Mogwai

Formed in and around Scotland’s largest city, Glasgow, MOGWAI have been in circulation since 1995. Guitarist Stuart Braithwaite (also of little-known ESKA), bassist Dominic Aitchison and drummer Martin Bulloch, flouted convention in many respects, creating quite a stir with their 7”ers `Tuner’ and the double-whammy NME Singles Of The Week, `Summer’ and `New Paths To Helicon’.
By ‘97, MOGWAI had signed to the suffocatingly hip locally-based Chemikal Underground (also home to BIS and Falkirk chums ARAB STRAP); their first release being `The 4 Satan EP’.
The feverishly anticipated “proper” debut album, MOGWAI YOUNG TEAM (1997) was released to rave reviews, while it also scraped into the Top 75. Stunningly dynamic, the record shifted seamlessly from tranquil, bleakly-beautiful soundscapes to brain scrambling white noise and sledgehammer riffing. With newcomer pianist/multi-tasker Barry Burns now a fully-fledged member, COME ON DIE YOUNG (1999) was the gangland war cry they chose as the title of their more sedate second album proper. A hard album indeed, in the sense that it took time to “get into” (probably due to the slight omission of their characteristic sonic crescendos), it unearthed a softer, more delicate style, which was rewarded with a Top 30 entry. Perhaps the best career move a band of their status could make, ROCK ACTION (2001), saw MOGWAI reach new musical heights with their first release on their own Southpaw imprint. The album, named after the band’s other record label, focused its attention on the subtler side of life. HAPPY SONGS FOR HAPPY PEOPLE (2003) marked a slight departure for the band, downsizing on the “rock action” front. As MOGWAI albums went, this was certainly their weakest and most over-produced, but it was still bloody good! The band’s close relationship with the late John Peel was poignantly highlighted on GOVERNMENT COMMISSIONS: BBC SESSIONS 1996-2004 (2005) , a timely round-up of live-in-session epics released only a matter of months after Peely’s unexpected passing. Fifth album proper, MR BEAST (2006) , was once again hailed as a minor masterpiece, and touted as a return to the glacial simplicity of the early albums. ZIDANE: A 21ST CENTURY PORTRAIT (2006) was MOGWAI’s move into the world of film soundtracks, albeit through the eyes of French football legend Zinedine Zidane – not particularly known for head-banging – then again!? THE HAWK IS HOWLING (2008) created a similar pattern to its predecessors: cathartic and brooding to intense and climactic; example the rather morbid instrumental opener `I’m Jim Morrison, I’m Dead’. Following on from a embracing live-in-Brooklyn double-disc, SPECIAL MOVES (2010) – comprising all their best-loved and longest cuts, MOGWAI’s first set for Sub Pop, HARDCORE WILL NEVER DIE, BUT YOU WILL (2011) was unleashed.
On the back of an almost obligatory remix set, A WRENCHED VIRILE LORE (2012), and without a French lesson in sight, the mighty MOGWAI meisters took on the score to Gallic zombie TV series, LES REVENANTS (2013). Prolific as ever, MOGWAI reverted to type on their band-by-numbers umpteenth set, RAVE TAPES (2014). Their highest chart return by far (Top 10 in Britain/Top 60 in the States!).
A different score of sorts was applied to the soundtrack of the Mark Cousins documentary, ATOMIC (2016), a Top 20 record concerning the murky powers that be of the modern nuclear age. Meanwhile, finding his feet through a shoegazing crystal ball, Braithwaite supplemented his income a tad by teaming up with SLOWDIVE’s Rachel Goswell and EDITORS’ Justin Lockey (and his brother James) to finally unveil the eponymous MINOR VICTORIES album.