Mono are a Tokyo- based instrumental post-rock band consisting of Takaakira “Taka” Goto on guitar, Yoda on guitar, Tamaki on bass, and Yasunori Takada on drums and occasional xylophone. The members cite as influences Beethoven, the Carpenters, Ennio Morricone, Kate Bush, Miles Davis, Nico, and Japanese classical composer Toru Takemitsu. Mono play a generally dark moody brand of dynamic guitar oriented music that frequently gets them compared to Mogwai, Godspeed You Black Emperor and the spacier bits of Pink Floyd. While still far from a household name in Japan, and a number of other bands worldwide use the Mono name, the band have nonetheless made their mark internationally. Their debut album
Under The Pipal Tree was recorded not long after they formed in 2000, and a year later was licensed to John Zorn’s Tzadik label. Their second album, also licensed in the States,
One Step More And You Die, is a stormy affair that features doses of sculpted noise and an interesting juggling of dynamics, with one track called “Sabbath” suggesting that the British metal sludge masters masters may be another influence. Their atmospheric third album, released by the Brooklyn based Temporary Residence label,
Walking Cloud And Deep Red Sky, Flag Fluttered And The Sun Shined was produced by indie icon Steve Albini and moved into a less explosive and more lush realm without altering their core sound. According to the group, the album was ...
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Mono are a Tokyo- based instrumental post-rock band consisting of Takaakira “Taka” Goto on guitar, Yoda on guitar, Tamaki on bass, and Yasunori Takada on drums and occasional xylophone. The members cite as influences Beethoven, the Carpenters, Ennio Morricone, Kate Bush, Miles Davis, Nico, and Japanese classical composer Toru Takemitsu. Mono play a generally dark moody brand of dynamic guitar oriented music that frequently gets them compared to Mogwai, Godspeed You Black Emperor and the spacier bits of Pink Floyd. While still far from a household name in Japan, and a number of other bands worldwide use the Mono name, the band have nonetheless made their mark internationally. Their debut album
Under The Pipal Tree was recorded not long after they formed in 2000, and a year later was licensed to John Zorn’s Tzadik label. Their second album, also licensed in the States,
One Step More And You Die, is a stormy affair that features doses of sculpted noise and an interesting juggling of dynamics, with one track called “Sabbath” suggesting that the British metal sludge masters masters may be another influence. Their atmospheric third album, released by the Brooklyn based Temporary Residence label,
Walking Cloud And Deep Red Sky, Flag Fluttered And The Sun Shined was produced by indie icon Steve Albini and moved into a less explosive and more lush realm without altering their core sound. According to the group, the album was based in part on the story "A Thousand Paper Cranes” (also the title of the last cut), about a young girl making a thousand paper cranes as a sort of prayer, hoping to help her friend recover from radiation sickness after the atomic bomb was dropped. Mono have played overseas extensively, on bills with bands as dissimilar as Dillinger Escape Plan and Einstruerzende Neubauten. They have toured in the US at least eight times, in 2003 with Sup Pop band Kinski, with whom they have a musical affinity, and in common female bassists. Mono also played SXSW 2005 and performed in other US cities before the the date in Texas.
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