Mono (Japanese band)
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Mono (stylised as MONO) is a Japanese
instrumental An instrumental is a recording normally without any vocals, although it might include some inarticulate vocals, such as shouted backup vocals in a big band setting. Through semantic widening, a broader sense of the word song may refer to instru ...
band, formed in 1999 in
Tokyo Tokyo (; ja, 東京, , ), officially the Tokyo Metropolis ( ja, 東京都, label=none, ), is the capital and largest city of Japan. Formerly known as Edo, its metropolitan area () is the most populous in the world, with an estimated 37.468 ...
. The band consists of Takaakira "Taka" Goto (electric guitar,
glockenspiel The glockenspiel ( or , : bells and : set) or bells is a percussion instrument consisting of pitched aluminum or steel bars arranged in a keyboard layout. This makes the glockenspiel a type of metallophone, similar to the vibraphone. The glo ...
), Hideki "Yoda" Suematsu (electric guitar, glockenspiel), Dahm Majuri Cipolla (
drums A drum kit (also called a drum set, trap set, or simply drums) is a collection of drums, cymbals, and other Percussion instrument, auxiliary percussion instruments set up to be played by one person. The player (drummer) typically holds a pair o ...
), and Tamaki Kunishi (bass guitar, electric guitar, piano, glockenspiel). Mono have released eleven studio albums. The band spent their early years, from 1999 to 2003, touring Asia, Europe, and America continuously, and released two studio albums, ''Under the Pipal Tree'' (2001) and ''One Step More and You Die'' (2002) on the
Tzadik Records Tzadik Records is a record label in New York City that specializes in avant-garde and experimental music. The label was established by composer and saxophonist John Zorn in 1995. He is the executive producer of all Tzadik releases. Tzadik is a n ...
and Music Mine Inc. record labels, respectively. From 2004 to 2007, Mono signed to
Temporary Residence Limited Temporary Residence Limited (shortened TRL) is a Brooklyn, New York-based record label. TRL was started in Louisville, Kentucky in 1996 by Jeremy DeVine, and initially concentrated on releasing music by Louisville-based bands.
, released two more studio albums, ''Walking Cloud and Deep Red Sky, Flag Fluttered and the Sun Shined'' (2004) and ''You Are There'' (2006), and toured worldwide in their support. In 2008, the band took a break, returning one year later with a new studio album, ''Hymn to the Immortal Wind'' (2009), also on Temporary Residence Limited. During the tour that followed they recorded a live album, ''Holy Ground: NYC Live With The Wordless Music Orchestra'' which was released in 2010. In October 2016 the band released their ninth studio album, titled ''Requiem for Hell''. Their most recent effort, ''Nowhere Now Here'' was released on January 25, 2019 through Pelagic Records, and was produced by the band's longtime friend Steve Albini at Electrical Audio, Chicago. It also contains Tamaki's first vocals for the band on the track "Breathe". The band have cited a variety of
experimental An experiment is a procedure carried out to support or refute a hypothesis, or determine the efficacy or likelihood of something previously untried. Experiments provide insight into cause-and-effect by demonstrating what outcome occurs when ...
,
avant-rock Experimental rock, also called avant-rock, is a subgenre of rock music that pushes the boundaries of common composition and performance technique or which experiments with the basic elements of the genre. Artists aim to liberate and innovate, with ...
and
classical music Classical music generally refers to the art music of the Western world, considered to be distinct from Western folk music or popular music traditions. It is sometimes distinguished as Western classical music, as the term "classical music" also ...
artists as inspirations but stated that their aim is to transcend genre, rejecting the
post-rock Post-rock is a form of experimental rock characterized by a focus on exploring textures and timbre over traditional rock song structures, chords, or riffs. Post-rock artists are often instrumental, typically combining rock instrumentation with ...
label which has often been applied to them. Mono's sound is characterised by the lead and rhythm guitars of Goto and Yoda respectively, both of whom make extensive use of
reverb Reverberation (also known as reverb), in acoustics, is a persistence of sound, after a sound is produced. Reverberation is created when a sound or signal is reflected causing numerous reflections to build up and then decay as the sound is abso ...
,
distortion In signal processing, distortion is the alteration of the original shape (or other characteristic) of a signal. In communications and electronics it means the alteration of the waveform of an information-bearing signal, such as an audio signal ...
and
delay Delay (from Latin: dilatio) may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media * ''Delay 1968'', a 1981 album by German experimental rock band Can * ''The Delay'', a 2012 Uruguayan film People * B. H. DeLay (1891–1923), American aviator and acto ...
effects. The band's live performances are noted for their intensity, both in the playing and in the dynamics.


