MIMMI im Interview zum neuen Album „Titanic“

MIMMI im Interview über ihr neues Album „Titanic“; Fotocredit: Lillian Julsvik

Wir stellen dir heute das neue Album „Titanic“ der norwegischen Sängerin und Songwriterin MIMMI vor. Wir haben noch dazu einige Fragen zum Release gestellt. Am 30. September, also letzte Woche erst kam der zweite Teil ihrer Trilogie heraus und das erste Album wurde bereits von der Presse hochgelobt. Gut zwei Jahre ist das jetzt her und es folgt nach dem jetzigen zweiten Album auch noch ein drittes. Zu hören bekommen wir Renaissance-Pop, der schon eher aber auch im Bereich Soul-Pop wabert. Thematisch greift sie ähnliche Themen wie im Vorgänger auf und sie positioniert sich aus einer anderen Perspektive. So versucht MIMMI in ihren Songs die Situation anders einzuordnen. Dennoch steht im Kern die Auseinandersetzung mit sich selbst, einer tieferliegenden Selbstreflexion quasi.

„The vision I have for the trilogy is to be able to make all of them into other forms of art. Like movies, theatre, maybe paintings.“

Identität, Heimat und die Suche nach Liebe sind zentrale Kernpunkte ihres Albums „Titanic“. Man könnte meinen MIMMI benötigt hier viel Raum in Form von jeder Menge neuer Songs. Auf den ersten Blick hat sie die mit 14 Tracks auch geliefert. Aber man darf nicht vergessen, dass wir es hier mit 10 Tracks und 4 Skits zu tun haben. Bei den Skits handelt es sich um Konversationen mit bestimmten Charakteren. So auch mit ihrer Schwester. Diese benötigt sie ganz dringend, um der Musik und den Themen darin mehr Kontext zu verleihen. Dadurch gerät das gesamte Album sehr kunstvoll, fast wie ein Theaterstück. Dass MIMMIO unterhaltsame, selbstreflektierte und wirklich nahbare Tracks im Gepäck hat, ist ihr bewundernswert schön geraten.

With „Titantic“ you release your second album. It’s the middle part of your trilogy. How did you proceed thematically and musically so that the middle part cannot be forgotten compared to the two outer parts?

MIMMI: „I knew I wanted to be more introvert and play with the drama in the nuances of the music and the stillness and the more laid-backness. Let room for another kind of vulnerability. I wanted the arrangements to be sensual and seductive and not look for the big build up in all the songs. Have some songs that felt like a minute and some that could contain a whole life. I wanted it to be clear and unclear at the same time. Like dream and reality happening at the same time. Where up can be down and down can be up. Levitation and observation. Taking it all in. If you look at Semper eadem as having a frog perspective, Titanic is with bird perspective. Detached and attached at the same time. Ambivalence has always been something I find super interesting.“

If you could look ahead, what vision do you see for your trilogy right now?

MIMMI: „The vision I have for the trilogy is to be able to make all of them into other forms of art. Like movies, theatre, maybe paintings, the list is long. That it is able to transform and fit in to other forms than it already has. I’m already working on it. Semper Eadem is going to be a theatre show in January 2023 at The Norwegian Theatre on the main stage. Me and my colleague Anna Fredrikke Bjerke has already written a film script for Titanic. But film is so expensive to make so it’s a long process. I also want to do the trilogy as a concert in three acts. Many ideas and i hope that people who listens to this journey or shadow work as I call the whole trilogy will feel something changing and happening in them on their journey in life. We are all connected but not everyone is open to that idea so I feel disconnected to a lot of people but cherish the moments a true connection has happened.“

On „Titanic“ you deal very much with yourself. Did you discover completely new sides of yourself during this time? And if so: Were you rather surprised, confirmed or what was the feeling like?

MIMMI: „I need to meet the audience with the music first. I think things will become clearer to me about any new discoveries. I wrote this album when I was in solitude a lot, during the pandemic. So ask me after Ive been touring a little! It would be easier to answer this question about Semper Eadem.“

Identity, home and love. These are strong themes that need to be explored first. 14 tracks is now quite an unusual number of tracks on an album. That you devote yourself to these intense themes, is that a reason why there is also just so much to say in your tracks?

MIMMI: „There are 10 actual songs and 4 skits. Some of the skits features a character in my dream landscape who i call the creature. And some are super short and contain a fragment of a conversation i had with my sister. And some of the songs are super short while i have one song that is 8 minutes long. So to answer your question. No i didn’t need more songs to talk about the subjects in the album. I just needed more skits to have space for characters and stuff like that. I wanted to bring the theatre more into the album. Another element and texture to the story and music. And that gives hope for the future. That there is a place where one can feel like one belongs somewhere. And be seen truly for who one is.“

As listeners, we get the first ray of hope with „Tonight“. Can you give us a brief outline of the dramaturgy of your album? The track arrangement seems to have been chosen deliberately.

MIMMI: „The tracks and skits are put in a deliberate order. So yes there is a story that we are following. I dont want to say too much but i can say this: we are in a dream landscape and everything can happen. The songs are are put in this order for me to be able to reach that moment where i can go even deeper in regards of the hard subjects. So its a form of trying to rid myself of self defense mechanism and face the beast using the tools i learned from going through Semper eadem. This is one of my personal takes on the album. But I want the listener to ofc to have their own individual take on this. Because in this dream landscape you cant be surten of anything.“

What role do feelings like „hope“ and „confidence“ play in your new tracks?

MIMMI: „There is something about daring to take that first jump in order to look within and face stuff. Because not everybody chooses to do this. To try to peel of all your layers and see whats within, i think the earlier you do it you have a bigger change in making space for other people and accepting them because you know your flaws so it easier to not judge others as much. So by going through that first change or transformation like i did in Semper eadem gives me more confidence and more moment of calmness and stillness in the mind. Its more confidence in som of the tracks because its time now to take things more in, look more around and see the people that you have in your life. And that gives hope for the future. That there is a place where one can feel like one belongs somewhere and be seen truly for who one is.“

How are you doing now in terms of the songwriting process for the conclusion of your trilogy? And does the trilogy have to feel closed to you?

MIMMI: „I have started writing songs for the third album. I know what i want it be about and how its gonna sound. After going through Semper eadem, i found out during the making of Titanic that i dont belive in western dramaturgy. The struggling start and the big mid section where we build up to the top and then the fulfilling end. If you look at other cultures like Korean for instance they have totally different ways of telling stories. So no I dont feel like i have to conclude really. But the western dramaturgy is so well built inside of me that sometimes i do conclude but its not needed. Thats why i find the dreamworld so exciting and surrealism. There is something frustrating about surrealism but its interesting anyways. It asks you to loose control and open your mind.“

Mit dem Laden des Videos akzeptieren Sie die Datenschutzerklärung von YouTube.
Mehr erfahren

Video laden

YouTube immer entsperren