Description

Released in 2021, Pilgrimage of the Soul is the 11th studio album by Japanese experimental rock legends, MONO. Recorded and mixed during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic in the summer of 2020, Pilgrimage of the Soul is aptly named as it not only represents the peaks and valleys of the band as they enter their third decade, but also charts MONO’s long, steady journey to this time and place. 

Continuing the subtle but profound creative progression in the MONO canon that began with Nowhere Now Here (2019), Pilgrimage of the Soul is arguably the most dynamic MONO album to date. Where MONO’s foundation was built on the well-established interplay of whisper quiet and devastatingly loud, Pilgrimage of the Soul crafts its magic with mesmerizing new electronic instrumentation and textures, perhaps most notably with faster tempos that are clearly influenced by disco and techno. It all galvanizes as the most unexpected MONO album to date, replete with surprises and as awash in splendor as anything the band has ever done. 

MONO began in Japan at the end of the 20th Century as a young band equally inspired by the pioneers of moody experimental rock (My Bloody Valentine, Mogwai) and iconic classical composers (Beethoven, Morricone) who came before them. They have evolved into one of the most inspiring and influential experimental rock bands in their own right. It is only fitting that their evolution has come at the glacial, methodical pace that their patient music demands. MONO is a band who puts serious value in nuance, and offers significant rewards for the wait. 

Date: 22 November 2022
Venue: Pentas 1, klpac
Time: 8pm