MONO return to Europe in December for the final leg of their 20th anniversary celebrations! Taking in the countries not visited on the previous runs, the tour will see MONO performing classic material alongside songs from their latest epic ‘Nowhere Now Here’ – the 10th album from these titans of expansive and ethereal rock music. Firmly placed as both progenitor and progressor within their field, a MONO live performance is like no other – visceral, engrossing and showing no signs of decay after two decades on the road. The December tour will be preceded by a summer tour of festivals and shows – from Israel to Ireland – taking the band to places both new and old. Will there be more to come from these anniversary celebrations? Watch this space.
The conflict and correlation between dark and light is a universal theme with a historically rich history. Musically, perhaps no band in the 21st Century has mined that relationship more consistently or effectively than Japan’s MONO.
Across 10 albums in 20 years, MONO have convincingly reflected the quietest and most chaotic parts of life through their music. Their ever-expanding instrumental palette – which began in earnest in 1999 with the traditional guitar-bass-drums rock band setup – has evolved to include as many as 30 orchestral instruments. Now, on Nowhere Now Here, the band add electronics to their repertoire – perhaps inspired by guitarist/composer Takaakira ‘Taka’ Goto’s recent collaboration with John McEntire, the beguiling Behind the Shadow Drops. Nowhere Now Here also sees MONO’s first-ever lineup change, adding new drummer Dahm Majuri Cipolla (The Phantom Family Halo) to the core trio of Goto, Tamaki, and Yoda. Tamaki also makes her vocal debut here, singing into the shadows of vintage Nico on the poetically hazy “Breathe.”
The unlikely career of MONO has taken them to virtually every corner of the planet, several times over. Those corners have all left indelible marks on their music, as it drills deeper towards the sound of feeling not quite human and all too human – often at the same time.
MONO have also shared a collaborative short film, directed by French director Julien Levy. The short film was inspired by new track “After You Comes The Flood” featuring a pursuit through the streets of Tokyo during which fear and attraction collide.
Recorded with producer Steve Albini, Nowhere Now Here is released on 25th January 2019 via Pelagic Records.
Pre-order now – http://www.smarturl.it/mono-nnh/
Nowhere Now Here Tracklist:
01 God Bless
02 After You Comes the Flood
03 Breathe
04 Nowhere, Now Here
05 Far and Further
06 Sorrow
07 Parting
08 Meet Us Where the Night Ends
09 Funeral Song
10 Vanishing, Vanishing Maybe