Around the world in 13 songs

Artist Mija released her new album Desert Trash in late January. The former EDM DJ is stepping out of her comfort zone with this project, but not without paying homage to the genre that got her to where she is today. Running 13 tracks long, this album is sure to take anyone who listens on an interesting expedition through Mija’s purest form of herself.

The album is filled with a diverse amount of moods, characters and emotions evoked. At times it is dark and somber. In many songs the percussion will take center stage, incorporating stomp-like drums, paired with an intense 808 that weighs down the song. Other songs feel very feathery and lightweight. A repetitive musical phrase seems to be a very common feature of a lot of these songs.

“Cover Me” is one of the lighter songs to contrast the heaviness of other tracks. It feels almost like something you’d expect to hear opening up a music box. On the opposite side of the spectrum are songs like “I Get Excited” which are very dark and overcast. It’s the theme song for walking down a dark alleyway in the middle of the night.

A repetitive musical phrase seems to be a very common feature of a lot of these songs. We hear it in songs like “So Close,” where what sounds like a clarinet gives the song that Egyptian feel. This song best captures the essence of the album’s title, Desert Trash. Mija does a great job in this sound, showing off just how many sounds and textures she can work masterfully in a cohesive matter.

While “So Close” feels like a walk with a sphinx, tracks like “The Thrill” feels like falling down an endless black hole. Once again, using the pattern of repetition, the piano riff in this song is so haunting and shadowy, it elicits a feeling of absolute weightlessness. One thing is for sure with the songs in this album, you never know where the next track will take you.