'Plan for the Disco (EP)' by Matthew Mirliani
In Matthew Mirliani's EP, entitled 'Plan for the Disco', the artist offers a captivating perspective on the intricate interweaving of personal memories and geographical locations within an artistic work.
The places that are significant to the artist act as an emotional map, with
'Ogden Avenue', a song located in Jersey City Heights, serving as a particularly poignant point of reference for the listener. The poignant tribute to the mother in
'Marian Court' is complemented by the thematic exploration of the father's roots in Massachusetts in
'Plan for the Disco', thereby establishing emotional anchor points.
The narrative web is further expanded by 'South Park', which links a shopping centre in Charlotte, North Carolina, with literary inspiration from the book Edge Cities: Life on the New Frontier. Here, the influence of urban development and modernity on personal and collective experiences is thematised.
The flow of time and modernity is captured in a multi-layered, intertemporal journey. Like a mosaic of time and space, ‘Plan for the Disco’ unites the fragments of a life into an artistic whole that resonates within us and evokes vivid imagery.
Q&A
What is the story behind the artist Matthew Mirliane and how did music become your passion?
Music runs in the family! My grandfather Fred “Doc” Mirliani was the son of Southern Italian immigrants from Calabria, and was a musical prodigy. He was asked by Glenn Miller to join his band, but turned him down to focus on teaching. “Doc” became a beloved and celebrated music professor at colleges in New England, and brought national recognition to the Holy Cross glee club (they cut two records with Capitol Records). There’s a memorial for him in New Britain, Connecticut.
My dad followed in “Doc”’s footsteps. He was a professional musician in the 60s and 70s, and plays on 3 tracks on the experimental jazz album Glass Flowers by Elysian Spring, a group he was a part of in Amherst, Massachusetts. Glass Flowers has gone on to be a cult classic and collectors item among jazz and vinyl enthusiasts. My dad also taught as a professor at Berklee College of Music, was lead trumpet player for the Tommy Dorsey Orchestra, and was part of a nationally-recognized magic show at the Cabot Theater in Beverly, MA. He introduced me to music — taught me how to appreciate it, how to dissect songs, how to understand how songs are structured. He instructed me on violin and cello, introduced me to The Beatles, Steely Dan, Donald Fagen — all the classics.
What are some of the main influences or inspirations for your music?
I’ve had many! When I first started writing and recording songs at 12 years old, Donald Fagen, film soundtracks, and the music I’d hear at church were big influences. I then discovered Sophie Ellis-Bextor at 13 years old and that influenced my earlier dance-pop records. Britney, Timbaland, Owl City, even eventually Radiohead inspired lots of the songs I did in middle school and high school. Throughout college and after I started getting more inspired by bands like Tears for Fears and also alt-pop artists like Lana Del Rey, Sky Ferreira, Blood Orange. Recently it’s been Brian Eno and Ryuichi Sakamoto as I’ve started to explore more of the ambient and neoclassical realm (Plan for the Disco definitely doesn’t fit in either of these genres, so a bit of a departure from my recent pivot to ambient and ambient-adjacent). Nick Cave and Bowie are also influences for me I think.
Your latest EP sounds very personal and of course awesome, what inspired it and what message do you want to convey?
There’s a couple messages in there that I won’t reveal explicitly, but on the surface it’s a tribute to places in America that mean something to my family and myself. I’ve lived in Jersey now for almost 6 years, and Ogden Avenue is a real street in the Jersey City Heights.
“Marian Court” is about my mom and “Plan for the Disco“ takes inspiration from where my dad grew up — both songs are situated in Massachusetts (the former in the North Shore where my parents met, the latter in Western Massachusetts).
“South Park” is about a mall in Charlotte, North Carolina, and (as I say in the song) inspired by the book Edge Cities: Living on the New Frontier. A running theme throughout the EP is the passage of time and modernity.
What are some of the tools or techniques you use to produce your music?
It’s a very basic, minimal set up! An Akai mini MPK synthesizer, a microphone, a laptop!
How do you approach writing lyrics for your songs?
I very, very rarely write my lyrics down. I write the music first. And then I let the atmosphere of the music tell me what it’s going to be about. I turn on the mic and I improvise my lyrics. It’s trial and error sometimes. But a lot of what you hear me sing are the first and only takes.
Being an indie artist can be challenging and time consuming, how do you manage this?
I’m fortunate to have my nights and weekends where I can carve out time to record! Ideas are always floating in my head, and I’ll jot down an idea on my notes app on my iPhone.
What are some of the projects or plans you have in the near future?
I’ve been enjoying participating in the weekly challenges on the Disquiet Junto blog that Marc Weidenbaum runs (which has allowed me to dive deeper in ambient and stretch my musical experimentation) and I am looking forward to more collaborations with Luke Tangerine who has been absolutely amazing to work with!
NenesButler - Indie Music Blog
