mono - one more step and you die
firstly - what a delightful title for an album. but i guess it kind of matches the intensity of the sounds within.
post rock. hmm i have read a lot about it, but listened to little of it. mogwai get mentioned as a point of reference but this goes past me as i've yet to delve into their world. but i trust arena rock so here goes ..
first listen washes over me and hardly touches me. long winding instrumental epics which go loud/quiet/loud/fucking loud.
it doesn't connect. i want to listen to the new mink lungs instead.
then, one recent afternoon i had a lot of boring paperwork to sort out, i needed a soundtrack that wouldn't interrupt my necessary thoughts. i chose this.
wow. complete and utterly perfect for the task in hand. except it stopped my form filling and made me concentrate on the atmospheric soundscapes that filled my surroundings. ambient was never this noisy in 94 .. darkly emotional to the extreme,and intensely epic, with second track 'com(?)' lasting longer than the whole lp from 80's matchbox, and simply stunned me into submission. yes, it is still lots of quiet/loud/fucking loud sections, pounding slowcore drums set against a deep bass juxtaposed against layers and layers of rampaging guitars and white noise, and then there are sections of complete harmony and calm 'loco tracks' with mournful violin added to the menu, and beauty is never far away in the duelling sonic youth-esque guitars.
but, this time the noise connects with my raging inner demons. at last. i understand.
so, now i have a new friend. despite its unfriendly opening premise, given the right setting and mood this is totally essential.