Pipeman Radio Interviews Mimi Barks at Download20

0:00 Hey, you listening too? Yes, that's yourn. I'm for why for you? Wake up America. It's time for the Adventures of White Man on W four C white dot Com West pond Beat, his number one internet radio station. Here's your host, the White Man. Good, damn get the distances, attent aspect for listen now your word your system keeps You ain't a f victim. I got damn to the distances, attempt aspect good listen and you and broke your systems tep. You ain't a friend victim. I got a pitful stakes that I wanted to. It is the pipe Man here on the Adventures pipe Man W four C Y Radio, and I'm here with Mimi Box. What's up? What's up? Download? Oneieth anniversary? Like, how does that feel to be able to play the twentieth anniversary of Download?

1:15 Well, it's insane. It's my second festival in the UK. Really yeah, wow, straight up? But Download? You know, it's just good. What was the first? Old plus London? Okay? And in London? So that one? I don't know is that one? Like? Um, it's like a concoction of hip hop bands and heavy music. It's quite weird, Like Architects were playing, and well, you know, I find too because I'm from the States. Yeah, and the European festivals are cool because they do mix it up like that, like that there's no rules, you know, there's yeah, it's so cool. Yeah. I remember I was interviewing Jacoby Sharks and He's like, yeah, I just played a festival and I was on the same stage with Earth Wind and Fire. That wouldn't happen in the States. That's it. And that's so. I mean literally, like Architects were playing, and then straight after HYPOCARTI went on, and it's like a total different crowd. But in a way, the youth is like more acceptant of mixtures of music. That's in a way, it's like angle projected in different ways. You know. I think that's cool because like when I was coming up as a kid, I was a metal head and a punk but I was a long hair and I couldn't go to put shows because I'd get my ass beat and punk. Yeah, and there was boundaries and like people were like a noble shit, you know what I mean, but stupid. Yeah, But now it's like a hip hop show is a punk show. Yeah, do you know what I mean like a hip hop artist dresses like a rock star. Well in the States, what's been happening

2:47 lately is a lot of festivals I cover, they'll have hip hop artists like yellow Wolf, Tech nine Yeah, then Iced Tea. He does his body count, which is cool shit and always lad when people don't realize he's a metalhead, like yeah, you know, I mean he's on CENTI Bedo in it. So yeah, and that's like pure black metal. Oh yeah, label totally and he I mean he's badass, okay. Yeah. In fact, one of the shows I was at, his guitarists jumped off the stage, broke his leg and kept playing. That's bad ass if you ask me as yes, no doubt, no doubt. I mean, yeah, she must go on, sure absolutely. But you know my music is some is about that too. You know. It is like I'm an all job, but it is a mix of hip hop. I like the larger than life beats. By the same time, I carry that angle around for years and you know, I was kind of like, yeah, hip hop is just not doing it for me. I need to like scream on top of the beats. Yes, and that's why I am. And you do a good job at. Thanks. I gotta tell you, I absolutely love your videos because there's videos and then there's videos, you know, and your video is like just such a combination of artistry. It's not just music, it's like just insane artistry from every angle. I'll take that. Thank you for me.

4:13 The visual aspect of the whole project is as important as music, yes, and directing and creating all my music videos myself, so I take that, thanks very much. Yeah, that's not a team behind me, like in terms of um, you know, visual or musical output. It's just like you know, memal mates create creating what we can create with the resources we have. So that's really good because you know, I see a lot of DIY stuff and it may not be great because it's di y, but yours look like super professional, super And it's all about the vision and it's it's about taste, and you can't buy taste. Yeah. I mean there's there's Benzelt there they have like ten thousand pounds for music video, but you know they created create shit. Yeah, so it's just about the vision.

5:00 Well, you don't need money to create something great now, you have to have the vision and the persistence exactly and it's like live shows too. Live shows shouldn't be like listening to the album. Like there's one band I won't mention who, but in the States, every one of us in media at every festival always makes fun of that they're the most boring band to watch live. But we all like the band. Yeah, but live they just get up there and play. It's like I could listen to this at home. I watch YouTube at home. I want to go to a show where it's a show, there's bands. And I didn't even like till I saw him live. I was like, oh, yeah, that's another thing that's important to me. Um to not have life full on backing tricks. Yeah, I'm old school with my songs are like programmed and there are no life drums on them at the moment. That's okay, but life, I do have a drummer and a DJ, and we mixed it up and have to double bass drum. There you go, sab, you know, triggering the original sounds of debates, but it's played life, and you know, it's just just gives a different feel in it absolutely, you know, because there is an energy to live, and so if you're not entertaining the people, they might not get that energy, you know, especially if you don't have the energy. And that's why I find the ones that don't go that extra step.

