Mortal Prophets returned with a bewitching new EP, "Meine Liebe." This 18-minute EP is not a single but a sonic time capsule, a series of six stunningly chiseled tracks that feel like an aural mashup of German opera, European electronica, and the tough-chick charms of new wave.
The story behind Meine Liebe's genesis is as enigmatic as its sound. In 2018, Beckmann was inspired by the find of a weathered acetate record in a Munich record shop, its grooves echoing with ghostly melodies and disjointed voices. The name written on the record Meine Liebe became both a muse and a mission for Beckmann, who set out to create an evocative homage to its shadowy beginnings.
The highlights of "Meine Liebe" are as lyrically charged as its backstory. "Weimar Tango" thrums darkly, conjuring images of cabaret halls and shadowed alleyways. Packed with Beckmann's signature storytelling and darkly seductive rhythms, it evokes an era long gone. "Cologne 77," by comparison, throbs with contemporary vigor, its keening electronic pulses and multitracked synthesizers reminiscent of the underground nightclubs of late-70s Germany.
"Meine Liebe" is an audio journey that defies space and time. Mortal Prophets again show their gift for finding echoes long faded into something grittily contemporary.