Mico – My Tentacles
Mieko Shimizu has established herself as a respected composer, producer and singer in some of the finest venues in London. Creating output under various names, her new project under the alias of 'Mico' is her latest release with the respective album 'My Tentacles'.
From the CD artwork, you can get a feel that there is an air of minimalism about this album, and yet you are met with glitchy, off beat samples that collide like little electrical sparks of creativity that soon develop into dense, sprawling layers of sound. Along with a hypnotic voice that is well suited to adding to the ambience; each song is intelligently crafted and composed with orchestral overtones having a strong presence whilst showing some the cultural elements from Mico's native Japan (the native vocals on the song 'Bullet Train' being one example of this) and some surprisingly stirring tempos that keep you on your on toes being added to this eclectic and innovative mix.
This is a true leftfield electronica album in the territory of Bjork, Massive Attack and The Cinematic Orchestra to name a few, but with more unique and quirky Asian influences taking over here. Throughout there is an almost ice cold feeling present which complements the stark but touching and intense atmosphere being created. At the same the songs are vast and have a great cinematic edge to them, which is no surprise considering the background of Mieko Shimizu's work in the South Bank Centre and the Royal Festival Hall. With such soundscapes being created, it is well and truly easy to lose yourself in another world here.
"My Tentacles" is an album of understated beauty which gently twists and turns as it unfolds through its tracks, with the ethos of music that doesn't have to be heavy to convey such intensity. Powerful, trippy and moving and an album that is a wonderful experience to listen to, this is an exhibition of art captured in sound that simply captivates and stimulates.