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A short preview to a week's worth of CD release shows for their latest opus, You Are There, tonight's show at O-Nest provided local Mono fans an intimate glimpse at the insanely talented Tokyo post-rock quartet. Performing a handful of tracks from You Are There along with two cuts from their last full-length, the awe-inspiring Walking Cloud And Deep Red Sky, Flag Fluttered And The Sun Shined, Mono wasted little time blowing the minds of the capacity crowd. With guitarists Taka Goto and Yoda seated on the venue's small stage, Mono launched into their opening number, "Yearning." The dynamic song began slowly with wonderfully lush layers. Erupting into a massive wall of sound, the spacey track continued to increase in heaviness and intensity engulfing the entire room in its hypnotic groove. Almost crossing over into the realm of metal, it soon faded out leaving the majority of attendees dazed and in awe.  Watching Mono play is like being caught in the middle of a powerful storm. The sky darkens as the music starts. Refreshing drops of rain gradually begin to fall. You know that at any point the heavens above are going to open up and unleash a torrential downpour, but you're not exactly sure when. This edgy feeling heightens your senses, making you more alert of all the dense textures floating around. Suddenly a giant burst of thunder explodes in the distance and a distorted wave of lightning cuts through the air. Giant pellets of water are hurled at you as the thunder and lightning continue to punish your eardrums. Bowled over by the sheer magnitude of this blistering act, your judgment becomes clouded as you try and decide whether to run for your life or stay and marvel at the remarkable display of beauty unfolding before your eyes. Brief periods of salvation came in the form of the quiet lullaby "A Heart Has Asked For The Pleasure" and "A Thousand Paper Cranes." The latter saw drummer Yasunori Takada and bassist Tamaki playing piano and keyboards. This period of peacefulness would be the equivalent to the eye of the storm. It was short-lived though, as set closer "The Flames Beyond The Cold Mountain" ushered in a wave of feedback drenched wind and the musical climate reverted back to its previous state.  Devastatingly gorgeous, the awesome composition was furious and hopeful at the same time. A true testament to Mono's instrumental brilliance, the song was overflowing with raw emotion despite none of the members uttering a single word. With their heads bowed, Tamaki, Yoda, and a sweat-drenched Goto swayed back and forth while pounding on their instruments with all their might. After several minutes of fantastic guitar-driven noise the clouds suddenly dispersed filling the air with bits of feedback as rays of light lit up the room. Enthralled by the experience, and thankful that they lived to tell about it, the crowd roared their approval as the band made their way offstage. Seven years into their career, Mono continue to improve at an alarming pace making them stand out as one of the more dominant forces of nature in the Japanese underground rock scene. --set list -- Yearning / A Heart Has Asked For The Pleasure / Lost Snow / A Thousand Paper Cranes / The Flames Beyond The Cold Mountain |
report and photos by shawn |
 mag files : Mono The Perfect Storm : (06/03/18 @ Shibuya O-Nest) review & photos by shawninterview : Peaceful, But Far From Quiet : (05/02/25) interviewed by shawn |
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The official site Mono http://www.age.vu/~sound/mono/ The latest album :  " Your Are There" (US import) on sale on 11th Apr. The latest album :  " Palmless Prayer / Mass Murder Refrain" (国内盤) collaboration withworld's end girlfriend. |