History


Formation and early years: 1999–2000

In January 1999, Tokyo native electric guitarist Takaakira "Taka" Goto began composing music and spent the remainder of the year searching for other musicians with which to form an instrumental rock band; eventually recruiting long-time friend and fellow electric guitarist Hideki "Yoda" Suematsu on rhythm guitar. By December 1999, Tamaki Kunishi and Yasunori Takada had joined Mono on bass guitar and drums, respectively. The band played their first show in late January 2000, at Club 251 in
Setagaya, Tokyo is a special ward in Tokyo, Japan. It is also the name of a neighborhood and administrative district within the ward. The ward calls itself Setagaya City in English. Its official bird is the azure-winged magpie, its flower is the fringed orch ...
. In May 2000, the band entered Rinky Dink Studio in Tokyo and recorded their first extended play with engineers Tetsuya Morioka and Toshiro Kai, which was later self-released in September 2000: a Japan-only release titled '' Hey, You'' on their own independent record label, Forty-4. The band spent the bulk of the year composing more music and performing at various houses around Tokyo, in the neighbourhoods of Setagaya,
Shimokitazawa is a commercial and entertainment area in Kitazawa, Setagaya, Tokyo. It is located in the southwestern corner of the Kitazawa district, hence the name "Shimo-kitazawa" (literally ''lower Kitazawa''). Also known as "Shimokita", the neighbourhood ...
, and
Shibuya Shibuya ( 渋谷 区 ''Shibuya-ku'') is a special ward in Tokyo, Japan. As a major commercial and finance center, it houses two of the busiest railway stations in the world, Shinjuku Station (southern half) and Shibuya Station. As of April 1 ...
. Mono also travelled to the
United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
to play a one-off show in November at the
Mercury Lounge The Mercury Lounge is a live music venue in the Lower East Side of New York City. Like its brother venue The Bowery Ballroom, The Mercury Lounge is celebrated as an iconic indie venue due to its acoustics, its fostering and even launching of up ...
in
New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...
; a show which was later described by Paul Wheeler of rockofjapan.com as having a "big beautiful sound that ..naturally xpandedthrough each song."


''Under the Pipal Tree'': 2001

Following the release of the ''Hey, You'' extended play, Mono spent the next year playing shows throughout their native Japan, as well as playing several shows in
New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...
and
Sweden Sweden, formally the Kingdom of Sweden,The United Nations Group of Experts on Geographical Names states that the country's formal name is the Kingdom of SwedenUNGEGN World Geographical Names, Sweden./ref> is a Nordic country located on ...
. The band also made an appearance at the 2001
South by Southwest South by Southwest, abbreviated as SXSW and colloquially referred to as South By, is an annual conglomeration of parallel film, interactive media, and music festivals and Convention (meeting), conferences organized jointly that take place in m ...
music festival in
Austin, Texas Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of Texas, as well as the county seat, seat and largest city of Travis County, Texas, Travis County, with portions extending into Hays County, Texas, Hays and Williamson County, Texas, Williamson co ...
. Between performing in Japan, Mono recorded their first studio album, ''
Under the Pipal Tree ''Under the Pipal Tree'' is the debut studio album by Japanese post-rock band Mono. It was released on November 11, 2001 on Tzadik Records. In 2016, ''Under the Pipal Tree'' was included at number 30 on ''Fact A fact is a datum about one o ...
'' at Studio Take-1 and Forty-4 in Tokyo. The majority of the tracks were recorded live (a trend which the band would adopt for all subsequent studio albums) in one day, the recording session of which was funded by experimental American musician
John Zorn John Zorn (born September 2, 1953) is an American composer, conductor, saxophonist, arranger and producer who "deliberately resists category". Zorn's avant-garde and experimental approaches to composition and improvisation are inclusive of jaz ...
, with the band handling production duties. The album featured two previously released tracks (from the ''Hey, You'' extended play), as well as six original compositions. The album was released worldwide through
New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...
record label
Tzadik Tzadik ( he, צַדִּיק , "righteous ne, also ''zadik'', ''ṣaddîq'' or ''sadiq''; pl. ''tzadikim'' ''ṣadiqim'') is a title in Judaism given to people considered righteous, such as biblical figures and later spiritual masters. The ...
, owned and operated by John Zorn.


