Obsession with thundering sounds comes to fruition in 25 years

Scottish post-rock band Mogwai is ranked No. 1 in the U.K. for the first time in 25 years since its debut. It is their new and 10th album “As the Love Continues.” Although the band is not too attached to album sales, many celebratory remarks were made online by the band members and their fans. The atmosphere is comparable to back when a Scottish second division team won the English Premier League for the first time since its foundation.

If they cared about rankings on music charts, they wouldn’t make this type of music anyway. Looking for a romantic serenade from Mogwai is like ordering a peach-flavored fizzy drink from a well. Long songs over 10 to 20 minutes are the band’s signature.

The auditory scenario written by the band follows the equation of quiet, loud, and louder. Starting from pretty broken chords of the guitar, amplified sounds rage as if surging waves and even louder sounds take over when listeners think that this must be the peak.

During their concerts in South Korea held in 2014 and 2018, the band showcased a new world of thundering sounds exceeding a plane’s take-off sound of 130 decibels. Their music is as beautiful as desperate. It is so dramatic as to be featured as the soundtrack of the 2006 documentary about footballer player Zinedine Zidane, “Zidane: A 21st Century Portrait.” Thick noises from two or three electric guitars overlapped are as exhilarating as the totally destructive finale of a Sci-Fi action movie.

Mogwai’s songs are also known for their strange titles. Some fans wonder if the band has a random title generator in their studio.

From “A Cheery Wave from Stranded Youngsters” to “The Sun Smells Too Loud” and “You're Lionel Richie,” their titles seem like wicked humor of an abstract painter hung in a contemporary art museum.

The first song of the band’s first album titled “Yes! I Am a Long Way from Home” is in contrast with the last song of the new album “It’s What I Want to Do, Mum.” In this sense, they may have never stopped a song of 13,140,000 minutes or 25 years.

“It’s What I Want to Do, Mum.”


imi@donga.com