This post will probably fall on deaf ears (especially after all the recent hearing related threads), but I continue on my mission to sing the praises of the Japanese group “Mono”…
With all the crap in the world right now, what you need is this gloriously uplifting track “Gerbera” – the second track released from their forthcoming album “Snowdrop”
Video in (probably the only) comment on this thread 😉
Nice. Video made me think of Midsommar though
I’m really enjoying this. I liked the recent live album so much that I bought tickets to their London show later this year. Very much looking forward to it.
I have tickets for them in July in Singapore – small venue (approx 300 standing?). Seen them there before. Also very much looking forward to it.
I really enjoyed Gerbera. What a wonderfully uplifting, joyous piece of music. And the video suits it so well.
Tomorrow night is Eurovision and we’ll doubtless see wind machines galore.
Here is a band playing a remarkable tune in a very sunny, very windy field.
They blew all my cobwebs away.
Let me join in the praise. A warm, optimistic piece with a lot of calm joy embodied in the sound. I particularly liked the lead drums. It must be great to dance en masse to.
Thanks for sharing, Chris.
I’ve now posted this clip on my Facebook page and I am looking forward to howls of delight and joy from Kiruna to Cobham.
As Mike Scott said. I HAVE HEARD THE BIG MUSIC.
The director of the rather wonderful video is Yusaku Mitsuwaka who has worked with them before.
This site was useful.
https://doomed-nation.com/japanese-instrumental-rock-band-mono-premiere-new-single-and-music-video-gerbera-from-forthcoming-album-snowdrop/
Two quotes…
Regarding »Gerbera«, the band comments:
“The language of flowers for the Gerbera is ‘faithful love’ and ‘cheerfulness’. The countless, precious memories I share with you will never be forgotten. I am so glad that I met you. Innocence, purity, joy, beauty – and I will never forget your smile.”
Yusaku Mitsuwaka, »Gerbera« director comments:
“During the shoot, the wind swayed the silver grass wildly, resonating with the band’s performance and blowing through as if it were music itself. Guided by the wind, the camera danced, and “Gerbera” became a music video brimming with vitality. Even in today’s fractured world, the act of loving and being loved remains unchanging. I hope this wind reaches the heavens. I would like you to watch this while thinking of someone dear to you.”
MONO have worked with Yusaku Mitsuwaka before and provided the music for a documentary he made..
My Story, The Buraku Story is a new feature-length documentary film that explores the discrimination against a group of people – commonly called “the burakumin” – who were classed into lowly groups and segregated from the rest of Japanese society. This discrimination is not by race or ethnicity, but rather by place of residence and bloodline, and has existed for centuries – albeit very rarely acknowledged or discussed in Japan. When director Yusaku Mitsuwaka imagined the exemplary score for such a culturally sensitive and significant subject, he idealized MONO to help tell this story through their legendarily cinematic music.
https://www.brooklynvegan.com/mono-releasing-soundtrack-for-my-story-the-buraku-story-doc-stream-a-track/
One of the tracks
Trailer in Japanese but we can enjoy the music.
I am sure a lot of MONOHEADS knew all this already.
Wonderful post @kaisfatdad
This is one of the things that I love about music, this site, etc – the ability to share when you find something you love and the sheer joy and satisfaction when it hits home and someone picks up the mantle. It brings me back to my Uni days of friends coming to my room and playing music – “listen to this track” etc etc
And yes, I have the Buraku Storh soundtrack (not seen the film though)
I’m very glad you enjoyed my comments @Chrisf.
I wholeheartedly agree with you about how enjoyable this site can be.
We post about something that interests us and are then rewarded by some wonderfully interesting morsels.
For example, @mike_h posting the Dubwood Allstars on my Dylan Thomas thread.
Or @Salwarpe‘s suggesting that GERBERA would be wonderful to mass-dance to. I hadn’t considered that but I’d love to hear their music played for dancing late at night in an enormous, muddy tent at Roskilde.
Yusaku Mitsuwaka did a wonderful job on the GERBERA video.
He’s worked as cinematographer on several films, not least this one.
https://asianwiki.com/11.25_The_Day_He_Chose_His_Own_Fate
“11.25 The Day He Chose His Own Fate” depicts the last four years of celebrated author Yukio Mishima’s life.
It was shown at Cannes in 2012.
MONO’s Instagram page is excellent.
https://www.instagram.com/monoofjapan/?hl=en
It mentions this KEXP session
It also mentions this interview about the band’s great sense of loss after the death of Steve Albini who they had worked with for many years,
https://idioteq.com/post-rock-maestros-mono-discuss-snowdrop-steve-albini/
MONO crop up on all kinds of weird, wonderful, interesting sites that I’ve never heard of.