''One Step More and You Die'': 2002–2003

After the release of ''Under the Pipal Tree'', the band spent the next year touring Japan and the United States, also visiting Germany and Taiwan in support of the album, as well as composing new material inspired by the tour. In June 2002, between shows in Japan, the band recorded their second studio album, ''
One Step More and You Die ''One Step More and You Die'' is an album by Mono, released in 2002 on the Arena Rock Recording Co. Arena Rock Recording Company ("Arena Rock" or "ARRCO") is an independent record label based in Portland, Oregon. Albums are distributed by Red ...
'' at Little Bach and Sound City studios in Tokyo, with Mono again handling production duties. The album was released in Japan in October of that year on Japanese record label Music Mine Inc. The band spent most of 2003 touring in support of the album, returning to Japan, the United States, Sweden, and visiting Canada, Switzerland, Belgium, Hungary, the Netherlands, France, and the United Kingdom for the first time.


''Walking Cloud and Deep Red Sky, Flag Fluttered and the Sun Shined'': 2004

Mono's next release was a collaboration with Japanese musician Aki Onda; whom the band met while touring New York in 2002. The band, Onda, and several notable members of the New York experimental music scene (including
DJ Olive DJ Olive (also known as The Audio Janitor; born Gregor Asch) is an American disc jockey and turntablist. He is known for producing music generally in the electronic genre, with strong influences of dub, and free improvisation styles. He is wide ...
,
Jackie-O Motherfucker Jackie-O Motherfucker is an American experimental music group that formed in Portland, Oregon in 1994. Biography Jackie-O Motherfucker began as a duo consisting of multi-instrumentalist Tom Greenwood and saxophonist Nester Bucket. The group is a ...
, and
Loren Connors Loren Mazzacane Connors (born October 22, 1949) is an American guitarist who has recorded and performed under several different names: Guitar Roberts, Loren Mazzacane, Loren Mattei, and currently Loren Connors. His music has touched on many genres ...
) remixed ''One Step More and You Die''. The album, titled '' New York Soundtracks'', was released in February 2004 on Human Highway, Mono's own record label, and a successor to Forty-4. In January 2004, the band began a long partnership with Chicagoan recording engineer
Steve Albini Steve Albini (pronounced ; born July 22, 1962) is an American musician, record producer, audio engineer and music journalist. He was a member of Big Black, Rapeman and Flour, and is a member of Shellac. He is the founder, owner and principal en ...
, recording their third studio album at Electrical Audio Engineering in
Chicago, Illinois (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...
. The album, titled '' Walking Cloud and Deep Red Sky, Flag Fluttered and the Sun Shined'' was released in April 2004 on Human Highway in Japan, and on Rykodisk in Europe and Temporary Residence Limited in the United States later in the year. After the album's release, the band embarked upon a year-long tour of America, Asia, and Europe.


''You Are There'': 2005–2007

The band also spent 2005 touring Asia, America, and Europe composing music, and eventually returning to Electrical Audio Engineering in February and September to record their fourth studio album with Steve Albini. The album, titled '' You Are There'' was released in Japan in March 2006 on Human Highway, and on Temporary Residence Limited in the United States and Europe. Mono also collaborated with Japanese musician
World's End Girlfriend , better known by his stage name World's End Girlfriend, is a Japanese musician from Gotō Islands, Nagasaki Prefecture. He is the founder of the record label Virgin Babylon Records. Biography Katsuhiko Maeda was born on 1 November 1975 in Gotō ...
in 2005, releasing a collaboration studio album in December of that year, on Human Highway, and with American band
Pelican Pelicans (genus ''Pelecanus'') are a genus of large water birds that make up the family Pelecanidae. They are characterized by a long beak and a large throat pouch used for catching prey and draining water from the scooped-up contents before s ...
, releasing a split album with the band through Temporary Residence Limited in October 2005. In February 2007, American
webzine An online magazine is a magazine published on the Internet, through bulletin board systems and other forms of public computer networks. One of the first magazines to convert from a print magazine format to being online only was the computer magaz ...
''
Somewhere Cold Somewherecold Records (formerly Somewhere Cold Records) is an American independent record label established in late 2004 by Jason T. Lamoreaux. The record company was founded in Lexington, Kentucky, but is currently headquartered in Shelbyvill ...
'' voted their split with World's End Girlfriend ''Palmless Paryaer / Mass Murder Refrain'' No. 7 on their ''2006 Somewhere Cold Awards Hall of Fame''. Mono spent 2006 and 2007 touring Asia, America and Europe in support of ''You Are There''. In October 2006, the band returned to Electrical Audio Engineering and recorded a four-track extended play, which was released in April 2007 as part of Temporary Residence Limited's
Travels in Constants Travels in Constants is a limited edition collection of 25 EPs issued by American record label Temporary Residence Limited. The label issued one CD from each artist involved in the project, which ran from 1999 until 2015. A large number of the a ...
series, titled ''The Phoenix Tree''. In November 2006, the band released a two-track extended play titled '' Memorie dal Futuro'' through Vinyl Films, and also contributed a track to a Temporary Residence Limited compilation album, ''Thankful''. In September 2007, the band released their first compilation album, compiling material from all previous extended plays, split albums, and compilations, titled '' Gone: A Collection of EPs 2000–2007'', as well as the music documentary DVD, ''The Sky Remains the Same as Ever'', documenting the worldwide tours of 2006 and 2007 and the recording of ''The Phoenix Tree'' extended play.


