In every life there are decisive experiences. And almost all of them are filled with strong feelings. For the Munich musician, writer and organizer Mira Mann, one of these moments was when she found out about the diagnosis of multiple sclerosis in 2017. Another was the birth of their first child in 2020. As is often the case with creative people, she responded with art. In the first case, this happened in 2019 with the book “Poems of Fear” and the music EP “I like that”. The second was that published by Parasitenpresse in February Long poem “Control” the consequence. The inspired by it Album “Soft” was released February 24th on Control Records.
On March 3, the former singer of the post-punk band that broke up in 2017 candelilla present the album live at the Kammerspiele. As reinforcement she has the singer of the band Friends of Gas, Nina Walser, who reads out the discarded lyrics. As well as producer Walter P99 Arkestra, who is behind bands like Gaddafi Gals standing and playing a solo live set. Director and composer Ludwig Abraham, who lives in Zurich, is also likely to be present. Because Mann produced the EP “I like that” with him and now also her debut solo LP “Soft”.
You can hear ten pieces with titles consisting of only one word. The path of reduction taken on “I like that” clearly continues. The texts are spoken in a neutral voice. They deal with themes such as unrest, loneliness and longing, as the titles reveal. It’s never about the mentioned motherhood. This resonates between the lines. All of this is complemented by electro beats and atmospheric, sometimes slightly short-tempered or scratchy synth chords.
While the EP was already about seeing, hearing or touching, “Soft” also seems like a continuous stream of perception or self-assurance. It starts with the “seven carnations in a transparent plastic bottle without a label” in “Unrest” and continues with sentences like “I lie down” in “Work”. The “I” in the texts often acts like a camera that scans its area. Some give the impression of directing instructions, others of inner monologues or picture descriptions. Specifically, this applies to “Innocence”, which begins with a description of Anthony van Dyck’s painting “Susanna im Bade”.
The combination of beats and spoken words makes you think of Kae Tempest. You just miss their flow and furor. And if little refrains or almost “soulful” moments didn’t emerge as anchors over and over again, one would soon lose one’s footing in the fragments of perception. Nonetheless, it’s worth listening to. And with a little effort, you can find a soft core behind the brittle surface.
Mira Mann: Weich (Control Records), live on March 3rd, Munich Kammerspiele, Werkraum, Hildegardstraße 1