MIEN is a supergroup interweaving Psychedelic Rock and Krautrock, with one album to its credit and a second one on the way. Titled “MIIEN” it is scheduled for release on April 18, 2025 via Fuzz Club and contains 10 tracks ranging from 3 to over 5 minutes in length. The album opens with one of the first two singles extracted to anticipate the album’s release, “Evil People,” characterised by an accelerated rhythm section and electronic stretches. The vocals and sounds are enriched by modulations and effects, enveloping and managing to combine more traditional Psychedelic Rock and Krautrock traits with fresh, modern passages. The band incorporates elements of Alternative in “Counterbalanc,” with a hypnotic bassline, and a blend of retro and modern melodies and sounds. The band skilfully imprint their own personal stamp on the sound, with references to the past, but the song is dynamic and future-oriented. The album’s longest track “Silent Golden” opens with solid drumming and a killer electronic bassline. The vocal is enveloping and enriched by effects, with the melodies layering evolving the central theme of the track. The intensity increases as the minutes go by, in a crescendo that culminates by first incorporating darker elements and then Middle Eastern and atmospheric sounds. Keyboards dominate the melodies of “Mirror,” a track characterised by extensive use of instrumentation and electronic sounds. The vocal is delicate and leaves a lot of room for the electronic developments of the keyboards, recalling the sounds of late 1970s German Kosmiche Musik. Synths and vocals intertwine again in “How Could You Run,” over a slow-moving rhythm section. A song with melancholic atmospheres, a warm and expressive vocal, and then in the second part developing an instrumental section with keyboards and effects as protagonists. With “Empty Sun” the band takes us back to the New Wave sounds of the late 70s, with an energetic and engaging rhythm section. The retro sounds are brought into a fresh and modern context by the band, which succeeds in imprinting its own style in this dynamic and engaging track. An electronic intro opens “Tungsten,” before developing into a hypnotic bass line and classical sounds mingling with modern ones. Percussion enriches the rhythm section, while keyboards layer in melodies and an enveloping vocal accompanies us throughout the piece. The band explores experimental sounds in “Knocking On Your Door,” developed on electronic sounds and samples, enhanced by effects. The vocal weaves female inserts and an enveloping male vocal that blends with the keyboards, a passage that is certainly original and elaborate. The album’s shortest track “Slipping Away” continues to offer a sound steeped in experimentation and rich in modulations and effects. The vocal parts create a choral background that is intertwined with keyboards and hypnotic passages that lead back to cosmic music. The album ends with “Morning Echo,” which returns to the band’s more classic sounds, with a solid rhythm section and rich keyboard textures. The vocal is dynamic and the sound builds to a crescendo that increases in intensity as the song progresses, ending this listen pleasantly. A good album, confirming the good things heard previously from this band, which consolidates its style. A rich blend of Krautrock and Psychedelia, between classic and modern sounds, always with their own personal touch. The band offers a rich blend of Krautrock sounds contaminated by Psychedelic Rock and Alternative, and some Experimental passages. A recommended listen that enhances the band’s personal style, offering an intense and mature sound from start to finish.
Tracklist
01. Evil People (04:25)
02. Counterbalance (05:17)
03. Silent Golden (05:56)
04. Mirror (04:09)
05. How Could You Run (05:02)
06. Empty Sun (03:55)
07. Tungsten (04:01)
08. Knocking On Your Door (03:47)
09. Slipping Away (03:16)
10. Morning Echo (05:18)
Lineup:
Rishi Dhir / Bass, Guitar, Keyboards
Robb Kidd / Drums
John Mark Lapham / Keyboards, Samples, Programming
Alex Maas / Vocals, Bass, Guitar