previous works " Walking Cloud and Deep Red Sky, Flag Fluttered and the Sun Shined" (US import / UK import / 国内盤)
"One Step More and You Die"
(US import / UK import / domestic press) "Under the Pipal Tree"(US import) check the albums? |
 2006School Of Rock : The White Stripes (6th Mar. @ Zepp Tokyo)Far From Extinct : Dinosaur Jr. (27th Feb. @ Shibuya AX)Vintage Valentine : Showa Genroku Crazy Tangoku feat. Thee 50's High Teens, Salome no Kutibiru, The 50 Kaitens & The Captains (13th Feb. @ Shimokitazawa Club 251)Walk The Line : Afrirampo (29th Jan. @ Higashi Koenji UFO Club)Every Girl's Crazy About A Sharp Dressed Man : Kaiser Chiefs (23rd Jan. @ Liquidroom Ebisu)All That And Looks Too : Tristan Prettyman (22nd Jan. @ Shibuya AX)2005Merry Christmas and Happy... Halloween?!?! : Afrirampo with Oshiripenpenz and Watsui Zombie (19th Dec. @ Daikanyama Unit)Brothers In Arms : Bloodthirsty Butchers with +/- {Plus/Minus} (4th Dec. @ Shibuya AX)This Is Rock N' Roll : Oasis (20th Nov. @ Yoyogi Daiichi Taiikukan)Shake Your Rump : Rovo (5th Nov. @ Liquidroom Ebisu)Majestic Doves Battle Evil Spirits In Tokyo : Doves (30th Oct. @ Shibuya Club Quattro)DVD review : RGB : sianspheric (17th Oct.)Needs To Be Seen To Be Believed : Shibusa Shirazu Orchestra (16th Oct. @ Yokohama Thumbs Up)Shimmy Shimmy Ya : Zilli**Sweet Oriental Dance Show feat. Zilli, Eshe, Ken, Shinshi, and Mananbu (8th Oct. @ Shibuya Udagawa Cafe)Something Old And Something New : Time Bomb Records 15th Aniversary Feat. Blind Beast (Thurston Moore+Jim O'Rourke+Yoshimi), The Evens (Ian MacKaye+Amy Farina) with Ruins alone, Tamio Inoue (18th Sept. @ Shibuya Club Quattro)Half Hour Of Power : Punkrockers Bowl Vol.11 Feat. Razors Edge, Melt-Banana, Wrench (10th Sept. @ Shinjuku Loft)A Mind Is An Awesome Thing To Blow
: Fantomas & Zu (5th Sept. @ Shibuya Club Quattro)With A Little Sake Always Makes For A Good Night : Cubismo Grafico Five with Sakerock (27th Aug. @ Liquidroom Ebisu)Cool Sounds From The Underground : "What's That Sound?" Feat. Four Tet, Caribou, Mugison (20th Aug. @ Laforet Museum Roppongi)Expect The Unexpected : Metalchicks with Kiiiiiii and Asa-Chang & Junrei (16th Jul. @ Shibuya Lush)All The Young Dudes : Jude (10th Jun. @ Yokohama Blitz)The Future's So Bright I Gotta Wear Shades : Date Course Pentagon Royal Garden (6th Jun. @ Shibuya Club Quattro)The Life Aquatic With Yo La Tengo : Yo La Tengo (28th May. @ Laforet Museum Roppongi)The Little Things : Boom Boom Satellites (29th Apr. @ Shibuya AX)Interview : Insanely Brilliant : Les Savy Fav (30th Apr.)Organized Chaos : Shibusa Shirazu (17th Apr. @ Shibuya Club Quattro)Socially Aware And Ready To Party : Asian Dub Foundation w/African Head Charge (10th Apr. @ Shibuya AX)Nice And Simple : Jimmy Eat World (4th Apr. @ Shibuya O-East)Nothing A Few Sweets Couldn't Fix : Lemon Jelly (29th Mar. @ Shibuya AX)Groove Is In The Heart : Tabla Kwaiesa (6th Mar. @ Yokohama Silk Road Buto-Kan)Interview : Constantly Evolving : 90 Day Men (13th Mar)It's Party Time! : The Dirty Dozen Brass Band, The Benevento/Russo Duo (28th Feb @ Shibuya Club Quattro)Weekly Service : The Chemical Brothers (12th Feb @ Shibuya AX)Tattoos and a Whole Lotta Hair : EXTREME THE DOJO Vol.12 feat. Every time I Die, As I Lay Dying and Shadows Fall (7th Feb @ Shibuya Club Quattro)Geography At Its Best : ISIS (5th Feb @ Shibuya Club Quattro)To The Extreme : The Shins (31st Jan @ Harajuku Astro Hall)CD review : "Panopticon" : Isis (27th Jan)Winter Be Damned : Ash (17th Jan @ Shibuya AX)Interview : Peaceful, But Far From Quiet : Mono (20th Jan)CD review : "The Nein" : The Nein (13th Jan) |