Deciding to step off from behind the camera, DPR IAN debuts with an EP taking the listeners on a journey through his dark thoughts and life experiences. DPR IAN, also known as Christian Yu, is part of Dream Perfect Regime, an independent label of various artists in charge of their own music and visual art. “Moodswings In This Order,” or “MITO,” is a concept EP based on DPR IAN’s bipolar disorder. The EP introduces the duality of the singer Ian and his darker and manic side labeled as Mito. The character, Mito, is derived from Ian’s from his life experiences.
Opening with a short title track, “MITO” creates the mood for the rest of the album. The song creates a mysterious and haunting instrumental with the addition of some background vocals. The track is atmospheric and creates a feeling of dread or the anticipation that something bad will happen.
“So Beautiful” starts off with sounds of rain and sounds of a violin creating an eerie feeling. This song easily becomes the most unique with the incorporations of multiple music genres. The song is a combination of R&B, jazz, and an empty chorus which is somehow able to blend with Ian’s chilling vocals.
“Dope Lovers” follows a chill sound featuring a relationship and heartbreak. The song can be interpreted differently but refers to dope meaning drugs, meaning a love that is addicting and something you can’t stay away from.
“No Blueberries ft CL, DPR LIVE” dives further into the contrast of Ian and his darker selfMito. The song is simpler, with a chill sound with the addition dpr Live’s rap and CL’s backing vocals in the chorus. The song quickly becomes one of his most popular for its smooth tune and lyrics. The music video for the song adds more depth to the lyrics, with Mito making an entrance in the video as a monster that Ian is trying to run away from.
“Nerves” follows a pop rock sound that fits the concept of Mito as the darker self and Ian merging. The chorus is a repetition of the sentence “I’m doing fine” which adds to the feeling of angst and shows the feelings of the singer Ian through his vocals.
“Scaredy Cat” offers a similar sound to “No Blueberries” but this song focuses on Mito. The song comes from the phrase “curiosity killed the cat”. The lyrics delve into the feeling of loneliness and the fear of slowly disappearing without anyone realizing.
“Welcome To The Show” the song incorporates Mito’s feelings through a rock-ballad sound. The song encapsulates the acceptance of the character Mito, but lyrics also reveal the feeling of anxiety and uncertainty of what is about to happen.
The EP ends with the song with “No Silhouette” featuring layers of vocals chanting “this is the end.” This song resembles a similar atmospheric instrumental heard in “Mito.” It features the merging of both Mito and Ian, further realizing the need of those highs and lows of your moods in life.
Listening through this EP is far more than just the songs, the music videos offer another perspective to what Mito is. Ian also made a short documentary “Memories in Order” fully explaining each song and the story behind them. DPR IAN truly reveal his talent and artistic abilities with composing, directing and editing his own music videos.
