Mamiffer

Mamiffer’s debut unfolds as an artistic suggestion, hinting at something beyond itself. Piano provides the record’s melodic framework, interwoven with found sounds, unconventional instrumentation and various electronic timbres, like exploratory ballads merging with a backdrop of techno-dystopian noise. Beyond the initial compositions of artist Faith Coloccia (Everlovely Lightningheart), Hirror Enniffer is a collaborative affair featuring members of These Arms Are Snakes, Isis and Helms Alee. The result initially seems mellow but with a building intensity, like a doom-y soundtrack to a movie none of us are able to see. The album’s subtle harshness creeps up in the background: persistent distortion, droningly insistent tones, sparse but insidious percussion. Vocals, on the other hand, are minimal, just hints of wordless undulation, unintelligible chanting or nonverbal melodies. Melody and vocalization are almost exclusively the domains of the piano, which quickly takes on a voice of its own. Despite all this complexity, there’s an unfinished, unresolved quality to Hirror Enniffer, almost a refusal to tidily bind up loose ends. And with this irresoluteness, Mamiffer make a powerful, persuasive statement.