MONO: Don’t Break The Oath
Over the past 25 years, MONO have delivered some of the most emotional, life affirming music that has ever been released, and with the latest opus Oath, the celebrated Japanese band have continued to do so. The album is a striking and stirring collection of music that saw MONO work with frequent collaborator, the late, great Steve Albini for the final time. We have the pleasure of catching up with MONO lead guitarist Takaakira ‘Taka’ Goto to discuss Oath, his memories of working with Steve Albini and the celebration of a quarter of a century of the glorious music of MONO.
We kick things off this celebration of all things MONO, with Taka declaring how happy he is with the reception that Oath has had so far. “We’re feeling very good about it, and most of all, we’re really grateful to our fans, our labels and all our partners around the world for their support.”
Taka then tells us in depth about the creation of the new album and the inspirations and concepts that formed the music of Oath. “The songs for OATH were written during the pandemic so they were different from usual. Suddenly, my usual everyday life disappeared, and I lost my father and other dear friends in the midst of not knowing what tomorrow may bring. I began to feel that life is finite and asked myself countless questions,” he explains. “I started writing songs in the spring, and through summer, autumn to winter, I continued to write what I felt at each given moment. When winter ended and a new spring came again, I realised that the things I had taken for granted up until then were not, in fact, so ordinary. This album expresses the joy of having today, how precious and significant today is, the joy of living in this moment, my thoughts for those who have passed away and my determination to listen to the voices of my own soul, and run through the infinite earth and limited time of my life with my own feet.”
Having worked again with the late, great Steve Albini on Oath, Taka spoke in a heartfelt fashion about working with Steve for the last time on this record. “I don’t usually compare myself to anyone so I’ve never had a junior, senior or anyone I looked up to in my life. But when I met Steve, I felt like I met a hero, a mentor, a teacher, a best friend or someone who could be my guide,” Taka states. “I can say that I’ve learned everything from him, not just about music, but about my stance as a musician and everything about life. Sadly, Oath became our last original album with Steve but I feel this album is definitely the best collaboration between us and Steve. We’re very proud of it.”
Taka then details his favourite memories of working extensively with the famed producer over the years. “The fact that Steve‘s recordings of bands were unparalleled (he was an engineer who captured the spirit of the bands) was the main reason we worked together for twenty two years but it also felt like we were soul mates. He was a very, very important partner of ours.”
Later in the year, MONO are heading out on tour for live shows with a chamber orchestra and Taka tells us of his excitement to be doing this. “From the beginning, I wanted to make OATH a commemorative work for our twenty fifth anniversary. I wanted to write a piece that incorporated an orchestra and do a world tour with an orchestra. I’m grateful that we can make this dream come true, thanks to the understanding and cooperation of our partners around the world, and we’re very excited about it!”
Taka then divulges how the music from Oath will go over in a live setting, with the orchestra and how special that the experience will be. “I wrote the songs so that the overtones that are created when the frequency of the band sound, and the frequency of the strings and wind instruments are combined can be heard as the boys’ voices/choruses. This mysterious, pure and beautiful sound can’t be reproduced without an orchestra. I think it’ll be a very special set of shows, like the energy of working together to solve problems, like positive light.”
Talk then turns to celebrating MONO‘s 25th anniversary as a band and Taka discusses some other beloved memories of being in MONO for all the time he has. “I remember vividly the orchestra show we did at the Barbican Hall in London in the winter of 2019 to celebrate our twentieth anniversary. It was a really wonderful day. In 2018, our drummer Dahm joined the band and we were able to overcome the most difficult time in the band’s history. On that day, I felt like we had completed one long journey.”
We end our time on a high point with Taka telling us the secret of the longevity of MONO and how they are still making such vital and ethereal music. “Without the support of our fans and partners around the world that we met through music, we would not have been able to continue MONO like this. And above all, without the members Tamaki, Yoda and Dahm, today would not have existed. Meeting them has been one of the most important parts of my life.”
Oath is out now via Pelagic Records.
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