Lauren’s label undergo its own rebirth, with its evolved incarnation to Halcyon, officially launching this autumn.

Her career thus far has already taken her to the stages of Tomorrowland, Burning Man, ADE, Steelyard, The Brooklyn Mirage/Avant Gardner, and countless other venues across the globe.

Lauren has recently been signed to global festival brand Zamna’s newly minted talent agency, ZMA Agency, for global representation. She is set to play for Zamna Festival for the first time in late July alongside Agents of Time, Korolova, and more, as she continues to deliver her divine feminine energy to dance floors worldwide.

We caught up with Lauren for our latest cover story to learn more about her spiritual renaissance, which she openly conveyed through her unique compositions, her label, and her path as an independent artist.

Hey Lauren! Thank you for taking a moment to chat with us, and welcome to Mixmag Brazil! How has this year been for you regarding personal and professional experiences?

Thank you so much for having me; I’m super excited to connect with you! This is my time sharing my story with Brazil. I am a huge fan of your beautiful country and have so many listeners and fans there.

After releasing my debut album RE:BIRTH late last year, 2024 has been a year of transition as I prepare to take on what the universe has in store for me next. I started the year off with my first show in Tulum, kicking off the season by jumping into new projects, planning the year, and taking on new remixes.

I worked on remixes for incredible artists like Moritz Hofbauer, a very talented producer and live act from Germany who released an album on Boris Brejcha’s label, FCKNG SERIOUS. He asked me to do a remix for his track “Oneironaut,” which came out just this month, and I have more projects currently underway that I can’t wait to share.

It’s so interesting to be doing remixes for tracks featured on others' albums so shortly after releasing my own. After composing and compiling 13 songs for RE:BIRTH, I felt I needed a break from my own creative process to work on some collaborative projects.

My remix album of RE:BIRTH is finally coming out, featuring remixes from 10 artists I truly look up to and admire, like Alfa Romero, Binaryh, SKALA, and others. It was very moving to hear my peers apply their distinct styles to my original works.

Soon I’ll be releasing my first new, original music compilation since RE:BIRTH, my ‘Spectral Reverie’ EP. The EP’s lead single, “Frisson,” seemed to really resonate with fans, and I’m excited to see how both tracks as a pair land on the dance floors as I get ready for more tour dates.

In short, it’s been intense jumping into this year. Last year, I held space for myself to take time and create my album. It seems we’re entering a different era — stressful but amazing. With excitement can come anxiety, but I’m confident that what’s ahead will be unbelievable.

For those who don't know you yet, could you share your story with Brazilian readers?

I started playing instruments at a very young age. My parents put me in piano and singing lessons when I was just a toddler, and I remember how much I truly loved to perform and share what I thought were my gifts.

My parents were very supportive and nurtured my creativity. They wanted to give me tools to explore different passions, most of which were centered around music. My mom was one of the top radio hosts in her home country, and my dad loves to sing; I think music just runs in the family.

Growing up in LA was challenging for me as I hit my teenage years. There was a lot of pressure and competition due to societal pressures and the culture of the entertainment industry.

At my lowest, I felt like I lost my belief in myself to pursue music professionally. Still, I kept myself deeply involved by attending events and immersing myself in underground music culture.

I was obsessed with finding new artists, and in my earlier years, I became deeply impacted by trance music. Influential artists in that genre at the time gave me that first metaphorical moment of ecstasy that many of us have when we fall in love with electronic music.

Eventually, I interned at Dim Mak Records, Steve Aoki's label. I started to lean into the business side of music because I held myself back from the idea of being an artist, purely from fear, doubt, and a lack of self-belief.

As I got exposed to psychedelic medicine, I realized that I was healing the part of myself that was not allowing me to envision this possibility. After coming to these realizations, I quit everything and decided to go to music school for about three years. I immersed myself in my studies, learned how to produce, and returned to the piano.

I started posting videos of myself playing the piano online, and people liked them. That boost of confidence was exactly what I needed. That's how it all began, and I've been focused on my career as an artist ever since—I just took a huge risk. Some people didn't believe that I could do it, but I finally did, and this was just the beginning.

We know that your album RE:BIRTH, in addition to being a new beginning on a personal level, has also prompted a movement towards your independence as an artist. Tell us what moved you there, and why did you decide to make that change?

Based on where I have been in the last few years, I needed to liberate myself to be happy with what I am creating, what I am releasing, and the work that I am doing.

Once my career started to gain some momentum, it really took off. I started touring properly, released on a big dance label, and my fan base really began to grow.

There was a time when I lost my love for making music. I was madly in love with it; that was all I did, nothing else. Suddenly, I didn’t want to make music for a second. The level of pressure from my team and the labels I was working with to be a certain way creatively to fit what they wanted really took a toll on me. I thought, “Okay, this is just how it is.” I was doing it, but I was unhappy.

I would make music that felt right to me, and a lot of the feedback I received was, “Oh, this is too fast,” “Oh, this is too hard,” or “You have to stick to one genre so the fans know what to expect.”

I kept being told these so-called rules by so many people until I snapped. Art is about self-expression and being unique; the whole point is to be yourself. At that time, I got tired of feeling like there was no way to succeed without these big labels.

I want to be an example of someone who can become successful without relying on big labels. There are examples of artists like Maceo Plex, or Peggy Gou with her label Gudu Records.

For me, "making it" means connecting with as many people as possible with my music beyond just what they hear through their headphones. I want my music, my feminine energy behind the decks, sets, and performances to make people feel something.

Would you say that nowadays, some big labels tend to limit artist’s creativity?

Oftentimes, yes. There's also a power dynamic. Record labels want to ensure they profit from the music they sign, so they are not willing to take as many risks in investing in something new or unique. Labels prefer to stay comfortable with what they know will make them money.

However, when you look at other great artists of our time, the ones who have thrived are the ones who have taken the risk to do something new and different. It’s very contradictory because even in the world of pop music, someone took a leap of faith in Lady Gaga, for example, and decided to invest in her. Now she is one of the biggest artists in the world.

I’ve seen it and I’ve studied it. Sadly, electronic music can ironically be the most limiting within the definitions of its genres regarding what is signed. We are seeing key players in melodic techno or progressive house confining talented producers to these arbitrary “rules.” There are many times when A&R or label owners will come to you and say they like your music, but you have to change a note or make it lower, etc.

It’s like telling a painter to change the red to pink just because you can.

Speaking about the process of your work and particularly about RE:BIRTH, how did you come up with the idea and connection between the album’s film and the tracks?

This is my favourite topic to talk about, because my album RE:BIRTH is the project that I am most proud of.

Before I wrote it, I was on a deep healing journey involving medicinal plants rooted in Mexican and Mayan culture. The music I knew I wanted to make came through the experiences and epiphanies I had while working with these medicines.

I have a minor in Religious Studies, so I have a wide understanding of different cultures, religions, and deities. Some people may not believe in it, but I believe that consciousness exists as a part of a whole.

When I was working on the songs, I stopped my tour for almost five months and implemented some rituals in the studio, like fasting, meditation, lighting candles, and setting intentions.

Ultimately, I have these experiences and beliefs to thank because creating an album that flows so effortlessly is something that I, and all artists, strive to achieve throughout our careers.

When I finished the album, I felt it was a spiritual rebirth into my new era as an artist and that I was breaking the rules. I combined elements of ambient music with melodic techno and progressive house, and even 140 BPM, like I did with “Oversoul.” I mixed all these genres together and incorporated ancient instruments like Tibetan bowls and the Shofar.

The video was a way for me to help explain spirituality, Mayan culture, and medicinal plants to people who don't know about them. I wanted them to see or experience what it is like to be in nature, to be with a shaman, to be vulnerable as brothers and sisters, and to connect with their higher self. The water there represents a sign of purification and life.

Which track of RE:BIRTH was the most challenging to compose? Which was the most fulfilling?

The album was composed chronologically, with each song narrating my experience of rebirth and self-discovery over the past three years during my 'Saturn Return' phase. The initial tracks flowed gracefully, but the most challenging was “Oversoul”' - an attempt to sonically capture the highest version of our spiritual selves.

Sharing such profound lessons of consciousness and channeling them into an unfamiliar genre like psy-trance was immensely difficult. Although techno is renowned for its complex arrangements and harmonics, venturing into psy-trance pushed me creatively. Friends from the esteemed psy-trance act Rising Dust gave encouraging feedback, confirming it was a promising start into the genre for me.