6:24 It's almost like they're just going through the motions being up there. It doesn't mean they don't like making music, but maybe they don't like that part, or maybe they're just you know, robotic and whatever. I want somebody that's just gonna fucking put it all out there on stage and like they have nothing else left when they walk off, even though you know a lot some of my trexa hip hop, more hip hop related life. It's full on metal. Yeah. Well your voice too. I love your screams and the raunchiness of your voice. It's funny. You're gonna take this as a compliment, I hope. But for a brief second when I walked outside and I was looking up on a screen and Ginger was performing, for like a brief second, I thought it was you, even though oh it wasn't the great time, but it was that same vibe. Oh man, I love Ginger.

7:18 I'm actually working on a new album at the moment, and I'm so sad I actually missed this at but yeah, I want them on the album. There you go the new album. Guys all have to go on tour together. It would be so hard. Yeah, absolutely love Ginger there you go. So tell me where did this happen that you like, was there one moment in your life that you're like, this is what I need to do. Music is what I need to do. No, that that came so early. It's so natural to me. You know, my my background, like I guess, I guess get my inspiration out of fucked up youth like Berlin techno, that's it. And yeah, just like the anger I felt like in my childhood in it. So when when I moved to Berlin, I was reborn and this is where I was surrounded by people that were, you know, just letting you be, letting you know that. That's where I found myself. That's where I always knew I wanted to make music like ever since, Um, I'm ten years old, and I could see what you're saying, because but I found myself in Berlin like the sound, right, you know, the the techno, then the no boundaries, the just the overall like acceptance of people. Yeah, and then I moved to London and I was just like, you know, work with the right people collaborate, like with beatmakers, and it just makes sense. And I could see what you're saying about Berlin because the first time I ever went to Berlin as an American, I can't imagine that switch is like I never met thought

8:54 of Berlin of white websine went there. This is freaking cause it's like a festival. It's like it's like it's like a trip, do you know what? Like that? That's always what I like when I every time I entered Berlin, and that for five years, every time I went out of Berlin to like some other German city or London or whatever, and I came back to Berlin, I always felt high. Yeah when I entered the city. Do you do you get that? Oh? I totally because the moment I'm in Berlin, I'm like I'm high right now. I almost hate every other city in Germany. But then I went yeah, yeah, yeah, I'm like, holy fuck, I never expect exactly. Yeah, it's the coolest freaking city. Yeah. I was like, man, And you know, when you live over in the States, we're kind of like brainwashed of what's out there and the rest of the world. That's why I tell everybody I know in the States, you need to travel and see the world because I don't know where the fuck I moved away from there. But you know, we're like, we're like giving this big lie. Like I remember being a kid being told don't go anywhere or else outside the US because it's scary out there. And the first time I came to Europe, I'm like, the funk were they talking about? Yeah? You know, And that's why even with festivals, Okay, I go on tour and I do all the US festivals and then I come over here listen download specifically best from a press perspective, best festival, I do wi'e up because they treat press like we're pressed

10:26 in the States not so much, and there's a lot of fake press in the States, but I guess so, so it's what the artists, right. I mean, I've never toured in the States, but I do know bends from over there. I was like last year, I was turning for two months with Combat Christ Okay, and obviously they're touring the States all the time. Yeah, but it's just like you just got you know, they treat you different here. Yeah. Well, as from a media perspective, they definitely do, because they treat you like you're doing them a favor, which you are, like, I'm not paid to come here, you know, And so it's nice when they treat you like that's the way you should be treated. In the States. A lot of times it's like they're doing you a favor by letting you come to their festival. Yeah, but don't get me wrong. But then it's like that too know what to see you like. I guess that's the reason why I moved to, you know, to London. Yeah, so let I do Download here. I do Bloodstock, and both of them are like my two favorite festivals to do. Bloodstock, Oh you belong. I'm playing grass Spot next week. Nice in Belgium, So I'm gonna try grass Spot next year. I'm doing I'm supposed to do help Est next week, but I did help Est last year. It was sick last year, three hundred and sixty bands two weeks. It was just madness. I swear, like, that's on my list. I have to play help Us next year. The scenery there, it's just insane.

