| Product: |
Godspeed You Black Emperor in General |
| Date: |
13.10.00 (101 review reads) |
| Rating: |
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Advantages: Fully realised invocations of despair
Disadvantages: The end of the world is coming!
Godspeed You Black Emperor! are a 9-piece 'collective' based in Montreal, Canada. Their name is taken from the translation of the title of a Japanese film about motorcycle gangs. They play long, instrumental pieces on cellos, guitars, drums, glockenspiel and brass instruments, and use spoken monologues taken from recordings of preachers, street ranters and actors. They don't sing.
There are three generally available CDs:
f#a#oo (1997, 3 tracks, about 75 mins)
slow riot for new zero kanada EP (1999, 2 tracks, 29 mins)
lift your skinny fists like antennas to heaven (2000, 4 tracks, about 88 mins)
They have attracted hyperbole from the music press, keen to embrace an arty, enigmatic band who don't sound 'indie' but who embody committed, independent principles. The current trend is to set their 'Skinny Fists' album against Radiohead's 'Kid A' as two corners of a supposed anti-rock movement. (Not post-rock, we've been through all that!)
The political aspect of band can be overlooked, but shouldn't be. Check out the monologue which opened the show at the Royal Festival Hall for a statement of intent. It's at http://brainwashed.com/godspeed/monologues/liveint ro2.htm
The music? It's terribly sad, apocalyptic and cinematic (the two GYBE! key words) and in full flight, a hypnotic and overwhelming experience. Detractors accuse them of being a one-trick pony and that all their pieces follow the same structure. Slow, mournful build-up on strings, drums speed up, droning guitar gets louder, nutter rants in background, end of world encapsulated in sound, and repeat... But one listen to 'Dead Flag Blues' and you know you're in the presence of something very special that can't be ignored.
Spin-off groups which one or more members are involved in: A Silver Mt Zion, 1-Speed Bike, Molasses.
Official Website: http://www.southern.com/southern/
band/GDSPD/
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Last comment:
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Stephen J. Moi - 27.03.01 Valiant attempts at trying to quantify Godspeed...I've heard all three albums (after a friend introduced me to f#a# first of all). Of the three albums, I definitely prefer f#a#, and would certainly recommend it. The others do tend to follow a formula of sorts, and it can be pretty heavy going sometimes. |
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