Experimental, with a side of sparklepop. Female-fronted shredding, backed with polyrhythmic blastbeats. Founded in 2012, Mi'ens is Kim on guitar/looper, Evan on drums. "The Vancouver-based duo of drummer Evan and guitarist-looper-frontwoman Kim (last names withheld by request) are experts in a quite specific yet hard-to-pin-down style of artsy, noisy math-rock, perhaps best summarized by the title
of their 2014 debut, experimentalsparklenoisepop. Their prowess is even more clearly defined on Challenger, bursting with technical instrumental jams for those who gravitate to the warmer side of Battles, Don Caballero, and Trans Am. Evan propels the polyrhythmic momentum, while Kim’s shredding breaks the sound barrier, the two delivering a sonic assault and always pushing forward with a spring in their step." The Georgia Straight, Dec. 23/16
"Reminiscent of Hella or Don Cab." "Complex conversational playing." "Trippy as f**k." New 10" vinyl Challenger, 2016, on Kingfisher Bluez. Debut LP experimentalsparklenoisepop on bandcamp:
https://mi-ens.bandcamp.com
Opened for Tera Melos, Postmadonna, Jung People, Imaginary Pants (Rose Melberg), Hidden Towers.
-mɪʔnz-
PRESS:
"Mi’ens are experts in artsy, noisy math-rock. Challenger (Kingfisher Bluez)
Mi’ens’s Challenger was technically released in the summer of 2016, but it wasn’t pressed onto its glorious coloured 10-inch vinyl format until the winter, and its official release show remains planned for January 28, 2017. As it happens, January 28 is the anniversary of the Challenger space shuttle disaster, whence the album’s title was drawn. A stylized rendition of the craft’s plume disintegrating over the Atlantic Ocean graces the mini-album’s cover, providing an implied context with which one may approach this album, a dearth of intelligence that results in chaos as humanity’s progress is tempered by hubris. The Vancouver-based duo of drummer Evan and guitarist-looper-frontwoman Kim (last names withheld by request) are experts in a quite specific yet hard-to-pin-down style of artsy, noisy math-rock, perhaps best summarized by the title of their 2014 debut,experimentalsparklenoisepop. Evan propels the polyrhythmic momentum, while Kim’s shredding breaks the sound barrier, the two delivering a sonic assault and always pushing forward with a spring in their step. You won’t mind Momma pinning these Mi’ens to your ears." Alan Ranta, 12/23/16
http://www.straight.com/music/847561/miens-are-experts-artsy-noisy-math-rock
"Mi’ens is a math-rock duo from Vancouver, with Evan Johansen on drums and Kim Glennie on guitar, loops and the occasional vocal. On their latest album they bring vibrancy, warmth and joy to a genre that is too often dismissed for being overly clinical. And it’s nice when a band gives you a title that pretty well sums it all up — ‘experimentalsparklenoisepop’. "
Mark Anthony Brennan, Ride The Tempo, 09/14
http://ridethetempo.com/2014/08/23/listen-miens-experimentalsparklenoisepop/
"Vancouver math rock duo Mi'ens have just released a new EP called Challenger, which is available to stream in full below. The release offers plenty of rhythmic twists and turns along with a surprisingly dense sound — you'll find it hard to believe there are only two people at work. Of the release, the band offered up the following statement:
Mi'ens latest Challenger touches on ideas about political change, the end of the American Era (which Challenger represents in some ways- human progress vs the tragedy of over-reaching ambition), how the new instability affects all of us, from artists/musicians looking for viable spaces, to people forced to leave their homelands. The song Prussian Ellipses is sort of song for my grandmother, who was forced to leave Prussia at the end of WW2, and a play on the band name Russian Circles. These themes become inspiration for a private, introspective creative process. Challenger is a cautionary tale of a modern Icarus." Josiah Hughes, Exclaim! Magazine, 01/17
http://exclaim.ca/music/article/miens-challenger_ep_stream
"Full on noise extravaganzas are created with the use of many loops and rhythm-based melodies, allowing for an album that’s trippy and a real adventure. Even the artwork on the cover is complex and exciting. The first track, “Tweenage Tweeter,” is ambient but also very upbeat. It makes me feel happy by the end of it, almost as if to set me up for the upcoming songs. The next two songs, “Bonobo Handshake” and “Smitten,” have elements of progressive rock and sound almost as if they’re from a movie or video game soundtrack–still exciting, but slightly different. "Sparklecore" is noteworthy for having the only vocals of the album. It’s slightly less upbeat than the previous tracks, but still has a great background tempo and beat. The last half of the album has elements of psychedelic, classic, and