EP REVIEW: “Dreamstate of Fear” by Mimi Barks

Born in Germany and shaped by Berlin’s iconic underground scene before relocating to London, Mimi Barks has developed her own unique Doom Trap sound through immersion in the worlds of punk, hip hop, techno and metal culture.

Writing and producing her own songs, she dropped her debut EP “Enter The Void” in 2019. Her stunning debut album “Deadgirl” dropped in 2022, followed in 2024 by the critically acclaimed “This is Doom Trap”.

And this Friday, the 24th July sees the release of her latest works, the “Dreamstate of Fear” EP, which takes us even further down the Doom Trap rabbithole. Mimi Barks has often explored things such as heaven and hell, and fear through expressing them as states of mind, that we can move between and feel differently at various times, and importantly, which we can control…. and own.

On “Dreamstate of Fear” Mimi is more emotional,and intimate than in previous recordings as she explores the concept of fear in this way. Not seeing it as weakness but as a state where emotions collide and exist. On the new EP, the production is exceptional, and the heavy tracks are heavier than ever, packed with distortion and anger, but I think what sets the new EP apart from earlier works is the breadth of sounds, or more correctly put – emotions on display. Amongst all the anger, fear and rage, there co-exists moments that are delicate, dipping into anxiety and vulnerability.

It feels that on “Dreamstate of Fear” Mimi Barks has kind of stripped her sound back to a raw, simple set of emotions that sit at the heart of her Doom Trap musical style. The title track Dreamstate of Hell is perhaps the most recognisable Mimi Barks sounding track….. and then some. It takes her core sound and turns it to eleven, packed with meaty hooks, heavy breakdowns and melodies to dance to.

Ophelia strikes a different balance between soaring guitars and subtle verses sections, that explode in a chorus of searing guitars and scorching screams, before dropping off again to almost silence. The stock transitions work brilliantly and show the range and diversity of her vocals perfectly. Parhaps my favourite on the EP.

With Jericho we encounter that other side of Mimi Barks, a simple, soft intro packed with raw emotion and honesty in its delivery. The contrast is striking. It builds and explodes into life half way through, into perhaps her most mainstream work yet – catchy, powerful and intense. Wonderful stuff.

Power durch Verrat takes us back to the Berlin Underground scene, sung in German, the beats dominate and give the track its power and trap energy, as they pound and resonate round the room. Co-written with Sam Matlock (of Wargasm) it grinds away at you, the synth tones layer on to give it depth.

Polarity delivers a Bladerunner-esque 35 seconds instrumental break, soft synth tones wash over us, with an almost heartbeat-like beat, there to calm the nerves and senses for a moment.

The start of Butterfly in Chains struck different. A muted almost Cure like guitar line beacons in a surprising vocal line in which I almost didn’t recognise Mimi Barks, her voice totally different, delivering an emo, nu-metal era vocal performance, before the breatdown turns the track around and her trademark guttural, almost spoken word vocals kick in. Packed with industrial overtones and elements of shoegaze it packs a hefty punch, tearing as your senses. The beat is infectious and its one I can’t wait to hear live on her upcoming autumn UK tour.

As the EP draws to a close we drift away to States of Consciousness a 50 second segment consisting of vinyl static tones mixed with what feels like a muted, slowed down and reversed musical section which underpins a haunting spoken word vocal performance that picks up on the constructs in our heads and the motion that ‘heaven and hell are merely states of consciousness’. The sound subtly increases in volume building to a drop off into silence.

I will admit to being a Mimi Barks fan, and have both of her previous releases. One of the best live acts around check out where you can catch a show HERE. With this new EP, Mimi Barks has upped her game, and delivered something special. That ferocious Doom Trap core remains, but theres a return to her roots and a new more sensitive side here too. A fantastic release, well worth your time and worthy of a 9.0 from LiveWire Music.