Ultimately, my goal with RE:BIRTH was to create a versatile tapestry weaving together cultures, instruments and emotions into a cohesive narrative about our shared human experience.

Conveying that connectivity while allowing space for contrasting moods proved both challenging and fulfilling. Each composition represented another step in embracing my true artistic voice.

You are now releasing the collection of RE:BIRTH Remixes! What is your musical approach to the remix album? What mainly caught your attention about the artists who participated in it?

This remix album was an incredibly personal project that I oversaw entirely myself - from outreach to artists, to negotiation details, it was an intensive but rewarding process.

I handpicked artists with whom I've cultivated close relationships and artistic kinship over the past five years, like Fat Cosmoe, SKALA, and the Brazilian duo Binaryh.

I’m very excited about acts I have on board like Alfa Romeo, with whom I've developed a strong bond with lately. All of the artists were natural fits given my deep personal connection to their sound.

Berlin-based SKALA's unique approach blending tribal drums with intricate rhythms and organic breaks strongly resonated with my former life in that city's scene. Beyond just shared histories, I sought a versatile remixer roster that could reinterpret RE:BIRTH through their own distinct lenses.

Clawz and Aalson delivered poignant emotional perspectives, while SKALA contributed breakbeat gems and Binaryh provided hard-hitting melodic reworks. The resulting collection is a beautiful tapestry of sounds that I'm immensely proud of and I’m even more excited for listeners to experience these tracks through fresh ears.

We love to see Brazilian artists like Binaryh on RE:BIRTH Remixes - what can you tell us about your connection with them?

My bond with Binaryh traces back to the influential German label Steyoyoke, whose releases deeply inspired me even before I began producing music myself. I vividly remember purchasing Binaryh's beautiful vinyl and being drawn into their sonic world.

Over the years, our connection organically blossomed into a friendship. So when it came to finding artists for the RE:BIRTH Remixes album, I knew I had to reach out and was thrilled when they jumped on board so quickly. Binaryh are lovely people and they are doing so well, it’s amazing to see them skyrocket in the scene.

What resonates most is the compelling duality they embody as a mixed-gender duo. That masculine/feminine contrast brings such a distinct energy to their project. I intentionally selected "Shadow" for them to remix, as that track represents the spiritual journey of embracing one's full self - light and dark sides in harmonious balance.

Binaryh navigate those depths so naturally in their music. I was immensely satisfied with their powerful yet nuanced reinterpretation, seamlessly merging the light and the dark just as the original's message intends. Having artists I so deeply admire contribute made this a truly full-circle moment.

Moving forward to your imprint ‘Ear Porn Music’, what was the initial vision that you wanted for it? How would you like the audience to perceive your music?

I launched Ear Porn Music back in 2019 with a big party here in LA where we flew out this incredible Spanish artist NØLAH - her music just blew me away. Initially, the label was really focused on releasing other artists' tracks. Crazy to think I didn't even put out my own music on the imprint until this RE:BIRTH album!

This album ended up being the perfect opportunity for me to step fully into a new independent era and finally give myself that same chance on my own label that I'd been giving other artists for years. It was honestly an enriching experience to realize I'd gone so long without honoring myself and my own artistry through the label I started.

The vision was always about supporting as many creators from around the world as possible. When I was just getting started too, it was so tough to get labels to really invest in and push my music.

I didn't want Ear Porn to be one of those labels that takes your tracks but doesn't put real effort behind them. Every release got my full intention because that's what I wished I had received early on.

By the end of 2022 though, with my own career really taking off, I had to temporarily pause open demo submissions and refocus the label. RE:BIRTH became the first release in this new chapter where Ear Porn is really a home base for my own music. But who knows, after I put out my next EP, I might just open those demo gates back up! For now though, it's about amplifying my own voice.

Plus, I’m so excited for my record label to have its own rebirth soon, as we prepare to launch my fresh new imprint Halcyon in the near future.

Recently, you released “Frisson”, part of a two-track EP to be called ‘Spectral Reverie’. This first single is quite mesmerizing, especially for the dark, ethereal vocals and the sweet melody that merges with them. What is the story of this release, and how did you create it?

