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Review: Miaoux Miaoux - Light Of The North [Album]

Chemikal Underground// "However cruel it might sound he’s destined for the background."

by Lauren, June 13th, 2012 and has been Read 1048 times.
Last Edited by: Jack Stovin June 13th, 2012.

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26 year old Glasgow based producer Julian Corrie is the feline Miaoux Miaoux and after a series of shows across the UK and some self-released records finally his debut Light Of The North is released. It’s an interesting and often eclectic mix of music that is at times beautiful, but ultimately not cohesive.

Sure, as a left-field dance track the low slung bass and swirling synths of ‘Autopilot’ work terrifically and it’s suited perfectly to his laidback vocal approach; which is meandering in the hazy daisy fields of MGMT. As you imagine from tracks like this is sounds like a summers breeze; that’s to say there’s not much substance, but heck if it doesn’t make you swoon. This dismissive sound is what Corrie captures so well, he’s an artist whose whole image is built around chilling out and he’s perfect for it; however cruel it might sound he’s destined for the background.

Attacking his debut as both a producer and an artist is what makes and breaks this record. His ear for a beat is, quite obviously, right on the money and he mixes dazzling synths with spectral indie keys and fuzzy guitars better than most. His music is comforting. He’s a man in control of the knobs he twiddles and his penchant for bass is simply enthralling. Corrie, doesn’t need big bass drops to make his mark, but as ‘Better For Now’ demonstrates he can wield sublime bass lines for entire tracks—the bass pretty much carries that.

Where this goes wrong then is when he strays and attempts to mix too much, like an artist with an ego he wants to be heard and there’s no way you can avoid some of these tracks, they jerk you out of your daydream to take notice, sadly it’s for all the wrong reasons. ‘Cloud Counter’ for example strays from Tetris like retro “bounce” to a melody that would sound at home on a Texas track. It’s nice enough, but like that ridiculous ending, just not necessary.

Miaoux Miaoux’s brand of loops would make for a great live experience, he’s a DJ at heart, but on record he’s too unhinged. By the time you reach ‘Virtual Fighter’ he’s began experimenting with rap! For a man who can sound so relaxed this is frantic.

This is by no means a bad record, in fact near enough all of the tracks stand-alone competently, but put it together and it falls apart as a record, which after all is what this is. Tracks like ‘Singing In The Dark’ sound like cut-offs and remixes from twee pop albums and make great radio fodder, but that’s really the best this bass thumper has to offer and outside of the hits it’s hard to see what fan base Miaoux Miaoux will win with this collection that’s best approached as just that, a compilation album.

Finale ‘Ribbon Falls’ despite sounding unflinchingly familiar ends just as it should be taking off and that really is what this record is; not bad, just disappointing.

Light Of The North is out now.

Worth listening to:

• 'Autopilot'
• 'Better For Now'