Mono
Arches, Glasgow
11/06/2011

After a support slot from local drone-noiseniks Smoke Jaguar during which much unintentional hilarity is created (more at the expense of their absurdly OTT physical exertions than at their formidable drone/noise mashups) harsh words are traded and the band leave the stage with bruised egos. It’s not the best atmosphere for Mono to arrive to, a band more attuned to gentle reverence than overt hostility, but the crowd responds to ‘Ashes In The Snow’’s twinkling xylophone intro with immediate silence and the four-piece can breathe easy.

Most of the criticism directed at Mono goes along the lines of “they’re the Japanese Explosions In The Sky,” and on the strength of this performance it’s hard to defend them. They’ve definitely got the quiet introspection part of the routine perfected and they’re still exhibiting moments of startling intensity, Takaakira Goto and Yasunori Takada’s joint explosions of tremolo picking and cymbal during ‘Burial At Sea’ providing an early highlight, but unlike the Texans there’s little in the way of progression. Yes, it’s pretty, but when there’s such a lack of drama or vitality it’s all too easy to lose interest until the next noisy climax.

That’s until the penultimate delivery of ‘Halo’, where suddenly the world seems a brighter, happier place. Tamaki Kunishi steps up the tempo and volume of her bass work and sounds ten feet tall, though that may just be due to her precarious heels, and Goto is a frenetic mess of hair and distortion, the quartet’s output gradually coalescing into a prolonged burst of beautiful noise. It’s a relief to know that they are still capable of the near-religious displays of the orchestral racket they have always been renowned for. If only they were still as consistent.

Dave Bowes