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Forming in Glasgow, Scotland in 1995, Mogwai\u00a0<\/strong>became one of a few bands to truly define the enigmatic and serene nature of post rock. In 1998, after the departure of Keyboardist\/guitarist Brendan O’Hare, the line up has remained unchanged. Since then, this juggernaut comprises: vocalist\/guitarist Stuart Braithwaite; bassist Dominic Aitchison; drummer Martin Bulloch; guitarist John Cummings; and multi-instrumentalist Barry Burns.\u00a0<\/p>\n Musically, the quintet takes inspiration from My Bloody Valentine, Slint, Fugazi, The Cure, Sonic Youth and the Pixies. With such influences, they have created a dynamic contrast of melody, distortion, grace, beauty and sombreness. Mainly instrumental, with minimalist vocals. Their craft and work has resulted in eight studio albums. They’ve worked with the likes of Matador<\/strong>, Chemikal Underground<\/strong> and PIAS Recordings<\/strong>. More recently however, the Scots distribute releases by U.S. label Sub Pop<\/strong> and their own Rock Action Records<\/strong>. For under twenty years, they have been an inspiration to many bands, across many genres.<\/p>\n In honour of the release of their latest LP, ‘Rave Tapes’<\/em>, we at Already Heard have felt it only right to answer a simple question. What is Mogwai<\/strong>’s best album? To answer this, two individuals have chosen a record each to defend and claim the top dog. On one side, our very own Heather Robertson has chosen to defend fifth album, ‘Mr. Beast’<\/em>. Meanwhile, Pete Bush, from Huddersfield post rock newbies Glass Harbours<\/b>, backs debut LP, ‘Young Team’<\/em>, as a worthy contender.<\/p>\n What do you consider to be Mogwai<\/strong>\u2019s best album and why? Let us know on our Facebook<\/a> and Twitter<\/a> pages.<\/em><\/p>\n Mr. Beast<\/strong> (by Heather Robertson) Opening track ‘Auto Rock’<\/em> feels like a poised but lumbering wounded animal, the theme to accompany something that would be dreamed up in a Hayao Miyazaki film.The pentatonic scale used in the piano part and synths delicately plays off against a relentless drumbeat which seems to emerge out of nowhere. It\u2019s gloriously upbeat and light for a Mogwai<\/strong> opener. Everything restrained and pulsing in and out of focus. even when it builds up in volume, and the synths and cymbals really kick in, it never really loses any of the delicacy that it began with.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n While you might think of that moment in ‘Tracy’<\/em> as being one of the most unexpected moments of weight and volume within the Mogwai<\/strong>’s cannon, I would throw ‘Glasgow Mega Snake’ <\/em>into that mix, the idea that the perfect response to the delicate beauty of ‘Auto Rock’<\/em> is to have something as abrasive and unsettling as that seems like a joke, but ‘Mega Snake’<\/em> is a behemoth track that was made to thrash out wildly in the live setting or on some good speakers, and it contrasts well. The way it shakes and shudders from loud to even louder as frenzied guitars and barrels along with momentum, and when the respite of the middle 8 gives way to that final chorus, its welcoming. It\u2019s always well received when i\u2019ve seen them live, and it feels like a great reason for just going hell for leather and headbanging.<\/p>\n With some of the quieter tracks like ‘Acid Food’<\/em> and ‘I Chose Horses’<\/em>, they play around with the vocals by using vocoding that contrasts these beautifully soundscapes that sound really natural and ethereal, or by asking Japanese hardcore band Envy\u2019s singer Tetsuya Fukagawa to recite poetry over the place where you might expect more melodic vocals. While post-rock sometimes lulls in the quieter tracks, each of the songs on ‘Mr. Beast’<\/em> feels like it has a distinct character and whether its the weirdly watery ‘I Chose Horses’<\/em> full of sliding guitar and soft spoken word, or the melancholy almost homophonic chant of the vocals in ‘Travel is Dangerous’<\/em> against the wailing guitars, it all sounds like Mogwai<\/strong>.<\/p>\n This album also released the radio friendly single ‘Friend of The Night’<\/em>, with its pretty piano melody and light undistorted guitar tones. It\u2019s easy on the ear, but it still raises a smile, and even with a generous smattering of uses on television, it is instantly recognisable and loveable. it\u2019s also responsible for pushing Mogwai<\/strong> into the conscious of a much greater audience and arguably allowing a lot of the future opportunities for the band. This wasn\u2019t just an album that helped shaped them, it feels like it really allowed them a bigger prescence, which normally isn\u2019t a plus point for a lot of fans. It has however, opened up a band that a lot of friends would dismiss for no good reason and has allowed them to grow a much more varied fanbase.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n With ‘Mr. Beast’<\/em>, they hit upon a streak which has really shaped the way they\u2019re perceived today: as a band who can be heavy but melodic, and can make instrumental music thats as hooky and even singable as any pop song as well as having singers who can shift into and out of focus when needed. they\u2019ve gone from strength to strength with albums and have always been able to have the music be the focus of what they do. ‘Mr. Beast’<\/em> for me is the best of what they do, and even as tracks and albums come in and out of fashion with what i want to listen to, it remains my favourite.