The Mini Projects 2022: An Illustrated Response by Adrian Mesino
Album Art by Asia, @shrimp.account
Unexpected direction from the bedroom-pop/indie rock suburban band, The Mini Projects. On this single I was sent for early to preview they embrace a high-energy pop-punk nostalgia that forms a network of influence in my mind.
Whenever I get a message from lead singer Emi, I know I'm in for something special. The Mini Projects and I have collaborated before on various things, so right away this single felt familiar. I could see this line being formed through the progress of their work so far, I was thankful they assembled all of the pieces like this and let me get a glimpse of the bigger picture. How they've cleverly incorporated their unique sound into a new form.
Listen to this playlist to feel the network of influence activated by this track.
POETRY FEATURE
Thank you to my friend Timiro (Chicago, IL) for letting me feature a section of her poem "Deaf" to open this illustrated response with.
"Deaf"
by Timiro Elizabeth
"Deaf"
by Timiro Elizabeth
@teatimtimmy on Instagram
"Deaf?
Gotta be.
I scream so loud.
Yet nobody hears me.
No one reacts.
Hello?
Anybody home?
Deaf?
Gotta be.
Gotta be.
I scream so loud.
Yet nobody hears me.
No one reacts.
Hello?
Anybody home?
Deaf?
Gotta be.
..."
"Silence.
It consumes me.
I look in the mirror.
I see you, Dad.
Not me.
You.
Then, I see myself.
It consumes me.
I look in the mirror.
I see you, Dad.
Not me.
You.
Then, I see myself.
I don't need their help.
Yes, I got this.
We got this.
Deaf?
No.
I can hear me..."
Yes, I got this.
We got this.
Deaf?
No.
I can hear me..."
Read the full poem here:
Open the window, you'll feel a lot better.
In the single they sent me for an early preview, I was ambushed by the shift in the tone from previous projects. Far more up-front, the up-tempo song takes off immediately after a vibrant introduction on guitar. Angel (drums) accelerates, Mikey holds the room together on bass, followed by a piercing declaration by Emi, who finds herself in a familiar scene.
"Tell me am I worth it, cause' this time I deserve it.
Maybe I'm just different for wanting more for me."
Pool of Influence
I'm delighted to continue an artistic exchange with The Mini Projects, who has colored my imagination for 3 years. Since they were introduced to me in 2019 by Chicago's ESSO it's been clear they have a strong capacity to unify sounds from a variety of musical genres.
This is a quality I admire.
Their previous releases like 'The Mini Projects EP' and their debut LP 'Pattern Dreams' distinctly highlight the rock/bedroom/folk/indie/lo-fi boundaries they are willing to blur to achieve their distinct effect.
This is a quality I admire.
Their previous releases like 'The Mini Projects EP' and their debut LP 'Pattern Dreams' distinctly highlight the rock/bedroom/folk/indie/lo-fi boundaries they are willing to blur to achieve their distinct effect.
(Right) Angel controlling space with drums.
(Left) Mikey's and his bass are the centers of gravity.
(Center) A direct message from Emi, the clearest and brightest signal, from right here in Elgin.
The Mini Projects are currently the most versatile group of musicians in Elgin, it's important to also see their contemporaries and notice they are a one-of-a-kind arrangement. 3 Incredibly talented musicians with a deep pool of influence to draw from. These proportions they are able to deliver, between familiar and foreign, popular and underground, between the 3 they each occupy a space in the music that is integral in building specific sound spaces. The dials are incredibly fine-tuned under the direction of frontwoman Emi Brito.
Out of the bedroom, and into...
I love what I can imagine when I listen to this song, I see vivid dynamic characters, rhythmic effects, and myself together for a moment.
I love what I can imagine when I listen to this song, I see vivid dynamic characters, rhythmic effects, and myself together for a moment.
I am outside my bedroom; whatever challenges are in there have made me stronger. I have a strong sense that whatever challenges are beyond that horizon are the greatest so far, but so am I.
I am certain, so am I.
I am certain, so am I.
Listen to More for Me by The Mini Projects on Spotify
Thanks for letting me preview this!
Listen to these playlists featuring The Mini Projects: