Bank Myna celebrates its second album.
The adventure that begun in 2013 continues for Maud Harribey (vocals/violin/keyboards), Fabien Delmas (guitar/lap steel), Daniel Machón (bass/noise box/samples) and Constantin du Closel (drums/percussion), who announce the release of Eimuria in collaboration with Medication Time Records, Stellar Frequencies, Araki Records and Modulor.
The album opens with the heavy No Ocean Of Thoughts, by far the shortest composition, which lets Maud‘s voice meet a mysterious instrumental of keyboards and a few saturated notes in the background. As the sound progresses, it becomes stranger and stranger, but this is nothing compared to The Shadowed Body, which starts off very gradually, offering ever more oppression in its noisy rhythm until it becomes almost unbearable before exploding all at once, allowing the saturation to express itself fully for a while. The return to calm comes naturally, but we sense that the darkness hasn’t completely gone, and the band let it slowly regain ground, even offering a moment of extreme slowness that’s almost soothing before a moment of terror followed by The Other Faceless Me, which returns to true tranquility. Some heady sounds slowly appear to accompany the singer, becoming more and more insistent and contributing to this almost mystical atmosphere that weaves itself continuously and fairly regularly before cutting off abruptly to make way for Burn All The Edges where the sound is first hazy, then finally heavy. The vocalist sometimes leaves the instrumental to advance on its own, but the latter eventually changes to become more intriguing, marking the return of vocals and then finally of abrasive saturation, but in a way that is more hypnotic than aggressive, and which intensifies until its final moments to join L’Implorante, the last composition that begins in a rather minimalist fashion. The singer, guitar and effects dance alone, then welcome keyboards, a violin or a few noises that contribute to the creation of this canvas, before finally adopting other, more or less stifling motifs that can even take the form of aerial riffs or this impressive fog of sound before letting Maud guide us towards the end of the album.
Bank Myna is a unique project with a multi-faceted sound signature, making Eimuria an album with many assets to seduce. Slowness and oppression are on the agenda, but they’re far from alone, thanks to the musicians’ different influences.
80/100
Photo credits : Pierre Sopor Montali
A few questions for Maud Harribey, singer/keyboardist/violinist for the band Bank Myna, about the release of their new album Eimuria.
Hello, and first of all, thank you for taking the time to talk to me! Without using any style labels such as Post-Rock, Shoegaze, or their derivatives, how would you describe the band Bank Myna?
Maud: Hello Matthieu, thank you for interviewing us! Our music plays particularly on contrasts, variations in intensity, and textures, all in a dark and cathartic atmosphere. We’re not afraid to stretch time as much as we want if it serves the musical purpose. We love ethereal and airy atmospheres as much as heavy and incisive moments. I remember one of the very first reviews of our music, titled “In Praise of Slowness”, back in 2015. I think that sums us up particularly well.
Where does the name Bank Myna come from and how do you personally relate it to the band’s music?
Maud: When we started out in 2013 (which feels like an eternity ago), we were four completely uprooted people. Most of us had just arrived in Paris, far from our loved ones. We then had the idea of choosing our name from a list of migratory birds. Of course, the bird emphasized the ethereal quality we wanted to give to our music. Bank Myna immediately caught our eye and appealed to us, both visually and phonetically.
Your second album, Eimuria, has just been released. How do you feel within the band? What has the feedback been like?
Maud: Pretty exhausted, to be honest. This album has been a real obstacle course (even though I’m not a fan of war-related metaphors). It took a lot of perseverance, pragmatism, and resilience to get it off the ground. But we’re also super happy and super proud of its uniqueness. We were lucky enough to be able to promote it, as soon as it was released, on three great stages in Germany (after a test concert in the beautiful alleys of the Beaux Arts in Paris), notably at the Culthe Festival in Münster, probably the best black metal (and related genres) festival on a human scale in all of Europe.
How would you sum up Eimuria in three words?
Maud: That’s quite a challenge, as I find it so multifaceted! Perhaps: cathartic, intense, enveloping?
How did the process of composing the album Eimuria go? Did you notice any changes compared to your previous productions?
Maud: The first change, and not the least, was that we fully integrated Constantin du Closel, our not-so-newish drummer, into our compositions. He went well beyond the rhythmic aspects because he has a real musical vision. I also think we really wanted to do something heavier than our previous albums, something more powerful and even darker. So we naturally gravitated towards more Post-Metal sounds than before.
The band’s sound is a mix of Post-Rock, Shoegaze, and ethereal influences. How do you manage to create your own unique touch?
