mirs

flwr out now

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flwr is now avail on bandcamp
flwr visual is now avail on youtube
flwr is now avail on spotify
flwr is now avail on apple music
flwr is now avail on all major platforms

flwr as art is avail as a 1/1 edition here

liner notes:

flwr
Music by CINIMA & Mirs
Produced by Nima Rezai & Amir Motlagh
Mixed by Nima Rezai
Mastered by Shawn Hatfield at AudibleOddities
Artwork by Amir Motlagh
℗ CINIMA Publishing / ANIMALS Publishing Worldwide
© 2022 CINIMA / ANIMALS / Nima Rezai / Amir Motlagh

flwr (B-Side)
Music by CINIMA & Mirs
Produced by Nima Rezai & Amir Motlagh
Mixed by Nima Rezai
Mastered by Shawn Hatfield at AudibleOddities
Artwork by Amir Motlagh
℗ CINIMA Publishing / ANIMALS Publishing Worldwide
© 2022 CINIMA / ANIMALS / Nima Rezai / Amir Motlagh


video art
flwr - CINIMA X Mirs

Directed by Amir Motlagh & Nima Rezai
Music by CINIMA & Mirs
Produced by Nima Rezai & Amir Motlagh
Mixed by Nima Rezai
Mastered by Shawn Hatfield at AudibleOddities
Artwork by Amir Motlagh
℗ CINIMA Publishing / ANIMALS Publishing Worldwide
© 2022 CINIMA / ANIMALS / Nima Rezai / Amir Motlagh

love in the great uncertainty

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“mirs experiences love loss during the beginning of a great crisis period.”

written & directed by Amir Motlagh
produced by Charles Borg, ANIMALS, Amir Motlagh
music by Mirs

ep available only through Bandcamp:
https://mirs.bandcamp.com/album/love-in-the-great-uncertainty
—
tracklist as they appear:

soma (demo2044)
minima (demo2020)
namu (demo1984)

—

below are links to Youtube & Vimeo. under that is the link to the EP.

2018 in short review....

in

This was a wonderful year for us at ANIMALS & we are stoked that you shared it with us! Here is the short review:

  • We released two feature films: THREE WORLDS & MAN (both also avail on Amazon Prime in all English speaking territories along with several other major platforms). One of these we shouldered for close to 5 years. This also concluded the THREE MARKS TOO MANY SIGNALS series of works that started with the release of CANYON in 2016.

  • We re-released an HD update of my 2010 feature film WHALE (Amazon Prime & other platforms avail as well).

  • We released two soundtracks (OST) for both films on all major music platforms. (THREE WORLDS / MAN)

  • We re-released a collection of Mirs singles into a short full length record called Singles 1218 (including two all new tracks from 2018 ((Saturday / Hafiz Drinks from the Cup of Time V1)) available on all major music platforms)

  • We released the Mirs Visual Short Film, “what do you know of water’s worth while standing on the banks of the euphrates” - This was technically a 2017 release, but it was close enough to a year to date to include here.

  • We almost got done with two other major releases, but they had to be pushed into 2019, both around 90% finished. These two where brought into life by incredible stretches of faith & ample serendipity.

We look forward to a wonderful 2019, and are busy with new works, new collaborations and new possibilities. I want to thank everyone who we worked with us this year and all the incredible talent we collaborated with on these projects in a plethora of capacities, and to everyone who shared and helped us push our agenda forward.

Thank you deeply and with the sincerest gratitude,

am

isharethisflowerwithyou.jpg

what do you know of water’s worth while standing on the banks of the euphrates

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(if inclined, please watch the work first...it runs 15min.)

Tomorrow marks the online premiere of my latest work (today for you) which I have conveniently embedded the link in this post. (if you prefer, on vimeo here)

This project functions as both a standalone film and also, a visual single for "Moonlighting MIssion Man", the latest release from my music project MIRS.

Two birds, one stone on the shallow end, a postmodernist twist on a Rene Magritte expression on the pretentious end. Both, equally as valid.

This is the working synopsis or thesis put through a press release blender:  "The film captures an intimate sliver into an Iranian American Sufi Muslim poet (Mahsa Hosseini) as she goes about finding meaning in her life. The visual narrative, shot in a classic cinéma vérité style, provides a strong counterpoint to the hidden, synth-driven, processed vocals in "Moonlighting Mission Man". The video eludes to a dual narrative between the film & the music, though kept hidden from plain sight."

Ultimately, this project started with this question, "Is this a short film or a music video?". And for me, ended with identity. (an ephemeral thing, with real-world consequences). 

But back to Magritte, and equally, Jean Baudrillard. Why is the opening question important to me? Media (and its contents) by in large is an open-ended question nowadays, and while I'm personally working through the details of this new paradigm, doing so with a dichotomous media might be my best way of processing it. What is a film? What is a tweet? How are they different? These are important questions in hyperreality when words have less direct meaning, and content rules all. 

