MIMI FESTIVAL 1997

What a pleasure for all of the audience and HARPY themselves upon stage. This album, released in 2020, was live- recorded upon Festival Mimi 1997 at Arles Theatre Antique, France in July 1997. The sound is clear and vivid maybe due to good recording around the stage and excellent mixing and mastering by ITOKEN. Melody lines drenched in catchy frontline plus tricky moments, and rhythmic bases flooded with eccentric vibes and enjoyable movements, are quite similar to their studio-based creation indeed, but such an explosive lively power and fresh, fruity vivacity all around the venue can be tasted only in this album. Wish we could have attended this festival, let me say.

Their attitude to show their effusive musical energy in a short minute sounds consistent. Every single track created by them has colourful variations of sound, e.g. improvised weirdness in "Greg Likes Peanuts Butter", relaxing air despite its dangerous title "Wash A Gun", a funky threat coming around us "Echinococcus". Don't know if the word "avantgarde pop" should be suitable for their soundscape, but in this live material various appearances of theirs can be heard, actually. Not only pleasant phrases but also depressive, serious hints ... at least for me. Especially in the first longest track "Shopping-Nearest". Basically can enjoy this stuff. And simultaneously some tragic points are drilled into my inner mind. Pretty mysterious.

Understanding there are pros and cons for their sound, but it's true they have kept their rigid potential in the late 1990s as you know. It's a pity Kyoko has taken to Heaven owing to her serious illness.