Pilgrimage of the Soul

"Pilgrimage of the Soul" is the 11th studio album in the 22-year career of Japanese experimental rock legends, MONO. Recorded and mixed – cautiously, anxiously, yet optimistically – 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 where MONO are now as they enter their third decade, but also charts their 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 the most dynamic MONO album to date (and that’s saying a lot). But 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, and – perhaps most notably – 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 this 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.

「Pilgrimage of the Soul 」（魂の巡礼）は、MONOのこれまでの20年間を描いた作品となっている。

誰かが作った社会という名の檻、そのルールへの葛藤と脱却を描いた”Riptide”に始まり、不完全でも良い、たとえ困難な道になろうとも自分達の信じる道に進むという決意の”Imperfect Things”, 根底にある純粋さがなによりも大切だと気付いた”Innocence”、信じることで無限の可能性を掴むことが出来ると感じた” Hold Infinity in the Palm of Your Hand”、そしてすべての瞬間の繋がりこそが人生を作り得るものだと表した”And Eternity in an Hour”まで、20年間、毎年およそ150本、59カ国を旅をしてきた、まさしく彼らの巡礼をアルバムにしたものだ。

新ドラマーDahm加入後のNowhere Now Here（2019）で始まったMONOの深遠でありダイナミックなサウンドスケープは創造的な進歩を続けている。Pilgrimage of the Soulは、魅惑的な新しい電子楽器とテクスチャ、そしておそらく最も注目すべきことに、テクノの影響を明確に受けたより速いテンポを含む、新たな魔法を作り上げている最も予想外のMONOアルバムとして活気づいている。それは驚きに満ち、このバンドがこれまでに行ったことのない新しい魅力と素晴らしさに溢れている。

COVID-19のパンデミックの中、2020年にバンドはシカゴに渡米、長年のパートナー、スティーブ・アルビニと共に制作。11枚目となるアルバム「Pilgrimage of the Soul」を2021年9月17日リリース予定。