Mimesis is a concept album of sorts yet the concept isn’ as clear-cut as to be easily definable. In fact it’s possible that you need the full six sprawling tracks to even begin to understand it, and even then you may experience some difficulty. It doesn’ help that the music itself is quite difficult to nail down. It feels equal parts ambient atmospheres, new age, spoken word or talking book. Perhaps a major reason for its elusiveness lies in the mix, as the music and the vocals feel equally as important – perhaps due to the collaborative nature of the project. Steve Kilbey who you may remember from The Church offers spoken word, part poetry, part conversation, and part narrative tale in a calm hypnotic monotone. Underneath the atmospheres swirl, occasionally rising to the top, and taking over, interweaving with the voice before descending down again. Given the mood of the atmospheres it’s not much of a surprise to see that producer/ engineer Simon Polinski (Hesius Dome) is involved, though double bassist David Abiuso, and Scottish pianist Colin Berwick (Big Country) are also core members of Mimesis whilst Kilbey’ brother, Ollie Olsen and Rip Van Hippy also contribute. There’ a strange sub conscious dreamlike flow to the narrative, it begins with death and the afterlife and gets progressively more obtuse. Kilbey at times even integrates the music into the tale, moving it out from an under the radar more soundtrack like role into an active participant in the story. The closest links would be when Burroughs hooked up with Michael frantic and co, though this is much calmer and more meditative though just as literary.
Bob Baker Fish
