MONO's 2014 musical offering is a departure from all that's gone before. It is the sound of a band heading in different directions, and coming together all at once. It is the sound of a band exploring their dark side and opening up to the light simultaneously.

 

Since the dawn of MONO - where Under The Pipal Tree laid out their intentions in frenetic psychedelia - , right the way through to 2012s For My Parents, their blissful path of musical meanderings grew ever more lavish. MONO evolved into an orchestral rock band and performed in prestigious venues in New York, London and Tokyo, with renowned orchestras by their sides. Following a wave of creative peaks, MONO regrouped and planned where to go next.

 

This departure comes in the form of two albums; The Last Dawn and Rays of Darkness.

Together but different. Side by side but opposites.

 

The twin albums were recorded concurrently, yet conceptually and creatively, they are worlds apart. They are two sides to a story, but they remain hand in hand. Themes that have permeated MONOs previous output are revisited through the conjoined albums: hope and hopelessness, love and loss, immense joy and unspeakable pain. Whilst one hand soothes, the other wreaks havoc.

 

The "light" side of this chapter in the MONO story is THE LAST DAWN. The pared down tracks take inspiration from influences as diverse as minimalist film scores and vintage shoegaze. Noticeably more stripped back than their previous releases, the album clocks in at under forty minutes; the succinct offering proffers the hope, love and joy in a neatly wrapped package.

 

When asked why MONO were releasing two album instead of, perhaps, one longer one, Taka simply says "There were black and white sides inside of me, like darkness and hope. It could not fit on one album."

 

The Last Dawn and Rays of Darkness were recorded in May 2014, in Pennsylvania, USA, produced by MONO and engineered by Fred Weaver.

 

 

Brand new album from Japanese post-rock band MONO!! 

One half of two simultaneously released albums 

The twin albums were recorded concurrently, yet conceptually and creatively, they are worlds apart. They are two sides to a story, but they remain hand in hand. 

The "light" side of this chapter in the MONO story is THE LAST DAWN. The pared down tracks take inspiration from influences as diverse as minimalist film scores and vintage shoegaze. 

Noticeably more stripped back than their previous releases, the album clocks in at under forty minutes; the succinct offering proffers the hope, love and joy in a neatly wrapped package. 

Also available, The Last Dawn's "twin" RAYS OF DARKNESS (PEL040 // PEL040V) 

The Last Dawn and Rays of Darkness were recorded in May 2014, in Pennsylvania, USA, produced by MONO and engineered by Fred Weaver.