Mimi Barks is pushing deeper into her self-styled “doom trap” sound with the release of her new single and video, Jericho. The track marks the second preview of her upcoming EP, Dreamstate of Fear, arriving July 24 via her own DEATHKISS Records imprint.
Following “Dreamstate of Hell,” “Jericho” sharpens the direction of this new era — blending industrial textures, alternative metal weight, and trap-influenced rhythms into something that feels both aggressive and inward-looking. Sonically, it leans into heavy guitars and dynamic vocal swings, but the real focus is the internal conflict driving the track.
Lyrically, “Jericho” is about tearing down false beliefs and confronting self-deception. The repeated call to “break down Jericho” works as a metaphor — not just for destruction, but for dismantling the walls we build around identity, relationships, and control. The song moves through betrayal (“you were a savior in my mind’s eye”), disillusionment, and ultimately toward a kind of rebirth.
There’s a clear pivot in the narrative: what starts as external blame gradually turns inward. Lines about being “blinded” and “falling for a demon” evolve into something more self-aware, culminating in the idea that transformation only happens when everything false is burned away. Even at its darkest — moments that touch on intrusive thoughts and emotional collapse — the track doesn’t stay there. It reframes destruction as necessary change, not an ending.
That aligns with Barks’ own statement on the song, framing collapse as release rather than failure. “Jericho” isn’t about defeat — it’s about choosing to dismantle what no longer serves you and stepping into something unknown, even if it’s uncomfortable.
Visually, the video (shot in Bordeaux and Paris by NineNine99 and Phenix Agency) mirrors that descent and transformation. The aesthetic pulls from underground industrial and fashion-forward visuals, reinforcing the track’s tension between control and chaos.
The artwork for Dreamstate of Fear reinforces that same idea of destruction as transformation. It shows Mimi Barks sitting on the ground in front of a smoke-filled car, lit in cold blues and harsh artificial light. The scene feels controlled but chaotic — like something has just burned out or is about to.
There’s a deliberate contrast at play: the rigid, almost industrial setting versus her grounded, confrontational posture. It mirrors the themes in “Jericho” — tearing down what’s familiar, sitting in the aftermath, and choosing what comes next. The smoke and lighting give it that “in-between” feeling, not quite collapse, not quite rebirth — exactly where the track lives.
It’s not subtle, but it doesn’t need to be. Like the song, the image is about the moment after impact.
Barks’ rise from the underground scenes of Berlin and London to her current base in Los Angeles has been built on that same duality — heavy but emotional, abrasive but intentional. With a debut U.S. tour already underway alongside Little Miss Nasty, and upcoming European dates with KING 810 and Wargasm, she’s quickly translating that vision to bigger stages.
Dreamstate of Fear drops July 24 and is available for pre-order now on limited LP, tape, and CD.
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