MONO dropped their new album 'Snowdrop' and is doing a tour. I had considered flying to Taipei or Hong Kong for a short bit to catch MONO's show. I hesitated. This is typhoon season. And I have this insane luck with typhoons. If I schedule a trip to one of the cities a typhoon passes through, inevitably, I always run into one in whichever city I'm in.
Luckily I didn't do Taipei. Typhoon Bavi came and canceled every thing for the weekend. Flights, Mayday's two shows, and MONO's show. I stayed in town and caught MONO at the Esplanade.
The band's long-time collaborator and producer Steve Albini passed in May 2024. They recorded their last studio album 'OATH' (released June 2024) with him. This is the twelfth album, and the last one ever with Steve Albini who had recorded half of MONO's songs. Those depths of emotions and understanding between a trusted audio engineer and musicians go way beyond superficial. I think even fans of the band mourned the passing of Albini.
The thirteenth 'Snowdrop' was recorded by Brad Wood and mixed at his Seagrass Studio. It sounded equally amazing on vinyl. MONO didn't deviate from their usual sounds. However, it felt a lot more sensitive and warm. This is not an album that mourns. It celebrates life and living. It likely celebrates the legacy of Steve Albini, and also marks a point in Brad Wood's life as his beloved wife Maria had also suddenly passed. As I listened to the vinyl at home, my soul was absolutely following the cascade of emotions that is 'Snowdrop'.
MONO kept on making albums that sound different, yet not leaving their signatures. They have been active for 25 years. Madness. That passion. It was a superb show tonight in Singapore. What glorious soundwaves that washed over us. Them four created an expanse of worlds and soundscapes. It was so beautiful.
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