From the thunderous feedback of Les Rallizes Dénudés to the pioneering noise of Merzbow, Japan boasts a proud tradition of sculpting noise. Post-rock outfit MONO are no exception, weaving their own melancholic take on drifting and unstructured rock. Latest single Ely’s Heartbeat comes replete with all the drifting guitar licks and chiming ambience the genre expects.

A first taste of upcoming album Requiem For Hell, brooding overtones over shoe-gazing vibrations push the track between sweeping builds and climatic swells. Rolling between mournful turbulence and elation, the track’s tempo is built around the heartbeat of a friend of the group’s unborn child. The musical notion ties into the theme of the forthcoming album which will reportedly touch upon underpinning themes of life, death, beginnings and endings.

Again teaming up with long-time collaborator Steve Albini, the track features the producer’s flair for driving guitar licks and low-end rumble. While Albini may  have sat aside during the shoegaze heydey of key influences My Bloody Valentine and Sonic Youth, the producer proves more than adept at capturing the group’s ambrosial textures. Sitting aside coarser elements are elegant strings arrangements and delicately minimal percussion. Instrumental layers of the group’s soupy sonic concoction leak together to create an almost dreamlike state. You can listen to Ely’s Heartbeat below:

https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/277553665

Requiem For Hell will be dropping October 14 via Temporary Residence Ltd.

Influential Japanese post-rock artists MONO have announced a brand new album, Requiem For Hell, set for release on October 14 via Temporary Residence Ltd.
The five-track album interestingly marks a return to their longstanding production collaboration with Steve Albini. They first worked together on 2004’s breathtaking Walking Cloud And Deep Red Sky, Flag Fluttered And Sun Shined, and their last collaboration was 2009’s Hymn To The Immortal Wind. After touring with Albini’s band Shellac in Japan last year, the group have revived the collaboration for the new album.
 
As the title indicates, Requiem For Hell is set to be darker, heavier and even “scarier” than their previous work, which has traditionally centred on lush atmospheric soundscapes and beautiful, sweeping melodies. It’s interesting to see how their music has taken a turn for the more sinister. While I feel like they had toyed with darker sounds in their early career, notably on 2002’s One Step More And You Die, they have really sharpened their claws of late. Their last release was the mammoth 2014 double album The Last Dawn / Rays of Darkness, with the latter half producing the heaviest, most visceral sounding tracks of their career thus far.
Below, find the tracklisting, cover artwork and a teaser video giving us an idea of what to expect on the new record. Oh, and fear not about it being only five songs long – known for their lengthy tracks, the first piece alone runs for an impressive eighteen minutes.
Requiem For Hell
1. Death In Rebirth
2. Stellar
3. Requiem For Hell
4. Ely’s Heartbeat
5. The Last Scene

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OI51id85jyo

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Image: Supplied