Godspeed You! Black Emperor (sometimes abbreviated to GY!BE or Godspeed) is a Canadian
post-rock band which originated in
Montreal
Montreal ( ; officially Montréal, ) is the second-most populous city in Canada and most populous city in the Canadian province of Quebec. Founded in 1642 as '' Ville-Marie'', or "City of Mary", it is named after Mount Royal, the triple ...
,
Quebec
Quebec ( ; )According to the Canadian government, ''Québec'' (with the acute accent) is the official name in Canadian French and ''Quebec'' (without the accent) is the province's official name in Canadian English is one of the thirtee ...
in 1994. The group releases recordings through
Constellation, an
independent record label also located in Montreal. After the release of their
debut album in 1997, the group toured regularly from 1998 to 2003. Their second album, 2000's ''
Lift Your Skinny Fists Like Antennas to Heaven'', received critical acclaim and has been named as one of the best albums of the decade. In 2003, the band announced an indefinite hiatus in order for members to pursue other musical interests. In the intervening period, the group was occasionally rumored to have broken up,
but finally reconvened for a tour which began in late 2010. Since reforming, they have released four more albums, the most recent being ''
G_d's Pee at State's End!
''G_d's Pee at State's End!'' (stylised as ''G_d's Pee AT STATE'S END!'') is the seventh studio album by Canadian post-rock band Godspeed You! Black Emperor, released on 2 April 2021 by Constellation Records.
Background
In August 2019, the ban ...
'' in April 2021.
The band has gained a dedicated
cult following and remains very influential in the
post-rock genre. Their music, mainly instrumental in nature, has been noted for its contrasts between ambient soundscapes and chaotic
crescendos; use of
field recordings
Field recording is the term used for an audio recording produced outside a recording studio, and the term applies to recordings of both natural and human-produced sounds. It also applies to sound recordings like electromagnetic fields or vibrat ...
and
spoken word monologues; and focus on
dystopian,
anarchist and
anti-war themes. In September 2013, their fourth album and their comeback release after 10 years, ''
'Allelujah! Don't Bend! Ascend!'', won the
2013 Polaris Music Prize.
One of the band's best known songs, "
East Hastings", from their 1997 album ''
F♯ A♯ ∞'', was used in the 2002 film ''
28 Days Later
''28 Days Later'' is a 2002 British post-apocalyptic horror film directed by Danny Boyle and written by Alex Garland. It stars Cillian Murphy as a bicycle courier who awakens from a coma to discover the accidental release of a highly contagiou ...
''. However, it does not appear on
the film's soundtrack because the rights to the song could not be obtained.
History
Godspeed You! Black Emperor was formed in 1994 in
Montreal
Montreal ( ; officially Montréal, ) is the second-most populous city in Canada and most populous city in the Canadian province of Quebec. Founded in 1642 as '' Ville-Marie'', or "City of Mary", it is named after Mount Royal, the triple ...
,
Quebec
Quebec ( ; )According to the Canadian government, ''Québec'' (with the acute accent) is the official name in Canadian French and ''Quebec'' (without the accent) is the province's official name in Canadian English is one of the thirtee ...
, by
Efrim Menuck (
guitar
The guitar is a fretted musical instrument that typically has six strings. It is usually held flat against the player's body and played by strumming or plucking the strings with the dominant hand, while simultaneously pressing selected strin ...
),
Mike Moya (guitar), and
Mauro Pezzente (
bass).
[Colin Larkin. ]
The Encyclopedia of Popular Music
'. Omnibus Press; 27 May 2011. . p. 1439. The band took its name from ''
God Speed You! Black Emperor'', a 1976 Japanese
black-and-white
Black-and-white (B&W or B/W) images combine black and white in a continuous spectrum, producing a range of shades of grey.
Media
The history of various visual media began with black and white, and as technology improved, altered to color. ...
documentary by director
Mitsuo Yanagimachi, which follows the exploits of a
Japanese biker gang, the Black Emperors.
The band initially assembled after being offered a supporting act for another local band named Steak 72.
Thereafter, the trio performed live on a few separate occasions. Previously, the name "God Speed You Black Emperor!" had been used by Menuck on a limited cassette entitled ''
All Lights Fucked on the Hairy Amp Drooling'' that had been recorded the year prior, with limited contributions by Pezzente on bass, although it would not be until 1994 that the actual band formed.
