MIRS

MIRS - Singles 1218

MIRS (my ongoing music project + collaborations) just re-released 7 standalone singles (including a new soundtrack cut) on a single "disc". The record spans 2012-2018. 

Tracklist (with original release dates):
1) Kayla (2012)
2) Take Away (2012)
3) Summer God Complex (2014)
4) Woke up on the Moon (2015)
5) Moonlighting Mission Man (2017) ** - the link is to the visual short film**
6) Saturday (2018)
7) Hafiz Drinks from the Cup of Time (2018)

Where to stream (or buy)
- Itunes
- Spotify
- Bandcamp
- Pandora

MIRS - Singles 1218

MIRS - Singles 1218

what do you know of water’s worth while standing on the banks of the euphrates

(if inclined, please watch the work first...it runs 15min.)

Tomorrow marks the online premiere of my latest work (today for you) which I have conveniently embedded the link in this post. (if you prefer, on vimeo here)

This project functions as both a standalone film and also, a visual single for "Moonlighting MIssion Man", the latest release from my music project MIRS.

Two birds, one stone on the shallow end, a postmodernist twist on a Rene Magritte expression on the pretentious end. Both, equally as valid.

This is the working synopsis or thesis put through a press release blender:  "The film captures an intimate sliver into an Iranian American Sufi Muslim poet (Mahsa Hosseini) as she goes about finding meaning in her life. The visual narrative, shot in a classic cinéma vérité style, provides a strong counterpoint to the hidden, synth-driven, processed vocals in "Moonlighting Mission Man". The video eludes to a dual narrative between the film & the music, though kept hidden from plain sight."

Ultimately, this project started with this question, "Is this a short film or a music video?". And for me, ended with identity. (an ephemeral thing, with real-world consequences). 

But back to Magritte, and equally, Jean Baudrillard. Why is the opening question important to me? Media (and its contents) by in large is an open-ended question nowadays, and while I'm personally working through the details of this new paradigm, doing so with a dichotomous media might be my best way of processing it. What is a film? What is a tweet? How are they different? These are important questions in hyperreality when words have less direct meaning, and content rules all. 

MIRS

For the last couple years (actually, since the beginning of this), I've compartmentalized my music projects and my film work into separate spaces. And, I'll continue doing that, but with some important changes.

For one, MIRS is turning into as much a visual project as music, but with music as its fundamental core. The last record we did, CANYON, was a visual album and the imagery was co-tangent with the music. It played as a dual narrative.

In fact, I have been trying that since I started MIRS, with the debut release, SPIN CYCLE. But, I came short of the resources required to pull that off. That was essentially a visual album (before that became a mainstream thing), without it ever becoming a visual album, strictly because I couldn't pull it off (resource wise). Truth is, an idea is just an idea, and they are a dime a dozen.

Every time I start writing music, I preface it as a final act. The last record was supposed to be the final songs I write, and then, this last single, MOONLIGHTING MISSION MAN became the last piece of commercial music I write. Eventually, there will be a last, but I think I'm do for at least one more effort, as a new concept came my way, and I want to attempt bringing it to life. This feeling might change, but, my mouth doesn't want to shut yet.

Though, this one has larger ambitions, which means, I will be up against bigger barriers.

We would love to have you follow us on Spotify, so hit that link below.

CANYON - The Visual Album - Personal Thoughts #01

Was just reflecting on the emergence of "Visual Albums" after this article was brought to my attention highlighting CANYON.  Truth be told, I did not want to label CANYON as such since it comes at the heels of amazing visual releases, but i've been personally trying to put together a "visual album" since 2010, and failing to execute until CANYON.

My first attempt came at the release of my first MIRS solo EP, SPIN CYCLE. I couldn't pull resources together to execute. The second time came with the release of MEAT ON YOUR LONELY BONEZ, and again, while a treatment was prepared and some meetings arranged, we never went ahead and executed. Which, in hindsight proves valuable, since I feel those concepts lacking cohesion now. But, thats the truth with any work from the past done, or undone.   

The interesting question here is how this one came about and why the other two attempts failed. Simply, we reversed the process of production. We first shot CANYON, the film, then we got to finishing the record. Of course, both these things were happening concurrently, but we got the visuals in the can in November of 2015. In fact, a couple rotting pumpkins show up on frame for the astute observer. The rest of the process took the time it takes for any project to develop, especially exasperated by the fact that career responsibilities lay elsewhere.

I'll leave you here with CANYON if you haven't seen it or are just coming across this. My recommendations include a) headphones b) some quiet downtime c) fullscreen. Also, afterwards, check out this mini doc below with the incredible artist. ALI SABET, describing the process of creating the artwork for the whole project. 

CANYON is live

We launched the MIRS project CANYON on 09-06-16, All the info about it can be found here. I'm relieved that it's done, but very much enjoyed this particular process with the help of my collaboration with Nima Rezai

The record is available to stream or buy at iTunes, Bandcamp, or at our very own store which includes a PDF version of the CANYON Artbook here. 

We are also selling a very limited number of CANYON Art Prints here, signed and numbered by the incredible artist, Ali Sabet.

This was a SABET + MIRS collaboration with its own very unique process, some of which is detailed in the video below.  

nothing lasts forever, even cold November rain (and other metaphors)

Yesterday, a sort of funny little thing happened. I was MYSPACE's "Artist of the Day" for my music project MIRS

This would have been the absolute pinnacle of web dominance for a music act if it took place in 2006, but just short of a decade later, it's a cute footnote, and a stark reminder that absolutely NOTHING LAST'S FOREVER.

So, you might currently be having the worst days of your life, but if you stick it out, make some changes and proceed with action, it can all change. That also dictates the scary, but real fact that the reverse is also just as true. 

And who knows, maybe even MYSPACE, under the best circumstances & leadership, could flip that website around to it's glory days again. Anything is possible. I mean, did you just see the updated PILLARS OF CREATION photo. Seriously, ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE!

Make plans, and just as vital, roll with those waves.