MIHI NIHIL is an emerging band from Los Angeles, comprising Mihi Vox (vocal), Benjamin Montoya (guitar), Nick Steinberg (bass) and Adam Alt (drums). Mihi, a former New York City Opera singer, is backed by three self-taught rockers.
Casually, through years of friendship and free-flow sessions the group calls “Whiskey Rehearsals,” MIHI NIHIL was realized and the anatomy of the album was built. They quickly understood how perfect this imperfect pairing of three alternative musicians and a classical singer would be. The record, written and performed together by the quartet in one room, fully encompasses their collaborative essence.
Delivering a sound rooted in post-punk, MIHI NIHIL pulls from a kaleidoscope of influences, including early Radiohead, The Clash, Ennio Morricone, Siouxsie and the Banshees, Bauhaus, Neil Young, and The Pixies. Mihi’s captivating vocals flow seamlessly from serene unfolding to anthemic power, gliding alongside the tectonic pull of Benjamin’s guitar, while Nick and Adam drive the bass and drums with commanding fervour. Together, the four-piece have crafted a nine-song debut grounded in the earthiness and redolent with nostalgia.
The name Mihi Nihil (Mee-Kee Nee-Keel) sounds like a University’s Latin motto, but it was actually the lead singer, Mihi Vox’s, nickname in college. Now a band motto, the name represents the groups approach life and music as they write songs together, staying open not only to each other but also to the music.
Veteran indie producer Adam Lasus (Yo La Tengo, Helium, Madder Rose) captured the band’s live energy to tape, revealing an album imbued with a timeless, lush and layered sound that’s meant to be savored and slowly ingested. Like colorful rock formations, the music encompasses a myriad of subtle tints and bold textures. Recorded without a click track, MIHI NIHIL naturally expands and contracts, pushes and pulls, moving with ease. Whether it’s the cinematic echo of Ennio Morricone in “Verberation” or the ominous yearning for connection in the more soporific electro “Space Invader,” MIHI NIHIL shifts tonal presentations effortlessly with maximum emotional thrust.
Leading up to their self-titled LP, the foursome has steadily fed four singles over the prior months. Garnering positive attention along the way, they landed tracks in two recent major motion pictures, on several media outlets in fifteen countries and in fifty-four playlists. From the playful punk burst of “I Eat You,” which feels like it could have been recorded in 1977, to the dark wistful waltz of “Falling Star” swaying with a 1950s soul, MIHI NIHIL bridge the past and present musical zeitgeists. Their music feels at once mysterious and familiar, as a fog curling heavily around the listener only to be cut through by rays from the sun.
https://www.mihinihil.com/
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