''Hymn to the Immortal Wind'': 2008–2011

In 2008, the band took a year-long break from touring, spending the time composing new music and playing a handful of shows throughout the year, including an appearance at
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 ...
in Somerset, England, curated by
Explosions in the Sky Explosions in the Sky is an American post-rock band from Texas. The quartet originally played under the name Breaker Morant, then changed to the current name in 1999. The band has garnered popularity beyond the post-rock scene for their elabora ...
in May. Mono returned to Electrical Audio Engineering in June and November 2008 to record their fifth studio album, '' Hymn to the Immortal Wind'', which was later released in March 2009, and followed by a year-long tour of America and Eurasia. The band played a ten-year anniversary show at the Society for Ethical Culture Hall in New York, United States on 8 May 2009, accompanied by the 24-piece Wordless Music Orchestra. The performance was recorded and later released as both a
live album An album is a collection of audio recordings issued on compact disc (CD), Phonograph record, vinyl, audio tape, or another medium such as Digital distribution#Music, digital distribution. Albums of recorded sound were developed in the early ...
and a
DVD The DVD (common abbreviation for Digital Video Disc or Digital Versatile Disc) is a digital optical disc data storage format. It was invented and developed in 1995 and first released on November 1, 1996, in Japan. The medium can store any kind ...
, named ''Holy Ground: NYC Live With The Wordless Music Orchestra'', through Temporary Residence Limited in Europe and America, and Human Highway in Asia. The band then took another year-long break and went into "hibernation mode", returning to Japan to work on songs for a new album.


''For My Parents'': 2012–2014

Mono spent early 2012 recording a new album at Waterfront Studios in Hudson, New York, with recording engineers Henry Hirsch, accompanied by the Wordless Music Orchestra. The album was mixed by Fred Weaver at his studio, Apocalypse the Apocalypse, in Clearfield, Pennsylvania. '' For My Parents'' was MONO's first record in eight years not to be recorded by
Steve Albini Steve Albini (pronounced ; born July 22, 1962) is an American musician, record producer, audio engineer and music journalist. He was a member of Big Black, Rapeman and Flour, and is a member of Shellac. He is the founder, owner and principal en ...
at Electrical Audio Studios in Chicago. '' For My Parents'', was released on 4 September 2012, through
Temporary Residence Limited Temporary Residence Limited (shortened TRL) is a Brooklyn, New York-based record label. TRL was started in Louisville, Kentucky in 1996 by Jeremy DeVine, and initially concentrated on releasing music by Louisville-based bands.
. The band's press release for ''For My Parents'' states "We hope that this album serves as a gift from child to parent. While everything else continues to change, this love remains a constant throughout time."


''The Last Dawn/Rays of Darkness'': 2014–2016

Mono released a double album on 24 October 2014, two contrasting records: The Last Dawn, being a more traditional Mono record; and Rays of Darkness, some of their heaviest material, even more notable for the first use of vocals on ''The Hand That Holds The Truth''. The two were released on Temporary Residence Limited in North American and Pelagic Records elsewhere.