The band quickly expanded and continued to perform live. According to Menuck, joining the group was quite simple: "It was like if anyone knew anybody who played an instrument and seemed like an okay person, they would sort of join up."
In short order, the group's numbers ebbed and flowed. Local musicians would often join the band for a handful of performances, then depart. The revolving door nature of the group's membership frequently caused it strain before the release of ''
F♯ A♯ ∞''.
After that release, the group stabilized around a nine-person lineup with Menuck, Moya and
David Bryant on guitars, Pezzente and Thierry Amar on bass guitars, Aidan Girt and Bruce Cawdron on drums, and Sophie Trudeau and Norsola Johnson on violin and cello respectively. Moya would depart in 1998 to focus on
HṚṢṬA, being replaced by Roger Tellier-Craig of
Fly Pan Am.
Although various members of the band are often pinned down as
anarchists
Anarchism is a political philosophy and movement that is skeptical of all justifications for authority and seeks to abolish the institutions it claims maintain unnecessary coercion and hierarchy, typically including, though not necessari ...
, no one in the band explicitly subscribed to this label; however, as of 2014, Menuck was calling himself an anarchist. In any case, there is a strong political component to the band's music. Much of the band's music exudes
left-wing
Left-wing politics describes the range of political ideologies that support and seek to achieve social equality and egalitarianism, often in opposition to social hierarchy. Left-wing politics typically involve a concern for those in soci ...
themes. For example, the
liner notes
Liner notes (also sleeve notes or album notes) are the writings found on the sleeves of LP record albums and in booklets that come inserted into the compact disc jewel case or the equivalent packaging for cassettes.
Origin
Liner notes are desc ...
to ''Yanqui U.X.O.'' describe the song "09-15-00" as "
Ariel Sharon surrounded by 1,000
Israeli soldiers
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF; he, צְבָא הַהֲגָנָה לְיִשְׂרָאֵל , ), alternatively referred to by the Hebrew-language acronym (), is the national military of the Israel, State of Israel. It consists of three servic ...
marching on
al-Haram Ash-Sharif & provoking another
Intifada
An intifada ( ar, انتفاضة ') is a rebellion or uprising, or a resistance movement. It is a key concept in contemporary Arabic usage referring to a legitimate uprising against oppression.Ute Meinel ''Die Intifada im Ölscheichtum Bahrain: ...
," and the back cover of that album depicts the relationships of several
major record labels to the
military–industrial complex. Several of its songs also incorporate voice samples which express political sentiments, most notably "The Dead Flag Blues" (on ''F♯A♯∞'') and "BBF3" (on ''Slow Riot for New Zerø Kanada'').
Members of the group have formed a number of
side project
In popular music, a side project is a project undertaken by one or more people already known for their involvement in another band. It can also be an artist or a band temporarily switching to a different style.
Usually these projects emphasize ...
s, including
Thee Silver Mt. Zion Memorial Orchestra & Tra-La-La Band,
Fly Pan Am,
HṚṢṬA,
Esmerine, and
Set Fire to Flames.
The band released the CD versions of its first two albums and EP on the
Kranky record label, and released the
LPs through Constellation Records. All editions of their subsequent studio material have been released through Constellation.
In 2004, long-time guitarist Roger Tellier-Craig left the band on amicable terms to devote more time to
Fly Pan Am.
The group was once misconstrued as being a band of terrorists.
After stopping at a local gas station for fuel in the town of
Ardmore, Oklahoma, during their 2003 tour of the United States, the station attendant working that day believed the group of Canadians to be terrorists. She quickly passed a note to another customer asking them to call the police. When the local police appeared, the group was held until it could be questioned by the
FBI. Although the police were suspicious of the band's anti-government documents and some photos it had (such as those of oil rigs), they found no incriminating evidence. After
background check
A background check is a process a person or company uses to verify that an individual is who they claim to be, and this provides an opportunity to check and confirm the validity of someone's criminal record, education, employment history, and oth ...
s were run, the ensemble was released from custody and continued on its way to its next show in
Saint Louis.
Efrim Menuck later spoke to the crowd during their appearance in Missouri about what happened to them and speculated that their origin was a motive for being released quickly ("It's a good thing we're nice white kids from Canada").
The incident was mentioned in
Michael Moore's book ''
Dude, Where's My Country?''.