MAN + THREE WORLDS + CANYON = THREE MARKS, TOO MANY SIGNALS

Currently wrapping up the final post production on two long-form projects, both set for release in 2017, of which are titled MAN & THREE WORLDS respectively.

These works file under the umbrella of THREE MARKS, TOO MANY SIGNALS and include the 2016 MIRS visual album CANYON, released in Sept of 2016. 

They are grouped together for multiple reasons, most of which are not important for me to state on paper, though, I believe, will be somewhat self-evident upon inspection. Even maybe an ah-ha moment at a later date. As Ozu was once heard remarking, "The end of a film is its beginning". I stand firm on his statement, at this time.

This body of work is somewhat hard to define in the current media space as it exists today. MAN and THREE WORLDS are closely related to feature films, but, share some space with the concepts of internet defined new media, and also, classic single channel works. The division of labor hierarchy, a stalwart of fiction filmmaking was not really present, and nothing in the process was ever too familiar. Simply put, it was a bottom-up effort (of course, with ample help, without which, all three, non-existent). With that said, all three were created with different methodology, defined by their own individual worlds, under a larger, unified universe.

But, I am at the state where I do need to raise a bit of capital to see this through completely into a shippable, or at least, releasable product. Very little $$ comparatively, but enough so that I am seriously considering a CROWD FUNDING CAMPAIGN. In fact, unless someone comes along this week and puts up used car money, I'll go that route, not so begrudgingly anymore, because I think the urge to share overrides my conditioned response to crowd sourcing fiction. On second thought,  I hardly call these works fiction in the common language sense ( language is never 1 to 1) so most importantly betweeen the two parties involved, you need to see them, but first I must finish.

Also, to really ride #skininthegame to its conclusion, here is some prototype artwork for the projects. I have never shared this early in the art direction process, as art is historically done when presented in its final form. But, art is now software, as art is a product of its time and software has eaten the whole, entire fucking world in its time. Also, software is always beta.

So, here is my beta version artwork posters for the collective of THREE MARKS TOO MANY SIGNALS projects. These are again another collaborative effort with my long time friend, artist Ali Sabet who puts up with my art direction barking, which often gets reversed by better instincts. Note that CANYON is already released, but will be updated with a film poster as well to go along with the album art.   

 NOTE: Everything in this post is temporary. Except, the fact that the projects are releasing.

CANYON - The Visual Album - Personal Thoughts #01

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Was just reflecting on the emergence of "Visual Albums" after this article was brought to my attention highlighting CANYON.  Truth be told, I did not want to label CANYON as such since it comes at the heels of amazing visual releases, but i've been personally trying to put together a "visual album" since 2010, and failing to execute until CANYON.

My first attempt came at the release of my first MIRS solo EP, SPIN CYCLE. I couldn't pull resources together to execute. The second time came with the release of MEAT ON YOUR LONELY BONEZ, and again, while a treatment was prepared and some meetings arranged, we never went ahead and executed. Which, in hindsight proves valuable, since I feel those concepts lacking cohesion now. But, thats the truth with any work from the past done, or undone.   

The interesting question here is how this one came about and why the other two attempts failed. Simply, we reversed the process of production. We first shot CANYON, the film, then we got to finishing the record. Of course, both these things were happening concurrently, but we got the visuals in the can in November of 2015. In fact, a couple rotting pumpkins show up on frame for the astute observer. The rest of the process took the time it takes for any project to develop, especially exasperated by the fact that career responsibilities lay elsewhere.

I'll leave you here with CANYON if you haven't seen it or are just coming across this. My recommendations include a) headphones b) some quiet downtime c) fullscreen. Also, afterwards, check out this mini doc below with the incredible artist. ALI SABET, describing the process of creating the artwork for the whole project. 

CANYON is live

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We launched the MIRS project CANYON on 09-06-16, All the info about it can be found here. I'm relieved that it's done, but very much enjoyed this particular process with the help of my collaboration with Nima Rezai. 

The record is available to stream or buy at iTunes, Bandcamp, or at our very own store which includes a PDF version of the CANYON Artbook here. 

We are also selling a very limited number of CANYON Art Prints here, signed and numbered by the incredible artist, Ali Sabet.

This was a SABET + MIRS collaboration with its own very unique process, some of which is detailed in the video below.  

The new record - Meat on Your Lonely Bonez

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The new record is out.  Please go over to the itunes store, or bandcamp to pick up a copy.  Playing them in order is preferable.  

Track List:

1.  Dtla
2. Liza
3. Dayz
4. Americaz

Credit:

released 04 February 2014
Produced by Amir Motlagh
Instrumentation, Programing, Vocals & Lyrics by Amir Motlagh
Samples: Love & Fashion - Paper City
Art & Max Sessions at The Matrix
Mix: Amir Motlagh
Mastering: Hans DeKline (Sound Bites Dog)
Art Direction: Amir Motlagh, Ali Sabet
Illustration: Ali Sabet
Publishing & Copyrights 2014 Amir Motlagh / ANIMALS / MIRS