November 6, 2020
Hydrophonik Records
Miles Back is an exploration of the 90s hip hop heritage that has so inspired all those who grew up in this music. Following YFW, in a stylistic exercise, Miles Barnes signs a comeback with steel stanzas, carried by concrete sounds created by MrBrock. Together, in this interlude in the land of boom bap, thus form the duo MBMB. A sound journey freely inspired by the great influences of this time, passing by A Tribe Called Quest, Mobb Deep, Wu Tang Clan, Originoo Gunn Clappaz, Onyx, Nas, Big L, Jay-Z, Mos Def, Fonky Family, to name some some. This gives us an ideal atmosphere to talk about origins. With words, we are talking about nostalgia, but more personal. In Same Slang, for example, Miles traces the carefree moments, places and pleasures that make anyone who has ever been a young person in the Ahuntsic district smile. In other passages, such as Cause A Effet, Miles offers himself a visit to the philosophy of spleen, that sweet unjustifiable melancholy, in a sincere introspection which aspires, as in many of his texts, to something great, something better. Overall, Miles takes a most authentic look at his incredible experiences since his debut. Experiences that have served as an apprenticeship and which have left a maturity to his texts, clearly visible by the fluidity of these, while expressing his unconditional love for his native district. A musical snapshot that is worth the jump in time. TRACK BY TRACK, FROM THE ARTIST: Ahuntsic Kids: Sometimes it's the spontaneous stuff that is most satisfying. MrBrock and I found this chorus together in less than 10 minutes, trying to evoke something very energetic, Onyx. We had good verses on a punchy beat, but it's really when we wrote the chorus that it all made sense. The idea of the Ahuntsic kids seemed to be written in advance in the lyrics and consistent with the themes of the EP. We didn't hesitate to choose it as an introductory track, as a context for the project with a beat that demands your attention. Same slang: It's a unifying track for my boys, a kind of "anthem" that I wanted to create for my G's. It's kind of a throwback to our old ways of looking at the future, a throwback to our daily ways of the time. In retrospect, I realize that it is also an enlightened testimony of my journey since my beginnings in the rap world. It's authentic, from Ahuntsic and fully assumed. KWB: From a studio session with MrBrock, probably the most productive and memorable ever. We had just worked together, earlier that day, a song from a cry from the heart, it really came to look for something deep inside of me. Life is filled with dualities: if I consider this track as the sweetest I have ever recorded, in the same session KWB turned out to be the rawest, the most brutal in my eyes. I tell myself that these are beautiful paradoxes that have often taught me to fully accept my vulnerabilities, regardless of the origin of the emotion. We also find sounds from the West Coast of the United States with the use of such a particular synth reminiscent of the best hours of Snoop Dogg, Warren G or even Nate Dogg. Cause a effet: This song, I wrote it alone, in a moment of great questioning. A sort of series of observations on the paradoxical nature of human beings in their daily lives. It's pretty funny, by the way, as I delved into this introspection, I started to feel guilty without really having done anything and to my surprise, this sentence there became one of the punches of the studio hook. It is an atmosphere of self-reflection, a nostalgia for a time when we perhaps saw life more simply. One thing I like about this track is that even after 4-5 plays, we discover something new, both in words and in the beat. What to do: Another example of spontaneity, this track was born practically in the same breath. We recorded it straight up in less than an hour. After listening several times it became a deliberate move to leave the track without a chorus and, oddly enough, this is in my opinion the most complete song on the EP. Everything is said, everything is in its place in a natural way. Come to think of it, it was really a beautiful moment of pure authenticity, unfiltered, away from what is circumspect. BIOGRAPHY: Miles Barnes is a Montreal born and raised rapper who grew up in Ahuntsic, north of the island. Miles leaves nothing to chance: his wordflow is carefully crafted, every sound is chosen, his communications strategy well thought through... he makes sure to pay attention to every single detail. More than just a rapper, he mixes-in his love of dance and theater to give originality to his performances, which makes each one of them a unique experience. On stage, the young rapper feeds off of the crowd to draw his uplifting and colorful energy and to fire up the show. Barnes developed his style starting in 2014 by attending open-mics and freestyle sessions, as well as competitions for aspiring artists. His music gained momentum after the release of music videos online and then through multiple collaborations. With Maestro Omayela's help, Miles released his first mixtape in 2014: Miles Away. With twelve original tracks, this project soon caught the eye of established and emerging French-Canadian rappers. Around the same era, Miles met Jah Maaz, current member of LaF, a group with which he collaborated to create a purely Montrealer EP: Jah-Miles - Ville Marie. This genuine and prominent album was released in August 2015. After a long period of incubation, Miles then released a surprise EP in 2017, Air Miles, assembling 5 tracks. Within a few months, the artist kept releasing different singles, including collaborations with Kevin Na$h & FouKi as well as Quiet Mike. 2019 started even stronger with Miles participating in the Francouverte's 23rd edition, which allowed him to further his network and, especially, meet David Campana. The same year he dabbles in show production, organizing CED, a charity evening dedicated to his best friend, that tragically passed few months before. This non-profit event raised funds for the GRIP (Groupe de Recherche et d'Intervention Psychosociale). After many performances, a writing trip to Europe and a year of professional training with the Carrefour des Arts de la Scene et de l'Entreprenariat), Miles is now back at it, more inspired than ever, with a new album: YFW (Y FAUT WORK), produced by Clement Langlois-Legare and Adel Kazi (Pops and Poolboy) from Clay and Friends; Noe Carillo from the French collective Novengitum and the Montreal-based producer Mr Brock. In November 2020, Miles Barnes will unveil his 5th EP, Miles Back, returning to the boombap origins of Hip-Hop, which marked the musical awakening of the rapper in the 90s. This new opus is entirely produced by Mr. Brock, incorporating scratches from the talented DJ Killa-Jewel, mixed and mastered by the legendary Mark The Magnanimous.