Saturday, October 27, 2012

One Step More and You Die - Mono (#9, 2003)

Another Top 10 regular: MONO (#5 of 2006, #4 of 2009, #7 Live of 2009, #10 Live of 2010). Their 2nd record, but the oldest I'll probably have once we've moved backwards beyond their 2001 debut, Under the Pipal Tree.

Emotive Japanese post-rock in the cinematic GY!BE vein - if that means anything to ya: quiets & louds. Unfortunately, I missed their recent Houston appearance and still don't have the new one.



"COM(?)" from One Step More and You Die (2003)

After a few minutes of floaty intro track, you get one of the best, early, typical Mono tunes. It doesn't wallow excessively in the heartstrings, modulates the intensity rather than just straight-up lowering the boom, acknowledges its debt to Pink Floyd. Plus, like 16 minutes! (Okay, they do somewhat drop the hammer once, but whaddya gonna do?? It is what it is.)



"Sabbath" from One Step More and You Die (2003)

I believe this one has been the longest-running of live staples in the Mono roadshow. You gotta have an occastional break from all the crescendo freak-outs sometime. The next song could almost be a cover of The Caretaker... This aspect presents an early classical experimental composer path that they really didn't pursue later (at least on the albums I've got).



"Halo" from One Step More and You Die (2003)

Not gonna post each & every. Here's the last full-on track (before a backwards-mask coda piece), and another quality composition from Mono. What can I say that listening to the music won't tell you? Dynamics this, interplay that, a little cello there, some strings here, Floydian drift, Sonick noise-drop, instrumental mood-music post-rock, whoop!

One More Step and You Die

Genre - Post-Rock
Official - monoishere.com/
Myspace - myspace.com/monojp
Location - Tokyo, Japan

Review - Stylus Magazine
Download - Amazon, iTunes
Purchase - Temporary Residence Ltd.

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