Isola by Mïus

Mïus is a solo music project by Budapest-based Gergely Álmos. After an excellent LP on Sonar Kollektiv earlier in the year, he now returns with a fresh six-track EP that acts as a bridge ahead of a new LP in 2017.

This is the first time he has worked with a male singer after having four female vocalists on his Eigengrau LP. This follow-up is darker and takes electronic vibes into deep icy waters thanks to a lot of found samples, from the sounds of nature (falling icebergs, trains, ship horns) to every kind of recorded ordinary sound pattern made by objects that can be found around the artist’s living space.

Isola means island in Italian. It refers to many things that happened to me in the past half a year. On one hand isolation and seclusion, but on the other hand it reminds me of an energizing time spent on an island.
Mius

After an attention-grabbing prelude of intense ambiance, "Lost Adam," featuring Rafal Skowroński, is a delightfully slow-motion tune with stylish and pained vocals above slithering synths and lurching drums. It’s wholly absorbing, and the production is sympathetic to the vocal sounds. "Walls" then gets dark and nasty, with frazzled bass drills and skipping percussion that is sure to work in a big open warehouse space. Full of foreboding, it is a fine bit of sound sculpture.

"Run" then finds Rafal Skowroński’s vocals sounding all dreamy and vulnerable as they fight for attention with a big lead synth line and gentler set of piano chords that lend the track a real sense of tension. The stunning "Silver" is a fine mix of synthetic melodies and organic sound textures, handclaps, and spring-like chords, as well as wordless vocals.

It is emotional electronica of the highest order that builds to an intense peak that really brims with energy. Last of all, "HTLAS (How.To.Leave.A.Ship)" is a wide-open cavern of big, resonant bass drops, blistered little synths, and delightfully airy vocals that again have a real push and pull between lightness and dark.

On the cover of the release, there is a set of coordinates (44.501792 15.021106 = 44°30'06.5"N 15°01'16.0"E) that point to a secluded beach on the island of Pag in Croatia.

Mius - Isola
Release Date 21st October 2016
Label Mius

Tracklist
1. Mius - Prelude
2. Mius - Lost Adam (feat. Raf Skowroński)
3. Mius - Walls
4. Mius - Run (feat. Raf Skowroński)
5. Mius - Silver
6. Mius - HTLAS (How.To.Leave.A.Ship)