Maxime Barlag, Samgar Jacobs, Danny van Tiggele, Tom Broshuis
Maxime Barlag, Samgar Jacobs, Danny van Tiggele, Tom Broshuis
Place of birth
Utrecht, The Netherlands
Mister and Mississippi – ‘Mirage’
It’s an almost hackneyed notion, the general life and times of many bands. The fortuitous debut album that strikes gold, the make-or-break sophomore effort and finally, that much-scrutinized third LP. Dutch art rockers Mister and Mississippi aren’t claiming to be the exception to the rule. Albeit from purely a musical vantage point, the band has – by all means – opted for a new creative trajectory. Third LP ‘Mirage’ employs a darker, heavier undercurrent of synths, bass and drums lurking beneath the group’s well-established sonorous majesty and crisp vocals. There’s a more ominous, acidic punch to the music’s structure, dynamics and growth, marking a radical stylistic shift from the palliative, simmering indie folk prevalent on Mister and Mississippi’s previous two albums. ‘Mirage’ finds the band avidly reinventing themselves in both arrangement and production, poised to become one of the more eye-opening entries of 2017.
Mister and Mississippi recorded ‘Mirage’ during the summer of 2016 in their hometown of Utrecht. With ample time to spare, the band was able to root out stressful deadlines and explore their sonics with latitude aplenty. Mister and Mississippi enlisted producer Simon Akkermans as full-time collaborator over the creative course of ‘Mirage’, making a concentrated effort to downsize the songs wherever necessary. And by doing so, instill even more emotional depth, fervency and sheer magnitude. A challenging goal indeed, one that took many hours, days and weeks to accomplish. Especially when it comes to synths in all shapes and sizes, the Kytopia studio is a joyous candy land you can easily immerse yourself in. At times, rampant experimentation with all those different synths prompted a creative cul de sac, but alternately, caused other songs to really come into their own. This trial and error way of working garnered many surprising results, and, more importantly, sparked the creative push needed to inject a fresh, piercing intensity to the songs. There are moments on ‘Mirage’ where the frigid, gloomy swells of 80s new wave and electropop shrewdly loom. Other times, the album lives up to its name, shifting towards a more transparent, limpid sound pallette without feeling contrived, predictable or tacky. Within Mister and Mississippi’s body of work, ‘Mirage’ isn’t exactly a new chapter of an age old tale, but a new storybook in its entirety. The group’s decisively changed modus operandi also affected their riveting live performances. Look for Mister and Mississippi to flex their muscles with heavier riptides of sound and put greater emphasis on powerful, dynamic visuals to boot.
A natural next step. Since their formative years, Mister and Mississippi have proven themselves quite a force after numerous club shows both at home and abroad, plus notable festival slots at the likes of Lowlands, Paaspop, Eurosonic, SXSW and Rolling Stone Weekender. To leave you with another commonplace notion in the life cycle of a band: you’re only as good as your last record. The previously collected Edison and 3FM Awards, respectively, have now been removed from mantelshelf.
Indeed those are two beautiful memento’s of that promising debut and the laborious second LP. But with their monumental third one ready, the time has arrived for Mister and Mississippi to kindle that fire once again.
http://misterandmississippi.nl/
in between
Mister and Mississippi Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
We'll meet again
Out of thin air
I'll spell your name
You define yourself
As I ignite myself
In silence, we speak
You're under my skin
As we dare to laugh
You inspire me
Like I inspire you
To bond we must blend
Forever my friend
We meet in between
In between we meet
Like we always do
In between we meet
Pleasures we seek
We write our own laws
We meet in between
We're invincible
Now lose yourself
And you'll find me there
Great minds think alike
As they meet in between
With the taste of good wine
And warm company
We reveal ourselves
To become ourselves
To bond we must blend
Forever my friend
We meet in between
To bond we must blend
Forever my friend
We meet in between
In between we meet
Like we always do
In between we meet
The lyrics of Mister and Mississippi’s song “In Between” convey a sense of connection and belonging that come from meeting someone halfway. The verse “in drizzling rain, we’ll meet again, out of thin air, I’ll spell your name, you define yourself, as I ignite myself” suggests that the meeting is somewhat magical and unexpected, but also that the conversation is lively and invigorating. The next verse refers to the shared experience of being “barefoot in the grass” and “daring to laugh,” which allows the singer and the person they meet with to reveal their true selves and inspire each other. The chorus repeats the idea of meeting in between, which implies that the bond between the two people is not one-sided but built on mutual effort and understanding.
The verse “great minds think alike, as they meet in between, with the taste of good wine and warm company, we reveal ourselves, to become ourselves” further emphasizes the idea that meeting in between is not only about bonding, but also about growth and self-discovery. Similarly, the last chorus line “we meet in between, like we always do” suggests that this is not a one-time encounter, but a pattern that the two people have established for themselves. The song’s uplifting melody and lyrics create an atmosphere of warmth and inclusiveness that invites the listener to join in the experience and connect with others.
Overall, “In Between” is a song about finding common ground with someone else and building a relationship that is built on mutual respect and inspiration. It highlights the importance of listening, understanding, and making an effort to connect with others, even if it entails stepping out of one’s comfort zone.
Line by Line Meaning
In drizzling rain
Even though circumstances are not perfect, we will still meet
We'll meet again
We have met before and will continue to cross paths
Out of thin air
Our meetings seem to happen unexpectedly or coincidentally
I'll spell your name
I will take the time to learn and remember who you are
You define yourself
You have the power to determine your own identity
As I ignite myself
Being with you inspires and motivates me
In silence, we speak
We don't need to say anything to communicate or understand each other
Barefoot in the grass
We are comfortable and at ease with each other and our surroundings
You're under my skin
You have made a lasting impression on me
As we dare to laugh
We feel free and unencumbered in each other's company
You inspire me
Your words and actions encourage me to be a better person
Like I inspire you
I also have the ability to motivate and inspire you
To bond we must blend
We need to find common ground and connect with each other
Forever my friend
Our bond is strong and enduring
We meet in between
Our meetings are neither planned nor random, but somewhere in between
Like we always do
Meeting in between is a recurring pattern for us
Pleasures we seek
We are looking for enjoyment and fulfillment
We write our own laws
We live life on our own terms and do what feels right for us
We're invincible
Together, we feel unbeatable and capable of anything
Now lose yourself
Let go of your worries and immerse yourself in the moment
And you'll find me there
I will always be there to support and stand by you
Great minds think alike
We share similar thoughts, ideas, and values
With the taste of good wine
We savor life's pleasures and enjoy the finer things
And warm company
Being around each other brings comfort and happiness
We reveal ourselves
Our true selves are exposed when we are together
To become ourselves
Through our interactions with each other, we learn and grow as individuals
Contributed by Julian N. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Cristiano pelado
You are amazing guys, Keep going!
Grettings from Argentina!
oOGeekITOo
I miss this kind of style. Latest songs were really great with their 90's and retrovawe vibes but this song is what i liked you for, guys.
Kimberly H.
Perfect song for that moment in Molly's Bar. (Thanks to the show Chicago P.D., I found a great song.)
Federica Laurandrea
Chicago pd brought me here! ;)