Mimi Barks: Night Of The Living DEADGIRL

With her latest release, the mixtape DEADGIRL, MIMI BARKS unveils her latest collection of Doom Trap anthems, and the focussed intensity on the tracks is both undeniable and inspiring (especially on songs like SUICIDE, ABYSS and ASHES) and defiantly shows her growth as an artist. DEADGIRL marks the end of a triumphant year for MIMI BARKS that saw her reach new heights with her music and this is something she discussed in a frank and informative chat with us that takes in all aspects of her music.   

2022 has been a big year for MIMI BARKS and she starts off by detailing some of her biggest moments of the year. “I received the Kerrang! Disruptor Award earlier this year and I was touring Europe for three months straight, playing indoor shows up to two thousand capacity and outdoor shows up to ten thousand cap, It’s all I’ve ever wanted to do!” Her new music, of course is another highlight as well as the visual aspects of it as she enthuses to us. “The music video shoot for my upcoming single and mixtape has been one of the most intense to organise and to direct but it paid off in many ways. I saw my vision coming alive in the form of visuals for the first time ever.” 

Talking about DEADGIRL, Mimi explains about the creative process of making the music she makes and how making the results can be an intense process. “You constantly evolve and forget about the intense ride during creating an album, mixtape or EP. You look back and you ask yourself: ‘how the fuck did this come out of my face? And will I ever be able to do this again?’”

With all of the new music that MIMI BARKS has brought out this year, she has been pleased with how it has been received but explains how the confrontational nature of her music can make it divisive and how powerful that can be, not that she lets it affect her. “I always knew how to dream and not be able to get the things I was longing for. Today I know how to make my dreams a reality and how to execute my vision. The feedback has been varying and always will be. If you do something that everybody loves, it’s really not worth that much. I do appreciate the ones that see and feel my vision after executing it for so many years on my own.”

As MIMI BARKS mentioned, her live shows are one of her major highlights of the year, she gives us some insight into the recent European jaunt with FRANK CARTER & THE RATTLESNAKES and what some of the highlights have been. “In Berlin, Frank asked me to perform with him during their show. We never rehearsed or went into detail before that. I was only handed a body pack for ear monitoring before they went on stage. The song started playing and when it was time for me to go on stage Frank spoke into the stage mic for front of house and band communication only, asking where I am wanting to jump in. I couldn’t talk back so I gave hand signs and he replied: ‘half way through the song, yeah?’ and I nodded. He turned back towards the audience, then again back to the stage communication mic facing me and start screaming into the mic, which automatically got amplified into my ears through my in-ears, just to fuck me up. I gave him the middle finger and then went on stage to sing the song and we killed it. That explains the vibes on tour I guess!”

With this year being a banner year for MIMI BARKS, 2023 promises to be the same and Mimi told us what the upcoming year holds for her and her answer was simple but effective. “More live shows and a brand new album.” When asked about the album, she says, “it’s in progress,  I finished the writing earlier this year!”

Going back to the music, MIMI BARKS has released this year, the subject of how her music has gotten even darker since her debut album, Enter The Void, arose and this is something she wholeheartedly agrees with. “For the first time ever, I tapped into the deepest dark of my internal abyss. I laid myself open on the autopsy table, ready to be rummaging through my mangled insides. SUICIDE, nihil and ABYSS is the deepest I’ve ever went into the darkness in order to be able to see the light.”

With the darkness of her music getting even more prevalent, MIMI BARKS told us all about how her music acts as catharsis for her and how this acts as a powerful tool for her as an artist and for anyone listening to it as well. “The DEADGIRL mixtape is the conclusion of an era of suffering and self-destruction. From hatred for myself and the world, narcissistic & delusional aloofness and chaos in my brain, to self-growth through spirituality. It’s the rebirth of a broken child, a DEADGIRL. Now reborn as a leader, as her own god; indestructible and inviolable and I hope this mixtape is the catharsis to you that it was to me writing it.”

Mimi also took time to talk about doom trap and how that term is an encapsulation of everything she creates. “MIMI BARKS created doom trap. The overall atmosphere is darker and heavier. The imagery doom trap emanates doesn’t take away the diversity in my music. You have to be diverse in order to make progress.”

To end things off of this great and fascinating chat with a forward-thinking artist, the subject of being a role model arose and Mimi was honest in her response. “If you do what you do and you don’t limit yourself to wanting to please the masses, you automatically become a role model. It’s a fine line then, between what is perceived as a positive and what as a damaging role model. Through the eyes of whoever looks at you, through their morals and beliefs and the reality which that person is in at that very moment, their perception varies drastically, so I guess we’re all role models but not always sure if it’s for the greater good.”

DEADGIRL is out now via Silent Cult Recordings. 

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