MONO

MONO in 2009

MONO is a post-rock band from Tokyo, Japan. Their songs, all of which are instrumental, are usually focused on layered guitar melodies but strings and pianos are also prominently featured. Throughout their career, MONO has ascended consistently in both popularity and critical acclaim.

Biography

MONO were founded in January 2000 by guitarist Takaakira Goto. Working by himself, Goto completed most of MONO's demo tracks, partly influenced by guitarist Loren Connors. By late 1999 Goto began the search for band members; the first to join was fellow guitarist and long time friend Yoda. Soon afterwards the two guitarists linked up with bassist Tamaki Kunishi and drummer Yasunori Takada. The group soon released a 4 track EP entitled Hey, You on the small independent label Forty-4.

MONO's first full length album Under the Pipal Tree, released in 2001 on Tzadik Records, was met with somewhat mixed reviews. It was later referred to by Goto in a 2006 interview with Phil McMullen as a "very, very young album". Whilst recording the album, the September 11th attacks took place, which were to have a significant effect on MONO's later work.

In 2002, MONO finished their second album, One Step More and You Die. Many critics considered this as having a more distinctive sound than the preceding album. Soon afterward, MONO moved on to a new project in direct response to the aftermath of September 11th. This album was titled New York Soundtracks and was recorded in collaboration with several important members of the New York experimental scene, such as DJ Olive, Jackie-O Motherfucker, and Loren Connors. New York Soundtracks consists of remixes of all of One Step More and You Die's tracks.

MONO then embarked on the production of their next album, Walking Cloud and Deep Red Sky, Flag Fluttered and the Sun Shined which was released in 2004. There is much back story to this album, especially behind one of its songs, A Thousand Paper Cranes. The inspiration for this song was the story of Sadako Sasaki, a young girl from Hiroshima who contracted leukemia at the age of 13, dying shortly afterwards. While in her hospital bed, Sadako attempted to fold one thousand paper cranes, which, according to Japanese folklore, had once cured a girl of disease.

MONO's next musical endeavor was a collaboration with Japanese solo post-rock musician Katsuhiko Maeda (World's End Girlfriend). This collaboration, titled Palmless Prayer/Mass Murder Refrain, was released in 2005. The album makes significant use of string instruments such as violins and cellos, accompanied by MONO's guitar work.

MONO's 10th Year Anniversary Shows

MONO released their next album, You Are There. You Are There met similar success to Palmless Prayer/Mass Murder Refrain and was accompanied by worldwide tours throughout 2006 and 2007.

A collection of EPs entitled Gone, as well as a 100 minute long documentary called The Sky Remains the Same as Ever, were released in late 2007.

In November 2008 MONO began recording their latest album with long-time friend and producer Steve Albini. Hymn to the Immortal Wind, released in March 2009, brings MONO together with a full The instrumentation is vast on this album, incorporating strings, flutes, organ, piano, glockenspiel and tympani into their standard set-up. While Hymn continues to mine the cinematic drama inherent in all of MONO's music, the dynamic shifts now come more from dark-to-light instead of quiet-to-loud. The maturity to balance these elements so masterfully has become MONO's strongest virtue.

2009 also marks MONO's 10th annoversary and to celebrate they are playing two very rare and special performances with the Wordless Music Orchestra in New York City on 8th and 9th May 2009. This will be the band's only North American concert in support of Hymn to the Immortal Wind. A preceding Japanese and European tour are currently the only dates fixed for 2009.