''Requiem for Hell'': 2016–2019

Mono announced the forthcoming release of ''Requiem For Hell'' on 19 July 2016, their ninth studio album. It reintroduces strings to their sound. It was also their first full album under the newly formed label Pelagic Records. Prior to the full release of ''Requiem For Hell'' they did a split album with The Ocean (''Transcendental'') to commemorate this event. Later it was known that it was actually a sneak peek of the first two songs of their upcoming album. On December 9, 2017 they announced via their social media pages that Yasunori Takada (drum kit, glockenspiel, synthesizer), who has been a member since the start, will leave the band due to "personal reasons." He was replaced by Dahm Majuri Cipolla beginning with the band's live performance on August 9, 2018. Starting in August 2018, they worked on their next project with Steve Albini at Electrical once again. On September 25, 2018, the new album was revealed to be called ''Nowhere Now Here,'' their first with Cipolla, it was released January 25, 2019.


Hymn to the Immortal Wind (10 Year Anniversary Edition): 2019-present

To commemorate the 20th anniversary of MONO, and the 10th anniversary of ''Hymn to the Immortal Wind'', Temporary Residence Ltd. released ''Hymn to the Immortal Wind - Anniversary Edition''. Featuring remastered versions of the original.


Musical style

Although Mono's musical style has developed throughout their career, it has primarily been characterised by dynamic, guitar-based
instrumental An instrumental is a recording normally without any vocals, although it might include some inarticulate vocals, such as shouted backup vocals in a big band setting. Through semantic widening, a broader sense of the word song may refer to instru ...
soundscape A soundscape is the acoustic environment as perceived by humans, in context. The term was originally coined by Michael Southworth, and popularised by R. Murray Schafer. There is a varied history of the use of soundscape depending on discipline, ...
s, the majority of which are composed by lead guitarist Takaakira Goto, in an attempt to channel and express the emotions of
joy The word joy refers to the emotion evoked by well-being, success, or good fortune, and is typically associated with feelings of intense, long lasting happiness. Dictionary definitions Dictionary definitions of joy typically include a sense of ...
and sorrow. The band's style of music originally featured elements of
minimalism In visual arts, music and other media, minimalism is an art movement that began in post–World War II in Western art, most strongly with American visual arts in the 1960s and early 1970s. Prominent artists associated with minimalism include Don ...
and
noise Noise is unwanted sound considered unpleasant, loud or disruptive to hearing. From a physics standpoint, there is no distinction between noise and desired sound, as both are vibrations through a medium, such as air or water. The difference arise ...
, and later developed to integrate more complex,
orchestral An orchestra (; ) is a large instrumental ensemble typical of classical music, which combines instruments from different families. There are typically four main sections of instruments: * bowed string instruments, such as the violin, viola, ...
arrangements and instrumentation. Mono's music has been categorised as both contemporary classical and
post-rock Post-rock is a form of experimental rock characterized by a focus on exploring textures and timbre over traditional rock song structures, chords, or riffs. Post-rock artists are often instrumental, typically combining rock instrumentation with ...
, but Goto has stated: Mono has toured worldwide several times. Their live show tends to feature intense and emotional playing by the band members, as well as using extreme dynamics (in crescendos as well as diminuendos) in their attempt to create an "unforgettable" live performance. When recording their music, the band has always played live in the studio and, from 2004's ''Walking Cloud and Deep Red Sky, Flag Fluttered and the Sun Shined'' to 2009's ''Hymn to the Immortal Wind'', worked with Chicagoan recording engineer
Steve Albini Steve Albini (pronounced ; born July 22, 1962) is an American musician, record producer, audio engineer and music journalist. He was a member of Big Black, Rapeman and Flour, and is a member of Shellac. He is the founder, owner and principal en ...
, whom they feel accurately captured a live band's "raw emotion to agnetic tape."


