Mit Ihrem Debütalbum „THIS IS DOOM TRAP“ markiert Mimi Barks einen Wendepunkt in ihrer Karriere und nimmt die Hörenden mit auf eine klangliche Reise durch persönliche Kämpfe und emotionale Tiefen. Im Interview spricht Mimi über die Entstehung des Albums, den Einfluss ihres Umzugs von Berlin nach London und die Bedeutung von Live-Auftritten für seine Musik. Darüber hinaus reflektiert Mimi über seine jüngsten Erfolge, wie den Gewinn des „Disrupter„-Preises bei den Kerrang! Awards 2022, und verrät, was „THIS IS DOOM TRAP“ für Sie bedeutet – sowohl musikalisch als auch thematisch.
Frontstage Magazine: Your debut album THIS IS DOOM TRAP marks a significant moment in your career. What can your fans expect from this album, and how does it differ from your previous releases?
Mimi: What is there to say… When you’re creating something out of nothing it’ll always be different from previous creations. The Awakening or the pain-body? ‘THIS IS DOOM TRAP’. Welcome to a sonic journey through my pain-body and a guide on how to deal with it.
Frontstage Magazine: You started your career in Berlin and then moved to London. How has this move influenced your musical style and approach to the production of this album?
Mimi: Paradoxical but in my mind in Germany there were boundaries of what was possible when creating new music. I reckon that was coming from the collective thought energy of “If it’s never been done, it’s risky.” But guess what, change is uncomfortable. And without change, there’s no progression. In the U.K. there weren’t any limitations like that. It felt like a blank canvas ready to be daubed with ugly thoughts straight out of my tainted subconscious. I guess it’s because life here is just not as fulfilling and rather discouraging. That definitely helped tap into a deeper level of your own abyss, while the only way out is by manifesting provoking art.
Frontstage Magazine: In recent years, you’ve played at major festivals like Download and Graspop and toured with artists like Frank Carter & The Rattlesnakes. How have these experiences influenced your live performance and the development of your debut album?
Mimi: Playing my music live has always been the main reason for why I’m doing this. Of course writing the songs is therapeutic in itself. But all this time you put all that energy out there and get nothing back but numbers online. These moments, when performing to an actual audience, are the only moments where there’s real connection, where there’s this mad exchange of energy happening. And finally you get to feast off that energy yourself, which fuels your inspiration and your drive to create more of it. It’s like a drug. It’s only made me hungry for more.
Frontstage Magazine: You won the „Disrupter“ trophy at the Kerrang! Awards 2022 and graced the cover of Kerrang! magazine. How have these successes changed your perspective on your music and your career?
Mimi: It hasn’t necessarily changed how I view my music or my career but made me experience the journey in itself from a more present perspective. These achievements are the testament of constant mind-work, will strength as well as the power of manifestation. After having released my ‘DEADGIRL’ Mixtape I was finally ready to receive, open for the universe to provide. I didn’t know what that would look like back then but when Kerrang! kept projecting my music videos into the walls at London’s Shoreditch Town Hall, I had an inkling of that this moment could change my life drastically. Kerrang! were the first to recognize my work on a professional level, something which I’ll be forever grateful for.
Frontstage Magazine: The album is titled THIS IS DOOM TRAP. What does this title mean to you, and how is it reflected in the music and themes of the album?
Mimi:‘THIS IS DOOM TRAP’ stands for empowerment, the death of self- limiting thoughts. Writing this album catapulted me through different stages of self-destruction and unknown existential fears. Initially, I considered naming the album ‘Final Destination/Death Without Satisfaction’. But as of Friday, September 13, 2024, I’m still here… THIS IS DOOM TRAP
Frontstage Magazine: You are releasing your debut album at an exciting time in your career. What are your expectations and hopes for the reactions to the album, both from your fans and from music critics?
Mimi:I wrote this album for myself, because I had to. Music critics aren’t relevant. They may not listen to the records they have to review from a place of innocent passion and the pain of our generation. I can see that it resonates with the audience and I can see that it changes their perspective on things. That’s the most important.
Frontstage Magazine: Our final question is a bit out of left field: Which two Disney
characters do you think should have a battle, and who would win? And why that particular character?
Mimi: N/A
Fotocredit: Jack Defroand
