Mono's epic post-rock sound has been plodding, rising and falling since the group's formation in 2000. Since then they have released a studio LP every year or two, with several EPs and split albums in-between.
Similar to their musical style, the quality of -- and response to -- their work has built gradually, climaxing most recently with their 2005 split with Japanese peer World's End Girlfriend (which Stylus magazine deemed "the single most magnificent piece of music" of the year) and their 2006 LP You Are There.
But, as is the curse of such independent bands, and even more so a Japanese independent band, the EPs Mono released have often slipped through the cracks, making them somewhat hard to find.
Last week, though, the band sought to solve this problem by releasing Gone: A Collection of EP's 2000-2007. This new compilation puts together nearly every non-LP piece the group has recorded since its formation.
One of the best parts about Gone is its presentation. The tracks are ordered chronologically, beginning with two tracks from the 2000 Hey You EP, the band's first official recording, leading all the way to the final four tracks coming from this year's The Phoenix Tree. This way, listeners can witness the band's entire evolution in one sitting.
Kicking off Gone is "Finlandia," one of Mono's earliest and most beautiful tracks. The song serves as a brilliant intro as it shows off the band's heavily Mogwai-influenced roots and acts as a standard for their drawn-out, slowly building form. Following this is "Black Woods," an 11-minute composition that starts out quietly and breaks down into harsh noise that carries out the final six minutes.
The album then jumps five years to "Yearning," a song that has appeared on two previous Mono recordings (first on their 2005 split with Pelican and later on You Are There). The five years between those two tracks are made evident in the music's growth in complexity; "Yearning" is an ambitious 15-minute composition that travels through several movements. On "Memorie Dal Futuro" we see the entrance of a string section, adding an entirely new layer to the band's sound.
By the time we reach the final four selections, Mono has completed its transformation into a sort of neo-classical group, forging gorgeous strings with layers of drifting, echoed guitar and drums. "Rainbow," the closer, takes it to the next level with 100 percent strings. These songs are noticeably shorter than the rest -- only one breaks the four minute mark -- but the band nevertheless manages to build to equally emotional climaxes.
Gone is a strong collection of tracks from one of the most talented post-rock groups around. More simply, it's just a great compilation of beautiful music that shouldn't be passed up. The album's evolutionary mapping also makes it both a perfect introduction to the band and a strong addition for previously established fans.
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