When MONO recorded their previous album, OATH, with longtime production partner and friend, Steve Albini in 2023, they never fathomed that it would be the final studio album they made together. Albini tragically died the following year, and that loss left an incalculable void in the lives of not just everyone who ever knew Steve, but everyone with an attachment to any of the thousands of records he helped bring into world over the past four decades. He brought a clarity to the chaos, and a selfless sense of service to art and artists that was unrivaled. On both a personal and practical level, the loss left MONO faced with profound grief and uncertainty. Albini had become a fundamental part of MONO’s unmistakable sound, and the thought of replacing him was daunting…
Tag Archive: Temporary Residence
Virga III continues the series established in the early 2020s by two of Eluvium‘s most purely ambient releases. Virga I was created following a temporary evacuation from the artist’s home due to a snowstorm, and Virga II emerged from a dream sequence during the COVID-19 pandemic. In order to escape all the unspeakable horrors of the world, Virga III takes refuge in small ecosystems and other natural spaces. As such, it’s a lighter and more calming effort than Virga II, though it still has its haunting moments.
“The Fires at Night” feels like a safe space far away from danger, with a supremely calming melody drifting in and out. “Remains” is desolate and forlorn, however, and “Hallucination II” revisits the lurching malaise of the opening…
When MONO first conceived of a live concert backed by an orchestra, it seemed like a once-in-a-lifetime dream of an event that would require a unique set of circumstances, an enormous crew of like-minded and generous contributors, and a titanic amount of luck. At exactly a decade into their career, it was by far their most ambitious undertaking. They flew from their home country of Japan – where, at the time, they were ironically less acclaimed and accomplished than in the United States and Europe – to New York City, where they assembled an orchestra, secured a historic venue near Lincoln Center, and bet on themselves to pull off a truly unforgettable evening. Not only was the concert a rousing success, but it spawned what has become a defining part of MONO’s…
Seeing the “devotional” tag sneak back to the top of Grails‘ Bandcamp list, one knows to expect another shift. Since 2003, the chameleonic band has kept fans interested in their every move, while two individual members have thrown curveballs under the guise of Lilacs and Champagne.
So if lead single “Silver Bells,” which launches in a tape wobble and seems like a modern Sufi service, may remind listeners of another song of that name, it’s no coincidence; the title of the album, after all, is Miracle Music, and the cover seems to portray supplicants holding hands, bowed in prayer.
“Silver Bells” doesn’t take long to develop into a hypnotic post-rock piece, featuring a wall of beats and guitars, supplemented by Eastern ornamentation. It’s tempting to think that…