Maud: Personally, I don’t really feel any Shoegaze influence in what we’ve written and composed. I would say it’s more textured atmospheres, like drone music. I don’t really know how we create our own universe, except that there are four of us composing and each of us brings our own musical vision and desires. That’s probably what makes our sound unique. We don’t try to sound a certain way. We jam, we compare our musical visions, and that’s where the magic happens!
Which bands would you cite as your influences? How do you manage to combine each member’s desires to create something coherent?
Maud: That’s an excellent question because, in fact, we don’t have the same influences, and yet we always manage to find a balance, a common ground. If I had to give the four cardinal points of our music, I would say: Anna von Hausswolff / ISIS / Godspeed You! Black Emperor / Messa.
How did you decide on the themes addressed in the songs? How did you choose which tracks to reveal to present the album?
Maud: There weren’t really any decisions as such. It happened very naturally and we “built” these themes as the composition process progressed. I suggested some lyrics, and Constantin, Dani, and Fab shared their feelings one by one, and that’s how we refined the themes (and how I really became aware of them!).
I know it’s a difficult question, but do you have a favorite track on this album? Or one that seemed the most natural to compose?
Maud: My favorite track is probably L’Implorante, and yet it’s the one that gave us the most trouble and that we only finalized a few days before going into the studio… composed in a hurry, it has a fluidity and spontaneity that touches me a little more than the others.
Eimuria is released in collaboration with the labels Medication Time Records, Stellar Frequencies, Araki Records, and Modulor. How did the collaboration with these four entities go? What about your partnership with Clément from Vous Connaissez? PR for press relations?
Maud: We’re lucky because we’re surrounded by passionate people who love what they do. They all really took on a supporting role and gave us complete freedom for the entire creative process (including how we wanted to present the album and the band). It was extremely valuable and important for us to retain that freedom. And of course, they were very involved and committed to promoting the album. We are very grateful to them!
You’re going to play with Point Mort and WuW at Glazart on May 22nd, 2025. How are you preparing for this release party? Do you have any rituals or little habits before going on stage?
Maud: We loved that evening. It was quite a gamble for us because we co-organized the event, including the associated financial risks. We were very happy to see so many familiar faces and new ones. We really had a blast on stage and it was crazy to have them as co-headliners. We’ve loved WuW for years and we’ve followed Point Mort‘s evolution, which we find quite incredible (I listened to their EP R(h)ope a lot!). All three of us have very unique and quite different styles, but it made perfect sense to be together that night! And I realize that I haven’t fully answered your question. We don’t really have a ritual, but you’ve given me some ideas for the future!
What are Bank Myna‘s next projects?
Maud: It’s still too early to say! For now, we mainly plan to promote our album live, with as many concerts as possible… And unfortunately, that’s no easy task. Culture has really taken a hit in France over the last two years. We feel it in our contacts. Many venues have closed, many organizations have thrown in the towel, and the remaining ones are overwhelmed with requests, even more so than before. It’s difficult to succeed in these conditions!
Are there any musicians or artists you would like to collaborate with in the future?
Maud: That’s such a difficult question to answer! I’m not sure we’re a band that collaborates, but I would love to compose with A Swarm of the Sun or Year of No Light (two bands I particularly like and just saw again at the Dunk! Festival).
Do you think you’ve improved as musicians with this album?
Maud: Yes, definitely. For my part, I’ve really pushed my vocal abilities in particular. Not necessarily technically, but I worked a lot on the nuances and colors I wanted to give to each passage. This is the first time I feel satisfied with what I’ve accomplished musically, and I write this without any pretension because I’m extremely demanding of myself. This time, I’m simply proud!
Which bands would you dream of playing with? Imagine your dream show with Bank Myna as the opening act, and three other bands.
Maud: Anna von Hausswolff, because she has had a huge influence on my music. Year of No Light, because not only are they incredibly talented, they are also very friendly and sincere in what they deliver. And then Big/Brave, with whom we’ve already shared the stage, but who have undergone an absolutely remarkable musical evolution. Their latest experimental album is a gem! I’m also thinking of Oiseaux-Tempête, whose very “live” and “improvised” style we love, ISIS (in our wildest dreams, we could imagine them reforming?!)…
Last question: what dish would you compare Bank Myna‘s music to?
Maud: I’d say lasagna with a twist: something sweet and comforting on the palate, with layers and unpredictable flavors, texture, and just the right amount of heaviness.
So that was my last question. Thank you for your time, and the final words are yours!
Maud: Thank you again for your time, and long live Acta Infernalis!