Influences

Mono has drawn influence from various musical and non-musical sources throughout their career. When the band first formed, their main influences were American experimental rock band
Sonic Youth Sonic Youth was an American rock band based in New York City, formed in 1981. Founding members Thurston Moore (guitar, vocals), Kim Gordon (bass, vocals, guitar) and Lee Ranaldo (guitar, vocals) remained together for the entire history of the b ...
and
Anglo Anglo is a prefix indicating a relation to, or descent from, the Angles, England, English culture, the English people or the English language, such as in the term '' Anglosphere''. It is often used alone, somewhat loosely, to refer to people ...
-
Irish Irish may refer to: Common meanings * Someone or something of, from, or related to: ** Ireland, an island situated off the north-western coast of continental Europe ***Éire, Irish language name for the isle ** Northern Ireland, a constituent unit ...
shoegaze Shoegaze (originally called shoegazing and sometimes conflated with "dream pop") is a subgenre of indie and alternative rock characterized by its ethereal mixture of obscured vocals, guitar distortion and effects, feedback, and overwhelming volu ...
band My Bloody Valentine when making ''Under the Pipal Tree'' and ''One Step More and You Die''. As the band broadened their musical tastes, starting with the album, ''Walking Cloud and Deep Red Sky, Flag Fluttered and the Sun Shined'', they began to be influenced by music from sources such as German classical composer
Ludwig van Beethoven Ludwig van Beethoven (baptised 17 December 177026 March 1827) was a German composer and pianist. Beethoven remains one of the most admired composers in the history of Western music; his works rank amongst the most performed of the classical ...
, Italian film score composer
Ennio Morricone Ennio Morricone (; 10 November 19286 July 2020) was an Italian composer, orchestrator, conductor, and trumpeter who wrote music in a wide range of styles. With more than 400 scores for cinema and television, as well as more than 100 classica ...
, and later Polish minimalist composer
Henryk Górecki Henryk Mikołaj Górecki ( , ; 6 December 1933 – 12 November 2010) was a Polish composer of contemporary classical music. According to critic Alex Ross, no recent classical composer has had as much commercial success as Górecki. He became a l ...
, among others. Lead guitarist Takaakira Goto has also acknowledged Danish film director
Lars von Trier Lars von Trier (''né'' Trier; 30 April 1956) is a Danish filmmaker, actor, and lyricist. Having garnered a reputation as a highly ambitious, polarizing filmmaker, he has been the subject of several controversies: Cannes, in addition to nominat ...
(in particular the 1996 film, ''
Breaking the Waves ''Breaking the Waves'' is a 1996 psychological drama film directed and co-written by Danish filmmaker Lars von Trier and starring English stage actress Emily Watson as her feature film acting debut. Set in the Scottish Highlands in the early 197 ...
'') as a major influence since the band's formation, in terms of expressing the different depths and heights of emotion.