11:46 They bought the property so it stays like that. Yeah, yeah, yeah, hell while you're there. Yeah, I have to, don't I have like a fountain out of white monks, yes, but blood yep. And then they have fun and then they have this huge statue of Lemmy. It's like it's wild and it's so huge. There's like twelve stages. Insane. Yeah, you know they have they have bands that are playing on stages that are on a like on a roof, you know. Yeah, but you see like you see the old board and it's just like so many bands on it. I don't even fit on that posta. Oh last year, everybody I knew in the States before the festival or it's like that's got when it came out, because it came out during COVID. They're like, that's gotta be fake. That's not a real lineup because they're like everybody was playing.

12:39 It was insane. Yeah. You know it's cool too is they put each genre on different stage, so like if you're into death metal, this stage. If you're into black metal, it's the next stage over. If you're into hardcore, it's over here. Yeah. So if you're somebody that's one of those people that's like really only into death and black metal, you don't have to go anywhere the whole time because it's all right did hip hop as well. Are they're ready for trump Mental? Yet? I think the Ray for You, right, I think it must be ready. I think Ray for You could you could probably, you could probably kill it on the death metal stage. Could with your voice you could definitely. I think so I can see that happen into because when I was listening to you, I'm like, fucking hate that voice, you know, because I love that shit, you know. And it's unique too, because I find nowadays a lot of bands that are singing like that, they all kind of sound the same, you know, whereas back in the day, every band sounded different, you know, even like Possessed didn't sound like Dark Angel, didn't sound like Slay or didn't sound like Metallica, but yet they were all within the same realm.

13:56 Nowadays you have so made are like copying and just like being robots. And that's where I loved you, because you're unique, you know. It's just you know, for me, it doesn't work like that you are. You know, like whatever I do, it's just coming out like sometimes I'm surprised, Oh it's this sha coming out of my face, do you know what I mean? And I'm like, I'm just doing what I have to do. It's not like I'm doing what's up here and exactly because so I don't know how that works that you have bunds that sound exactly like each other, because that would just mean it's not coming out of your out of your head. No, not at all. It's almost like they plug in like an algebraic equation to make metal. And metal was never about that, you know. Metal was a totally different voice that was for pop, not for metal, you know. And so that's that's also why I like the blending of genres. I hated the gate keep and ship when I was young.

14:52 I thought it was stupid, you know, especially yeah, especially with like mel and punk, Like we were such a small group and we were the ones getting our asses kicked by the jocks for being different, yet we were fighting with each other. Dumb. I don't get it. Yeah, you know, I think an artist should just express themselves and it doesn't have to be locked into a genre. Nowadays, it's ridiculous. You have subgenres, microgenres, and it's like, you know, why are you putting this artist in a box? Like like you said, whatever comes in your head should come out. Yeah, that's the way you gotta be diverse in order to be somebody absolutely and have that unique sound, which you definitely do. And like you killed it here at Download. Were you shocked at how big the crowd was here on a Thursday early No, I do what to expect, to be honest, right, I've never been to Download before, so I hadn't No I did it, but yeah, man, it's like it was like quite an early set and we are like a mosh bit going with people stage diving, and I got the red card and I'd like to stop the show because it went too crazy. So I think, you know, we're on the job. To me, that means really good job. Like if you get if you get red carded, you're doing your job. That's my opinion, because sh it's getting crazy. I loved it early in the day.