In 2010, the band reported it was reuniting for an
All Tomorrow's Parties
"All Tomorrow's Parties" is a song by the Velvet Underground and Nico, written by Lou Reed and released on the group's 1967 debut studio album, ''The Velvet Underground & Nico''.
Inspiration for the song came from Reed's observation of Andy Warh ...
music event in the UK as well as further US dates. Mike Moya re-joined the band for the reunion, while original cellist Norsola Johnson declined to participate. The band played a full North American and European tour in 2011, and more dates in the UK including an appearance at the ATP '
I'll Be Your Mirror
"I'll Be Your Mirror" is a song by the Velvet Underground and Nico. It appeared on their 1967 debut album ''The Velvet Underground & Nico''. It also surfaced as a single a year earlier with "All Tomorrow's Parties" in 1966.
Lou Reed wrote the so ...
' music festival in London.
The following year the band appeared at the Pitchfork Music Festival in Chicago and the 2012 All Tomorrow's Parties I'll Be Your Mirror festival in New York.
Drummer Timothy Herzog began touring with the band after the departure of Bruce Cawdron.
In 2013, the band won the
Polaris Music Prize
The Polaris Music Prize is a music award annually given to the best full-length Canadian album based on artistic merit, regardless of genre, sales, or record label. The award was established in 2006 with a $20,000 cash prize; the prize was incr ...
, but it criticized the cost of the ceremony during the time of austerity, stating, "Maybe the next celebration should happen in a cruddier hall, without the corporate banners and culture overlords."
On March 31, 2015, Godspeed You! Black Emperor released its fifth album, ''
Asunder, Sweet and Other Distress
''Asunder, Sweet and Other Distress'' is the fifth studio album by Canadian post-rock band Godspeed You! Black Emperor, released on 31 March 2015 by Constellation Records (Canada), Constellation Records. The album was recorded with Electrical A ...
''. On September 22, 2017, the group released its sixth album, ''
Luciferian Towers
''Luciferian Towers'' (sometimes stylized as ''"Luciferian Towers"'') is the sixth studio album by Canadian post-rock band Godspeed You! Black Emperor, released on 22 September 2017 by Constellation Records
Background
According to the Constell ...
''.
In early March 2021, the band announced its seventh album, ''
G_d's Pee at State's End!
''G_d's Pee at State's End!'' (stylised as ''G_d's Pee AT STATE'S END!'') is the seventh studio album by Canadian post-rock band Godspeed You! Black Emperor, released on 2 April 2021 by Constellation Records.
Background
In August 2019, the ban ...
'' through Constellation Records.
In February 2022, a copy of ''All Lights Fucked on the Hairy Amp Drooling'' was posted to
4chan
4chan is an anonymous English-language imageboard website. Launched by Christopher "moot" Poole in October 2003, the site hosts boards dedicated to a wide variety of topics, from anime and manga to video games, cooking, weapons, television, ...
's music board. Though its authenticity was initially unconfirmed, the band eventually uploaded the full audio of the tape to its official
Bandcamp
Bandcamp is an American online audio distribution platform founded in 2007 by Oddpost co-founder Ethan Diamond and programmers Shawn Grunberger, Joe Holt and Neal Tucker, with headquarters in Oakland, California, US. On March 2, 2022, Bandcamp ...
page on February 14.
Live concerts
Film loop projections are an important aspect of the group's live show, explained by
Efrim Menuck as "
uttingthe whole into context".
The band is
taper
Taper may refer to:
* Part of an object in the shape of a cone (conical)
* Taper (transmission line), a transmission line gradually increasing or decreasing in size
* Fishing rod taper, a measure of the flexibility of a fishing rod
* Conically t ...
-friendly, they allow audience members to record their live performances, fans often release new material before the band makes an official recording.
The band toured Australia/New Zealand for the first time in February 2013, including a performance at the
All Tomorrow's Parties
"All Tomorrow's Parties" is a song by the Velvet Underground and Nico, written by Lou Reed and released on the group's 1967 debut studio album, ''The Velvet Underground & Nico''.
Inspiration for the song came from Reed's observation of Andy Warh ...
'I'll Be Your Mirror' festival in Melbourne on February 16.
The band toured China for the first time in April 2013, giving performances in Shanghai and Beijing, and revisited China in March 2016.