Instrumentation

In terms of instrumentation, Mono is a four-piece instrumental rock band. Goto, the group's
lead guitar Lead guitar (also known as solo guitar) is a musical part for a guitar in which the guitarist plays melody lines, instrumental fill passages, guitar solos, and occasionally, some riffs and chords within a song structure. The lead is the featur ...
ist, uses a 1966
Fender Jazzmaster The Fender Musical Instruments Corporation, Fender Jazzmaster is an electric guitar designed as a more expensive sibling of the Fender Stratocaster. First introduced at the 1958 NAMM Show, it was initially marketed to jazz guitarists, but found ...
through
Boss Boss may refer to: Occupations * Supervisor, often referred to as boss * Air boss, more formally, air officer, the person in charge of aircraft operations on an aircraft carrier * Crime boss, the head of a criminal organization * Fire boss, a ...
,
Danelectro Danelectro is a brand of musical instruments and accessories, founded in Red Bank, New Jersey in 1947. The company is known primarily for its string instruments that employed unique designs and manufacturing processes. The Danelectro company was ...
, SiB, and
Morley Morley may refer to: Places England * Morley, Norfolk, a civil parish * Morley, Derbyshire, a civil parish * Morley, Cheshire, a village * Morley, County Durham, a village * Morley, West Yorkshire, a suburban town of Leeds and civil parish * M ...
effects pedal An effects unit or effects pedal is an electronic device that alters the sound of a musical instrument or other audio source through audio signal processing. Common effects include distortion/overdrive, often used with electric guitar in ele ...
s, into a
Fender Twin The Fender Twin and Twin Reverb are guitar amplifiers made by Fender Musical Instruments Corporation. The Twin was introduced in 1952, two years before Fender began selling Stratocaster electric guitars. The amps are known for their characteristi ...
, a Marshall JCM 2000 head, and a Marshall cabinet for amplification. Yoda, the rhythm guitarist, uses a 1974
Fender Stratocaster The Fender Stratocaster, colloquially known as the Strat, is a model of electric guitar designed from 1952 into 1954 by Leo Fender, Bill Carson, George Fullerton, and Freddie Tavares. The Fender Musical Instruments Corporation has continuously ...
through Boss,
Tech 21 Tech 21 is a New York based manufacturer of guitar and bass effect pedals, amps, and DI boxes which allow the user to emulate the tone of many popular guitar amps and record those sounds directly into a mixer. Products Tech 21's core produc ...
and Pro Co effects pedals, into a
Fender Twin The Fender Twin and Twin Reverb are guitar amplifiers made by Fender Musical Instruments Corporation. The Twin was introduced in 1952, two years before Fender began selling Stratocaster electric guitars. The amps are known for their characteristi ...
for amplification. Kunishi, the group's bass guitarist, pianist and occasional guitarist uses a 1966
Gibson EB-3 The Gibson EB-3 is an electric bass guitar model produced by the Gibson Guitar Corporation. Origins and history The Gibson EB-3 is a bass guitar introduced in 1961 and discontinued in 1979. It was produced at Gibson's plant in Kalamazoo, MI. It ...
through Boss,
TC Electronic TC Electronic (sometimes stylized as t.c. electronic) is a Danish audio equipment company that designs and imports guitar effects, bass amplification, computer audio interfaces, audio plug-in software, live sound equalisers, studio and post-pr ...
, and Tech 21 effects pedals, into an Ampeg B2-R head and a Sunn bass cabinet, as well as a
Fender Rhodes The Rhodes piano (also known as the Fender Rhodes piano) is an electric piano invented by Harold Rhodes, which became popular in the 1970s. Like a conventional piano, the Rhodes generates sound with keys and hammers, but instead of strings, th ...
, and a
Fender Jazzmaster The Fender Musical Instruments Corporation, Fender Jazzmaster is an electric guitar designed as a more expensive sibling of the Fender Stratocaster. First introduced at the 1958 NAMM Show, it was initially marketed to jazz guitarists, but found ...
. Takada, the drummer, uses a four-piece 1970s Ludwig drum kit, with
Zildjian :''Zildjian leads here. For people with the surname, see Zildjian (disambiguation)'' The Avedis Zildjian Company, simply known as Zildjian (), is a musical instrument manufacturer specializing in cymbals and other percussion instruments. Founded ...
, Sabian, and
Paiste Paiste (English pronunciation: , ) is a Swiss musical instrument manufacturing company. It is the world's third largest manufacturer of cymbals, gongs, and metal percussion. is an Estonian word that means "shine". Apart from cymbals and gong ...
cymbals, as well as a
Korg , founded as Keio Electronic Laboratories, is a Japanese multinational corporation that manufactures electronic musical instruments, audio processors and guitar pedals, recording equipment, and electronic tuners. Under the Vox brand name, they ...
microKORG synthesizer. As the band's career has progressed, they have incorporated string sections on record, beginning with ''Under the Pipal Tree'', which featured use of
cello The cello ( ; plural ''celli'' or ''cellos'') or violoncello ( ; ) is a Bow (music), bowed (sometimes pizzicato, plucked and occasionally col legno, hit) string instrument of the violin family. Its four strings are usually intonation (music), t ...
, continuing with ''One Step More and You Die'' and ''Walking Cloud and Deep Red Sky, Flag Fluttered and the Sun Shined'' which both featured string quartets, and ''You Are There'', which featured a string quintet. On ''Hymn to the Immortal Wind'', the band made use of a 28-piece chamber orchestra.


Members

;Current members * Takaakira "Taka" Goto –
lead guitar Lead guitar (also known as solo guitar) is a musical part for a guitar in which the guitarist plays melody lines, instrumental fill passages, guitar solos, and occasionally, some riffs and chords within a song structure. The lead is the featur ...
, glockenspiel * Hideki "Yoda" Suematsu –
rhythm guitar In music performances, rhythm guitar is a technique and role that performs a combination of two functions: to provide all or part of the rhythmic pulse in conjunction with other instruments from the rhythm section (e.g., drum kit, bass guitar ...
, glockenspiel * Tamaki Kunishi –
bass guitar The bass guitar, electric bass or simply bass (), is the lowest-pitched member of the string family. It is a plucked string instrument similar in appearance and construction to an electric or an acoustic guitar, but with a longer neck and ...
,
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 stri ...
,
piano The piano is a stringed keyboard instrument in which the strings are struck by wooden hammers that are coated with a softer material (modern hammers are covered with dense wool felt; some early pianos used leather). It is played using a keyboa ...
, glockenspiel * Dahm Majuri Cipolla –
drum kit A drum kit (also called a drum set, trap set, or simply drums) is a collection of drums, cymbals, and other auxiliary percussion instruments set up to be played by one person. The player ( drummer) typically holds a pair of matching drumsti ...
(2018–present) ;Former members * Yasunori Takada –
drum kit A drum kit (also called a drum set, trap set, or simply drums) is a collection of drums, cymbals, and other auxiliary percussion instruments set up to be played by one person. The player ( drummer) typically holds a pair of matching drumsti ...
,
synthesizer A synthesizer (also spelled synthesiser) is an electronic musical instrument that generates audio signals. Synthesizers typically create sounds by generating waveforms through methods including subtractive synthesis, additive synthesis and ...
, glockenspiel (1999–2017)