<\/p>\n Young Team<\/strong>\u00a0(by Pete Bush, Glass Harbours) Why? Ok, ‘Young\u00a0Team’<\/em>\u00a0is not the most technical or detailed album\u00a0Mogwai<\/strong>\u00a0have produced, but of all the\u00a0Mogwai<\/strong>\u00a0albums this one feels personal. I don\u2019t even hold it as the best album due it having better songs (although I think\u00a0Summer<\/strong>\u00a0is one of their best tracks), or because of the dynamics and variety, as you get that across Mogwai<\/strong>’s discography, for me it\u2019s all about the overall feeling and sentiment of the album.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n I recall hearing way back that\u00a0Mogwai<\/strong>\u00a0had written just a handful of tracks when they hit the studio to record ‘Young\u00a0Team’<\/em>, which is why I think there\u2019s something special about this album. You can feel the very essence of being a band in these songs. In ‘Young\u00a0Team’<\/em>\u00a0you have instrumentation so stripped back and delicate in places, it feels it could almost break, and maybe it\u2019s just me, but as a musician (drummer, no laughing at the back!) that really connects on a fundamental level.<\/p>\n You have the delicate and so beautiful build up intro for ‘Yes! I am a Long Way from Home’<\/em>\u00a0which demonstrates this sweet fragility as it builds and drops. But then there\u2019s the noise, from the delicate cross to the start of ‘Like Herod’<\/em>\u00a0to the no holding back, pure power, full of raw emotion and genuinely creative noise. First time I heard this I was like \u201cwow, that\u2019s exactly how I feel when I\u2019m beating the hell out my kit!\u201d Then within two tracks you\u2019re floating in clouds with ‘Tracy’<\/em>. This flip flop between fragility and destruction pops up throughout the album unapologetically and keeps you guessing what might be round the corner. By the end of the album, with ‘Mogwai Fear Satan’,<\/em>\u00a0the band appear to have matured and this track exudes confidence while encapsulating everything that has come before it; a fine ending to a fine album.<\/p>\n The whole album stirs a feeling any musician will encounter when that moment comes jamming in the practice room and the song clicks, you know you have something special. You don\u2019t care if your mates at Uni will like it or the labels, it\u2019s about you and your bros and it\u2019s magic. But far too often it\u2019s lost when the practice finishes with only the hope you find it again perhaps at your next gig. The production team of Paul Savage and Andy Miller did an amazing job of capturing this energy and creativity.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n So while there\u2019s no doubt\u00a0Mogwai<\/strong>\u00a0have written more great albums and some blinding tracks, the reason I will always hold ‘Young\u00a0Team’\u00a0<\/em>as their best is, for me, it is\u00a0Mogwai<\/strong>\u00a0in their purest form and it makes me feel great!<\/p>\n ‘Rave Tapes’<\/em> by Mogwai<\/strong> is available now through Rock Action Records<\/strong>.<\/p>\n Mogwai<\/strong> links: Website<\/a>|Facebook<\/a>|Twitter<\/a><\/p>\n ‘Glass Harbours’<\/em> by Glass Harbours<\/strong> is out on the 14th February.<\/p>\n Glass Harbours<\/strong> links: Facebook<\/a>|Twitter<\/a>|Bandcamp<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Forming in Glasgow, Scotland in 1995, Mogwai\u00a0became one of a few bands to truly define the enigmatic and serene nature of post rock. In 1998, after the departure of Keyboardist\/guitarist Brendan O’Hare, the line up has remained unchanged. Since then, this juggernaut comprises: vocalist\/guitarist Stuart Braithwaite; bassist Dominic Aitchison; drummer Martin Bulloch; guitarist John Cummings; […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":24707,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[8181,2123],"tags":[62,10866,122,10852,1126,10862,10863,10865,5966,10864],"class_list":["post-24706","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-post","category-versus","tag-already-heard","tag-chemikal-underground","tag-feature","tag-glass-harbours","tag-mogwai","tag-mr-beast","tag-rock-action-records","tag-sub-pop-records","tag-versus","tag-young-team"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n
Mogwai<\/strong> albums for me are divided into pre and post beast. While I adore ‘Young Team’<\/em>, Rock Action\u2019<\/em> and ‘Happy Songs for Happy People’<\/em>, I feel they\u2019re all building towards something, pushing the boat out without as much of a clear purpose in sight. ‘Mr. Beast’<\/em> really feels like some solid ground to build out from rather than experimentation for experimentations sake. It\u2019s a foundation upon which future Mogwai<\/strong> can branch out from.
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The best\u00a0Mogwai<\/strong>\u00a0album? Easy I thought; there\u2019s one I always go back to, ‘Young Team’<\/em>. The first\u00a0Mogwai<\/strong>\u00a0album I encountered and one that changed my love of music forever. Don\u2019t get me wrong\u00a0Mogwai<\/strong>\u00a0have written some cracking albums since their debut, but its ‘Young Team’<\/em>that I always find myself reverting to when I really need that\u00a0Mogwai<\/strong>\u00a0fix.<\/p>\n