16:15 I mean, shit'll be crazy tonight. It'll be even crazier. Are I gonna do when like slim most plan you know what happened. I was at the festival last year that they actually red carded it like four times during the show and they were going to kill it all together when Mike Kem played and I was like, really, for Mike Kem, that's yeah, but that ship means nothing. He showed me the red card and I was just kept on screaming, and at that point my my DJ was like somewhere in the mosh pit, like you know, and we just kept going and he did fucking nothing. He just walked off. He's like, Okay, well then not, you know, because what you're gonna do, you gonna do it. You know, like you stopped. What happens, you stopped the show. You know, it's like people are gonna freak like, and so just let it go on. You know, hey, listen, that's what this is a healthy way to get aggression. Going back to what you said earlier, you know that if I didn't have that outlet of metal and punk when I was a kid, who knows what I will exactly. Yeah, you know, I'd rather leave it in the pit than out on the streets.

17:18 I love that. That's it. Yeah, Yeah, that's what my music stands for. Two. If I wouldn't be writing that ship down, you know, it might as well just become reality. And you don't want that. You don't want to see that there is. I think that's why we're so pissed off in the world because we had two years without live music and nobody had an outlet, so it's all stuck in us. We want to kill people, trust me a lot. I was writing an album because of that. You know, I was sending down the studios. It was actually a great time to be honest, Like looking back at it, I was fucking painful. But I do feed off pain and I do get inspired by pain. So well, you know what, it was my place to be. And you know what I said, I've said if you're going to pick up part that lockdown, it's that artists like you got to jump off the hamster wheel of just going going, going, going, and you don't even have a chance to think of is this the direction I want to go?

18:11 You had a chance to sit down and really create. Yeah, you're like, finally I got some time on my hands and can actually like delph into myself. This is when I like went deep into spirituality as well. There you go, do you know what I mean? Like you don't half that time and like when you play, you know a show and show or video shoot, you know, release, It's really something that you can only do if you're an isolation. Yes, and you have the time because listen, before COVID, what artists had the time, you know, you had to put in an album to the record label on deadline and you weren't really finished with it. Yeah, if you have a record label, I'll make my own deadlines. I'm go see there you go. That's perfect because listen, what you start with could be totally different with what end up with.

19:00 So if you're cut off in the middle, you're not even gonna be happy with. Maybe everybody else will love it, but you'll be like, well, that's not completely what I wanted it to sound like. And I think that's what COVID did. It allowed you to write music that you knew at the end that's what I wanted. So that's cool. Um I wrote my mixtape that Girl in that Time, and that is a whole spiritual journey of you know, it's starting with anger aggression like pure rage songs, goes into the waking in like me killing my younger self and going through that pain body and getting rid of that pain body, and sometimes you know, and then this question like do you really want that? Are you ready to rewire that core belief and your old habits, because as you know, it's comfortable and change change is not comfortable, but you need it in order to be you know, progress, to involve, to evolve exactly. And through writing that album, I got through that awakening nice into I'm not sure if I can say peace, because you know what I mean, like anger comes back?

20:18 Yeah, yes, and do you know what that's actually my lyric as well? Like that? How do people connect with you on socials? On the web? Check out all your music and also check check out and buy your merch because artists don't survive today without merch Oh yeah, um, that's that's true. Yeah, I guess like the best place online to check me out is um Instagram. I you know, I don't know, I don't really like socials, but you know you got you gotta do them, I guess right. You know, you have the best chance there to get new updates and and um my merchandise which I design myself and I customize as well.

21:04 You can find out on my web page which is uh yeah, Mimi box dot com. I love that sign that yourself too, because I looked at your merchant it's pretty bad ass. Yeah, so everybody's ticket. Everybody's got to check it out. Did you see the customer with fold the title. Oh yeah, yeah, yeah, I shipped out myself. Yeah nice. It's so important. It's so important to me, like you're a true artist. There it is, Otherwise it wouldn't be here right now. Well some are, well they're not going to be around for long, that's right. But you are going to be because your badass. Your music's badass, your creativity is badass. And listen, thank you. You were at download and so I want to thank you for being here at download and thanks for being on the Adventures of pipe Man. Thanks for having me. Need to start there you go, and do you have any final words you want to share with the listeners that we didn't cover yet that they need to know about you?

22:03 Or did we cover it? All? Covered everything? Let's do and what I'm working on a new album. It's gonna drop soon. I just need that feature with Ginger, So let's go. Yeah, let's go. Let's put that out there. I love it. Thanks a lot, Thanks for having man. Thank you for listening to the Adventures of Pateman. I'm W four CUI Radio.