Discography


Studio albums

* ''
Under the Pipal Tree ''Under the Pipal Tree'' is the debut studio album by Japanese post-rock band Mono. It was released on November 11, 2001 on Tzadik Records. In 2016, ''Under the Pipal Tree'' was included at number 30 on ''Fact A fact is a datum about one o ...
'' (2001) * ''
One Step More and You Die ''One Step More and You Die'' is an album by Mono, released in 2002 on the Arena Rock Recording Co. Arena Rock Recording Company ("Arena Rock" or "ARRCO") is an independent record label based in Portland, Oregon. Albums are distributed by Red ...
'' (2002) * '' Walking Cloud and Deep Red Sky, Flag Fluttered and the Sun Shined'' (2004) * '' You Are There'' (2006) * '' Hymn to the Immortal Wind'' (2009) * '' For My Parents'' (2012) * ''The Last Dawn'' (2014) * ''Rays of Darkness'' (2014) * ''Requiem for Hell'' (2016) * ''Nowhere Now Here'' (2019) *''Pilgrimage of the Soul'' (2021)


Compilation albums

* '' Gone: A Collection of EPs 2000–2007'' (2007)


Split albums & EPs

* '' Mono / Pelican'' (2005) * '' Transcendental'' (2015)


Collaborations

* '' Palmless Prayer / Mass Murder Refrain'' (2006) * '' Exit in Darkness'' (2020)


Extended plays

* '' Hey, You'' (2000) * '' Memorie dal Futuro'' (2006) * '' The Phoenix Tree'' (2007) * '' Before The Past • Live From Electrical Audio'' (2019) * '' Scarlet Holliday'' (2022)


Remix albums

* '' New York Soundtracks'' (2004)


Live albums

* '' Holy Ground: NYC Live With The Wordless Music Orchestra'' (2010) * '' The Last Dawn/Rays of Darkness: Tour 2014 - 2015'' (2015) * '' Live in Melbourne'' (2017) * '' Beyond the Past • Live in London with the Platinum Anniversary Orchestra'' (2021)


Singles and music videos

* "Follow the Map" (2009) * "Legend" (2012) * "Dream Odyssey" (2013) * "Where We Begin" (2015) * "Requiem For Hell" (2017) * "After You Comes the Flood" (2018) * "Breathe" (2018) * "Exit in Darkness" w/ A.A. Williams (2019) * "Nowhere, Now Here (Live with the Platinum Anniversary Orchestra)" (2021) * "Riptide" (2021) * "Innocence" (2021)


Documentary

*"Journey Through Hell" (2016)


DVDs

* ''The Sky Remains The Same As Ever'' (2007) * '' Holy Ground: NYC Live With The Wordless Music Orchestra'' (2010)


References


External links

*
Mono
at
Temporary Residence Limited Temporary Residence Limited (shortened TRL) is a Brooklyn, New York-based record label. TRL was started in Louisville, Kentucky in 1996 by Jeremy DeVine, and initially concentrated on releasing music by Louisville-based bands.

Mono
at Human Highway
Mono
at
Live Music Archive The Live Music Archive (LMA), part of the Internet Archive, is an ad-free collection of over 170,000 concert recordings in lossless audio formats. The songs are also downloadable or playable in lossy formats such as Ogg Vorbis or MP3. The web ...
{{DEFAULTSORT:Mono Japanese rock music groups Musical groups established in 1999 Japanese post-rock groups Arena Rock Recording Company artists Rykodisc artists Tzadik Records artists Japanese instrumental musical groups Musical quartets Musical groups from Tokyo Temporary Residence Limited artists 1999 establishments in Japan