A lot of hype has been surrounding the DPR Regime World Tour since its announcement back in April, especially as dates and locations worldwide have continued to be added in these last few months. DPR Ian’s latest release Moodswings In To Order is the follow up album to last year’s Moodswings in This Order. Anyone who knows DPR Ian knows that he is a very innovative and meticulous creator, and both of these releases are meant to represent his alter-ego, MITO. If interested in diving deeper on this concept, you can read more about it and a breakdown of his new album in an interview here. Today, we’re going to talk about the album.

The album has an accompanying visual movie, which I label as such because it is absolutely not a music video—it’s so much more. It features lines from “Seraph,” “1 Shot,” “Mood,” and “Ribbon.” On the Zach Sang Show, Ian disclosed that MITO is a manifestation of his diagnosed bipolar disorder, and in the MIITO MOVIE visual, it definitely feels this was deliberately showcased. There is so much utter chaos and otherworldly visuals shown that it’s easy to understand this as a visual representation of his experience with his own mental illness. It’s even more remarkable when you take into consideration that he directs, shoots, and edits all of his own work, making this a completely independent creation of his own mind. Even upon first viewing, the captivating cinematography will have you understanding his inner feelings and struggles.

The album itself consists of 12 tracks, kicking off with “Seraph.” The opening instrumental portion of the track feels very emotional thanks to the building piano line, but quickly shifts into a more otherworldly type of sound, as if to musically introduce the twisted world of MITO. As DPR Ian begins to sing, the emotional piano comes back tenfold to amp up the emotion once again, building a very dramatic and eerie opening, before very abruptly ending. 

“1 Shot” builds from the previous track as it opens, placing all focus on Ian’s vocals before breaking into the main hip-hop influenced melody. Despite changing focus, the feeling of the song really blends with “Seraph” and continues the ethereal sound of the album. Repetition of lyrics and voice distortion add to the eerie feeling of the song. 

“Mood” comes in with a surprisingly upbeat R&B melody despite the darker undertones of the lyrics. What’s interesting about this song is the periodic use of heavy strings in the melody. There seem to be a number of contrasting instruments, as if to showcase the mood swings associated with his mental illness.

“Miss Understood” kicks off with a dreamy synth line that shifts the tone of the album thus far. There’s a certain groove to this track that differentiates itself from the others before it, though the otherworldly feeling remains. About two thirds of the way through the song, the time signature slows down to half time, giving it a unique spin. “Avalon” has a bit more of a poppy feel to the melody compared to the other songs thanks to the driving beat. This track has less of the distortions present in the other tracks, which makes it stand out as well.

“Merry Go” throws in some lofi elements into the album. The vocals are very strong in this one, especially in the chorus, which makes the song feel even more emotional. The lyrics lament the loss of a former love and seem to indicate the beginning of a depression spiral, which also makes this song more powerful, especially in the context of the meaning of the album itself.

“Ribbon” changes the mood with a driving beat and upbeat staccato melody that brings the polar opposite type of sound from the previous track. It’s groovy and repetitive, but in the best way. “Winterfall” somewhat keeps up with this theme, but in more of a subdued way. The driving EDM-influenced beat is interrupted about halfway through and switches to a totally different sound, accompanied by another shift in the time signature of the song.

“Calico” brings in an upbeat retro R&B sound, devoid of any of the otherworldly feelings of the earlier tracks in the album. The purely upbeat track is refreshing and adds some more depth to the album. “Mr. Insanity” continues this upbeat sound, but this time the lyrics are a bit more somber. It almost feels like a musical representation of a manic episode (but that is coming from someone who has not experienced bipolar disorder). The lyrics indicate a self-awareness in his actions, which contradict the upbeat music. 

Second to last track “Ballroom Extravaganza” is featured in a teaser released for the album, so it’s already racked up quite a few streams on Spotify. This track is definitely more pop heavy than the others, but in more of a pop punk way. This makes it differentiate greatly from the other album tracks, and is also probably why it is so popular, since pop punk resurgence has been huge recently. The final track “Sometimes I’m” starts off with Ian talking about himself before breaking into the song. It wraps up his own feelings and experiences in the two different sides of himself alongside an upbeat poppy sound. 

All in all, this album does an excellent job in painting a picture of Ian’s experiences in a uniquely artistic way. It takes a lot to open up and be honest about mental health struggles, and it’s nice to see a creator express the feelings and experiences in such a way while creating such wonderful art. DPR Ian is certainly a unique creator, and a very talented one at that.

Edited by Aleena Faisal