The Long Haul

With their early albums, Mono frequently found themselves sidelined by commentators. It wasn't until 2004's Walking Cloud And Deep Red Sky, Flag Fluttered And Sun Shined that the quartet really established their current aesthetic. A raw blend of stretched dynamics, blissful guitar scree, delicate melodies and surprising string arrangements recorded by Steve Albini, the band's third album was also the point when audiences began to accept Mono as an act of especial significance. “We feel very lucky to tour around the world and create music every day,” guitarist Takaakira Goto says humbly. “This was our only goal when we were first started so we've been pushing forward since then. Each album has been a stepping stone and learning experience. I think we've grown more confident as a quartet and are able to take larger risks in composition. Albums are separate entities, but each one feels a part of a continuum in a strange way. It's almost like watching a timeline of a person's life.”

With each successive album, they've grown into a more remarkable outfit. 2005's You Are There expanded upon the foundation of Walking Cloud… with more ambitious compositions and more sophisticated arrangements. 2009's Hymn To The Immortal Wind was a bona fide concept album, with accompanying short story. On 2010's Holy Ground, the band performed with a 24-piece chamber ensemble, The Wordless Music Orchestra. “Walking Cloud…, You Are There and Hymn To The Immortal Wind were completely concept albums. I had a particular vision from the beginning stages of composition,” Goto says. “I think music (and many other art forms) is a bridge that allows people to connect. We're all in a room sharing the energy of a song, and in that space we remember that all humans derive from the same source. Narratives and concepts may contribute to a record, but I believe music has a sort of transcendence that can be felt, but not explained.” The irony being that Mono actually seem increasingly ill-suited to that association. In truth, Mono have always had an oddly punk ideology to their music, and a subversively political edge. Their most recent record, 2012's For My Parents, intertwines the personal and the political in paying tribute to the previous generation and the sacrifices they made for today's world. “Some people believe this is a very personal album written only for our parents,” Goto says of the record. “But actually we wanted to express the respect and gratitude to the generation of our parents and grandparents. Thinking about our history, just 70 years ago we were killing each other during World War II. We don't want to ignore our history or focus on the negative energies either. So we chose this album title as a happier message with love for the future.”

Aside from their political and social conscience, some of their most cherished collaborators have sprung from the worlds of post-punk, noise and post-hardcore. They've worked with two members of Shellac in producing their albums. It's perhaps most evident in their relationship to touring. As suggested by their production choices, Mono crave the immediacy of live performance. “We have been touring non-stop around the world since last summer and we feel great now... We hope we can continue even when we are 80 years old. Our bodies may be getting older but our souls have not changed at all. I feel like we tour with the same spirit that we did in our youth. We are truly thankful to our fans around the world. They are the ones who keep us going.”