The band supported
Nine Inch Nails on its
Tension tour in October 2013, starting at the
TD Garden
TD Garden is a multi-purpose arena in Boston, Massachusetts. It is named after its sponsor, TD Bank, a subsidiary of the Toronto-Dominion Bank of Toronto, Ontario. It opened in 1995 as a replacement for the original Boston Garden and has been k ...
in
Boston
Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- mo ...
on October 11.
After a break for much of 2014 the band embarked on a busy schedule of concert and festival dates across North America, Europe and around the world during 2015 and 2016. Two new songs were previewed in many of the shows picking up the fan titles "Buildings" and "Railroads" from the projections that accompanied them. The band also lent live performances of some of their older and current tracks to a revival of the 2005 work "monumental", by Canadian dance troupe,
Holy Body Tattoo during 2016.
Members
Current
*
Efrim Menuck – guitar,
tape loops
Tape or Tapes may refer to:
Material
A long, narrow, thin strip of material (see also Ribbon (disambiguation):
Adhesive tapes
* Adhesive tape, any of many varieties of backing materials coated with an adhesive
* Athletic tape, pressure-sensiti ...
, keyboards (1994–2003, 2010–present)
*
Mauro Pezzente – bass guitar (1994–2003, 2010–present)
*
Mike Moya – guitar (1994–1998, 2010–present)
*
Thierry Amar – double bass, bass guitar (1997–2003, 2010–present)
*
David Bryant – guitar, tape loops (1997–2003, 2010–present)
*
Aidan Girt – drums, percussion (1997–2003, 2010–present)
*
Sophie Trudeau – violin (1997–2003, 2010–present)
*
Karl Lemieux –
film projections (2010–present)
*Timothy Herzog – drums, percussion (2012–present)
*Philippe Leonard –
film projections (2015–present)
Former
*Mark Littlefair – film projections (1994–2000)
*Thea Pratt –
French horn
The French horn (since the 1930s known simply as the horn in professional music circles) is a brass instrument made of tubing wrapped into a coil with a flared bell. The double horn in F/B (technically a variety of German horn) is the horn most ...
(1995–1997)
*Bruce Cawdron – drums, percussion (1997–2003, 2010–2012)
*Norsola Johnson – cello (1997–2003)
*Grayson Walker
–
accordion (1997)
*Christophe - violin (1997)
*Roger Tellier-Craig – guitar (1998–2003)
*Peter Harry Hill – bagpipes (1997)
*Fluffy Erskine – film projections (2000–2003)
Timeline
Discography
Studio albums
*''
F♯ A♯ ∞'' (1997)
*''
Lift Your Skinny Fists Like Antennas to Heaven'' (2000)
*''
Yanqui U.X.O.
'' U.X.O.'' is the third studio album by Canadian post-rock band Godspeed You! Black Emperor, released on November 4, 2002 by Constellation Records (Canada), Constellation. It was recorded by Steve Albini at Electrical Audio in Chicago in late 20 ...
'' (2002)
*''
'Allelujah! Don't Bend! Ascend!'' (2012)
"A Completely Biased Ranking of the 60 Best Canadian Indie Rock Songs of the 00s Part II"
''Vice'', Cam Lindsay April 10, 2017,
*''Asunder, Sweet and Other Distress
''Asunder, Sweet and Other Distress'' is the fifth studio album by Canadian post-rock band Godspeed You! Black Emperor, released on 31 March 2015 by Constellation Records (Canada), Constellation Records. The album was recorded with Electrical A ...
'' (2015)
*''Luciferian Towers
''Luciferian Towers'' (sometimes stylized as ''"Luciferian Towers"'') is the sixth studio album by Canadian post-rock band Godspeed You! Black Emperor, released on 22 September 2017 by Constellation Records
Background
According to the Constell ...
'' (2017)
*''G_d's Pee at State's End!
''G_d's Pee at State's End!'' (stylised as ''G_d's Pee AT STATE'S END!'') is the seventh studio album by Canadian post-rock band Godspeed You! Black Emperor, released on 2 April 2021 by Constellation Records.
Background
In August 2019, the ban ...
'' (2021)
References
External links
*
Godspeed You! Black Emperor
on Constellation Records
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Godspeed You Black Emperor
Musical groups established in 1994
Musical groups disestablished in 2003
Musical groups reestablished in 2010
Musical groups from Montreal
Canadian progressive rock groups
Canadian post-rock groups
Musical collectives
Anti-corporate activism
Constellation Records (Canada) artists
Polaris Music Prize winners
1994 establishments in Quebec