“Frisson” isn't just about healing - it's for those seekers craving deeper expansion. That duality and contrast is something I really wanted to explore lyrically and sonically.

See, I used to panic anytime life wasn't all sunshine and rainbows. But learning to accept and even embrace those light and dark phases was so crucial for me to find true inner peace. Duality is everywhere - the dance between joy and despair, love and heartbreak, the feminine and masculine energies. It's literally everything.

Once I wrapped my head around honoring that balance instead of just chasing nonstop happiness, it was such a liberation. So with 'Frisson' and really this whole 'Spectral Reverie' EP, I wanted to musically represent that profound realization.

The haunting, ethereal vocals merge with those sweet melodies because that's how those opposing forces coexist within us, you know? It's not always easy, but there's beauty in preserving space for the full spectrum of the human experience, shadows and all. That's what I was tapping into with the writing and production on this one.

What moment or situation led you to look deep inside yourself? What changes did you start to feel when the new Lauren blossomed?

So many changes, it's hard to know where to start! But a huge part has just been focusing on personal wellness - sticking to my spiritual practices, staying clean, eating a plant-based diet, and prioritizing sleep. It's all so intentional for me now, not that I judge anyone's choices, but those lifestyle adjustments have been game-changers.

Of course, the ability to tour the world practically every weekend and have this incredible team supporting me has been so rewarding too. I'm just insanely grateful for the people around me.

At the end of the day though, the biggest shift has been internal. I'm just committing to making music that resonates on a real level - some of it heavy, some of it light, but always versatile and true to myself. I want to leave a positive mark on this industry and actually inspire people, you know?

When I started looking inward and nurturing that authentic spark, it was like this whole new Lauren started blossoming. The old me might not have had the courage or clarity to really go there. But now I'm just staying open, embracing all the ebbs and flows, and pouring that full experience into my art and performances. It's been such a journey of self-discovery.

Another thing that captivated us was how perfectly your album embodies the divinity of the feminine side. What does it mean for you to be a woman? What are some challenges that we, as sisterhoods, should strengthen?

For me, being a woman means embracing our role as creators. We all manifest our reality through thoughts and intentions, but as women, we quite literally create new life itself. That ability to nurture and birth is our greatest gift - the closest tangible connection we have to the divine source of unconditional love.

Our female form and energy signature are what allow us to channel that sacred, generative power. Honoring and celebrating our inherent divinity as life-givers is so crucial.

I do feel the music industry has made positive strides in elevating women's voices and presence. There's more inclusion than ever before. However, I also recognize there has been an undercurrent of competition among women artists historically, which is unfortunate but understandable given the scarcity of opportunities.

The progress is encouraging though. I'm seeing more and more women embracing their femininity instead of rejecting or downplaying it to adapt to male-dominated spaces. That level of self-love and pride in our unique feminine essence is so empowering to witness.

We still have work to do in fostering an uplifting sisterhood across the industry. But I'm hopeful the new generations will continue strengthening that sacred bond and honoring the divine feminine energy we all intrinsically embody as creators and life-bearers. Our power is profound when we own it fully.

What kinds of projects can we expect from you from now on?

You can definitely expect me to keep pushing boundaries while staying true to the core sound my listeners have come to know and love. RE:BIRTH was just the first taste of me really tapping into my full creative potential without limits.

I want to incorporate more live and organic vocal elements into my productions. There's something so powerful about channeling raw human emotion and spirit through the voice. It adds this whole other dimension to the experience.

But you can also anticipate some harder, more dancefloor-focused techno and trance explorations from me too. Breaking out of the conventional boxes and challenging myself to work in genres I'm less familiar with, like I did on tracks like "Oversoul," that's where I really start transcending my own self-imposed barriers.

The main thing is, I'm just committing to this constant evolution as an artist and as a person on a spiritual journey. I don't want to ever get too comfortable or stagnant. With each project, you'll hear me embracing new facets of my creativity while still honoring the essence that resonates with my soul.

It's about diving deeper, keeping an open mind and heart, and allowing the music to be my cosmic compass, guiding me toward whatever boundless dimensions it wants to explore next. I'm just trying to stay tuned in and let the divine feminine energy within me lead the way, one sonic transmission at a time.

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