Starting with his Different Eyes EP in 2023, Billain’s releases have been a bit fewer and farther between, with the enigmatic artist choosing to focus on big, epic drops of curated sound journeys rather than one-off tracks. The Bosnian artist has always done this with his larger releases, going back to 2019’s epic Nomad’s Revenge. With loads of other projects scoring video games and his multi-award winning short film Fugitive in 2022, it makes sense both in style and in substance that Billain would focus on quality rather than quantity. Enter his first full-length album in nearly three years, Mirror.
Billain always approaches his work with an uncompromising artistic vision, more often than not contaning a musical storyline and complete with stark visuals to catch all his audience’s senses, and Mirror will be no exception. To be released in three samplers throughout the summer, the full album drops on Evolution Chamber on 29 August. The first sampler is out this Friday, 6 June with a preview of lead single ‘Doomed Heart’ today. This single introduces the listener to the requisite Mirror lore: a story of bending time and space on a quest to enlighten, much like Billain’s music does.
‘Doomed Heart’ is a true cinematic intro piece, with its own intro bringing in deep, esoteric elements that put the listener in a contemplative state before the slow, syncopated, almost hip hop coded beat hits, its plodding rhythm matching the journey of the story’s protagonists, which will likely will become an arc of both a literal and spiritual quest as the album goes on.
The heavy bass synths and beat are relentless throughout ‘Doomed Heart’, with ornamental sparks of celestial tones punctuate this rolling bass campaign, leaving a bittersweet hope and a bit of a cliffhanger to the reader and the listener: ‘Perhaps a doomed heart is all it takes to become a warrior.’ Similarly, this album has what it takes to echo the emotional and spiritual journey humanity has been on these past few years. A complex and beautifully executed look into the contrast required to grow.
‘Doomed Heart’ is previewing today on Soundcloud and will be available on other platforms on Friday, 6 June. Pre-order and pre-save of the single here, and Mirror can be pre-saved on selected platforms here.