Mono is an experimental rock band from Japan, formed in 1999 by Goto Takaakira and his high school friend Tamaki Kunishi. The band has become known for their expansive soundscape compositions and ambitious use of classical instruments to illustrate their sound. Mono has released eight albums since their debut LP Under the Pipal Tree in 2000, with their latest release, 'Nowhere Now Here' arriving in 2019.
Initially known as a post-rock band, Mono's sound incorporates elements from many genres, including shoegaze, classical, drone and trip-hop, as well as post-minimalist and ambient music. Instrumentally, the band often uses vast arrangements, often featuring violins, violas, cellos, French horns, the double bass and two drummers. Through their music, Mono has tried to challenge listeners to explore and interpret their unique sound[]
Signed with Temporary Residence Ltd., the band self-released their first album 'Under the Pipal Tree' in 2000. This was quickly followed by their Sophomore Album titled 'One-Step More and You Die" in 2002. This album was not only their debut in the UK but in the US as well, and they used it to establish their distinctive, instrument heavy sound in the Western Hemisphere.
Their next album, ‘Walking Cloud and Deep Red Sky, Flag Fluttered and the Sun Shined' released in 2004 saw them mature their trademark sound and style. It featured string quartets that brought together sublime beauty and chaos, that gave a unique tension to their compositions. This album included ‘Yearning’ the band's first track to have acclaim internationally, topping international music charts across the globe.
Mono entered into the studio again in 2006 and made their fifth album, ‘You Are There’. This magnificent record featured a stellar lineup of musicians including other prominent experimental bands such as Envy and 9dw. Mono began to slowly make a name for themselves in the Western Hemisphere after this album, playing with Envy at the Movement Festival in 2007.
The album ‘Hymn to an Endless Sky’ followed in yo 2009. This album was Mono’s attempt to explore a wider range of instrumentation and styles, featuring a range of different instruments as well as Japanese spoken word. In 2010 Mono made their only live album to date ‘Holy Ground: NYC live given 2017'. The record captures Mono’s homage to the New York audience diversity as it blends into a beautiful harmonic celebration into one iconic performance.
It wasn't until 2012 that Mono released their seventh album, ‘For My Jesus In The Hunger Winter’. The album was somewhat of a break from the more explicit sound of earlier albums, flooded with the ambiguity from earlier works. Shoegaze and ambiance dominated 'For My Jesus In The Hunger Winter', making it their ‘tamest’ album to that point.
Their latest release came in 2019 with ‘Nowhere Now Here’, a masterful eventual combination of all the different inspiration brought upon over the course of their career, making it a master record for the band.
Mono have made a profound impact on both the experimental and Shoegaze music scenes and are celebrated as one of the leading artistic rock acts today. Although the band went on an indefinite hiatus in 2015, due to medical issues and personal matters, Mono continue to impact the Indie and alternative scenes. As such, they exemplify the magic of cooperation and the ability of music to yield unexpected and magical results when a group of artists come together with a shared goal of exploration and creativity.