progressive rock instrumentals. It features underlying riffs and a “trippy” fast tempo. “Babe Vigoda” is my favorite track here: it sounds almost as if Beethoven’s Symphony was being played fast on a keyboard. Sometimes the riff is consistent and sometimes complex, but all of it works to create a dynamic sound. The LP closes with “Terrorist Attraction,” a seven-and-a-half minute tempo with a solid and almost hard riff. It reminds me of alternative progressive music from the 70s or 80s. I loved this album. It was unique, distinct, engaging, and relaxing all at the same time. The creative use of loops and all instrumental patterns allows for music as fulfilling in atmosphere as it is in sound. Even the track titles are vivid and unique. I can only imagine a live show by Mi’ens is just as great an experience to listen to. Cazzy Lewchuk, Permanent Rain Press, 08/14
http://thepermanentrainpress.com/post/92931443336
"The Vancouver duo Mi’ens are going to make some nice, fresh waves in the scene with their new LP, experimentalsparklenoisepop. Festive and holding a rather high spirit, the tracks are fun, engaging, and make the generally maverick nature of math rock palatable and jovial. Being predominately loop based, guitarist Kim’s angular and progressive melodies build upon each other, exerting a psychedelic and almost hypnotic effect. Moreover, once looped, the melodies provide a backbone to the songs, allowing the band to pursue new musical motifs in the foreground. For example, soothing vocals are added to evoke a dream-like feel, matching the whimsical nature of the band. Building harmonies from the base up, Kim’s guitar lines are original and wedge themselves amongst Evan’s polyrhythmic drumming. experimentalsparklenoisepop is rather befitting as a subgenre for this album. It sounds like a kaleidoscopic adventure through densely populated tropical scenery, and each of its songs overwhelms all my senses with beauty and warmth. The vibrant core of the band gives post-rock a much needed boost of energy and youthfulness." Star Seed, Fecking Bahamas, 07/14
http://feckingbahamas.com/miens
"Intricate and fantastically full-sounding noisescapes"... "beautiful, tremelo-rich arpeggio chords and even the muted whispers of Glennie herself, gracefully presented just below the mix of the quiet instrumentation"... "sit back and wonder at the amount of crazy sounds two people can put out at once." Fraser Dobbs, Discorder Magazine, 07/14
"Experimentalsparklenoisepop is brimming with sparkly riffs, intricate instrumentals and post-rock influence...the perfect kind of music for your psychedelic fix." Natalie Hoy, The Permanent Rain Press, 07/14
http://thepermanentrainpress.com/post/87455210400
"Mi'ens, meanwhile, delivered a well-defined postrock set down at the Cobalt that had guitarist Kim Glennie gleefully laying down a complex series of polyrhythmic guitar loops." Gregory Adams, Georgia Straight, 07/13
http://www.straight.com/music/389781/music-waste-delivers-zany-and-times-inspired-performances-multitude-venues
"Next up was Mi’ens, pronounced like Mittens but without the “tt.” Mi’ens is Kim on guitar, Evan on drums, and nobody on vocals. Instead, Glennie spoke through her guitar with complex conversational playing. It was reminiscent of math-rock bands like Hella or Don Caballero." Chris Schonfeldt, Discorder
http://www.discorder.ca/discorder-magazine/index.php/2013/09/08/imaginary-pants/
"Chung Antique’s new record, Sweater Weather, flits between contemplatively cloudy post-rock and angular, bass-centric groove-outs with ease, at times resembling Do Make Say Think and other like-minded instrumental rockers. Postmadonna are a little more shred-heavy, with an OCD/ADD brand of math-punk filled with weird little solos firing off to the sides and more drum fills than you can shake a, well, drumstick at. Rounding out the bill are fellow art-rock weirdos Mi’ens and Yes Bear." Kyle Fleck, The Stranger, Seattle
http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/Event?event=18823657
RADIO APPEARANCES:
Vancouver, In It To Spin It, Host Brandon + Nicole Parsons:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zOYHWZ_ppo8
Vancouver, Vancouver MixTape, CJSF, hosts Jamie Cessford + Jesse Wentzlff:
http://www.cjsf.ca/pguide/grid/description.php?ID=291
Vancouver, Thunderbird Radio Hell, CITR, host Ben Lai:
http://playlist.citr.ca/podcasting/audio/20140327-220000-to-20140327-230000.mp3
London, UK, The Other Rock Show:
http://otherrockshow.wordpress.com/
https://soundcloud.com/resonance-fm/21-00-00-the-organ-presents-27
Liege, Belgium, Kool Strings:
http://www.mixcloud.com/Kool_strings/emission-du-19-01-2014/
Vancouver, Into The Pit, COOP:
http://www.coopradio.org/station/archives/59
Vancouver, Stranded, CITR:
Vancouver, GRL GRMS, CIVL:
http://civl.ca/podcast-single/?show=GRL%20GRMS
