MIEN – ‘MIIEN’ album review: More a feeling than a sound
THE SKINNY: I’m sitting at my laptop right now, having just come away from listening to MIEN’s new album, MIIEN, and I feel strange. Usually, when I’m reviewing a record, I can come away from the album and pinpoint what I liked about it, what I didn’t and what my overall verdict is. I can’t do that with MIEN. I don’t remember the specifics. Instead, I’m just holding on to a feeling I had when I listened, one which is dwindling but still present.
Reading back on the notes I made during that listen is like looking through a box of old photographs. All of the memories connect into one, with some points sticking out, but the majority merging. What I’m trying to say is that there is an element of consistency and continuity on this album, which makes it so that you come away recalling the feeling you had throughout rather than an understanding of each individual song.
I loved it. That feeling I’ve taken away is like the beginning and end of rave, the excitement and anticipation, the come down, the energy, all of it bundled into a record which delivers said emotions in different instances. There is a heavy emphasis on synths, electronic music and off-kilter drums. They all blend and create something spellbinding, impossible to turn away from but also impossible to dissect.
It might not be an album for everyone, but if you want a record that wonderfully captures the feelings involved in live music, crowded spaces, and sonic oblivion, you will find it on MIIEN.
For fans of: Looking through photo albums in warehouse raves.
A concluding comment from a bottle of water after listening to this: “You looking for me?”
MIIEN track by track:
Release: April 17th | Label: Fuzz Club | Producer: MIEN
‘Evil People’: MIEN leave you under no illusion about what kind of album you’re listening to. Fuzzy bass synth kicks in, the vocals are upbeat and catchy, and the song is one that you’re immediately desperate to dance to. Electronic elements are infectious from the first second. [4/5]
‘Counterbalance’: Off-kilter punk-like drums hide in the background over reverb and treble. Strings over the top of it sound like they belong to another entirely. The beginning is eerie and difficult to make sense of, but it comes together in a wonderful way, one that throws you into a rave, arms flailing and heart beating. The energy is both present throughout but strangely subdued, a wonderful combo as enticing as it is confusing. [4/5]
‘Silent Golden’: These drums come with a statement of intent. As if the song ‘We Will Rock You’ has been dragged through time and placed on a modern track. That sound, paired with acid-like bass, makes for something trippy and addictive. The journey of the song sees it grow timid and aggressive, a haphazard heap of both extremes. [4.5/5]
‘Mirror’: One of the more tranquil songs on the record. There is still an impalpable energy there, but it’s delivered in a much more palatable way, one that feels representative of meadows instead of warehouses. The sweet-sounding vocals take this track to another level altogether. [4/5]
‘How Could You Run’: Small droplets usher in this naturally sounding song, fit with a smooth bassline and spaced out drum sequences. The lyrics sound as though MIEN have used a wind tunnel for a microphone as they’re delayed and draped in reverb. It creates a haunting effect which is tough to turn away from. [4/5]
‘Empty Sun’: The brooding title is matched with equally haunting instrumentation. The thumping bassline, offbeat snares and repetitive vocals create a nightmarish landscape. Added effects and various hooks come into play and help this song develop. You come away remembering a feeling rather than a sound, and what a feeling it is. [3.5/5]
‘Tungsten’: A song to swim in. A sound akin to floating. Something truly on another scale, as every inch of the complicated nature of sound is explored. [4.5/5]
‘Knocking On Your Door’: A drawn-out introduction creates a cinematic atmosphere. Vocals are a strange combination of both warm and menacing, effects distorting the words being said and the tone in which they’re spoken being the only thing available. The atmosphere doesn’t travel much further than that established in the opening moments, but it still makes for a great song. [3.5/5]
‘Slipping Away’: The penultimate track has an age to it. The opening chord sounds like that which you’d hear in a Buddy Holly song, but the instrumentation surrounding it couldn’t be further from this strange sense of nostalgia. ‘Slipping Away’ is a track that ironically never lets you find your feet, and yet is a song you don’t want to end. [4/5]
‘Morning Echo’: An incredibly atmospheric song to close on. It’s equal parts uplifting and moving, an amalgamation of all of the complicated sounds and emotions that make this record such a massive standout.[4/5]
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