When MONO first conceived of a live concert backed by an orchestra, it seemed like a once-in-a-lifetime dream of an event that would require a unique set of circumstances, an enormous crew of like-minded and generous contributors, and a titanic amount of luck. At exactly a decade into their career, it was by far their most ambitious undertaking. They flew from their home country of Japan – where, at the time, they were ironically less acclaimed and accomplished than in the United States and Europe – to New York City, where they assembled an orchestra, secured a historic venue near Lincoln Center, and bet on themselves to pull off a truly unforgettable evening. Not only was the concert a rousing success, but it spawned what has become a defining part of MONO’s identity: the orchestral live performance. Since that magical night in NYC in 2009, MONOhave performed more than three dozen live concerts with a diverse array of orchestras, spanning nearly as many countries throughout the world. Their last such concert in Japan, however, was more than 15 years ago. A quarter-century into their storied career, MONO has finally come home. Forever Home: Live in Japan with Orchestra PITREZA celebrates MONO’s 25th Anniversary ‘OATH’ Orchestral World Tour, which stretched to 20 concerts in Europe, Asia, and the United States of America in the final months of 2024. Recorded in front of a sold-out crowd at Spotify O-EAST in Tokyo, Forever Home features a 12-piece orchestra – led by orchestra director and frequent collaborator, Chad McCullough – supporting MONOas they perform their latest album, OATH, in its entirety. The 100-minute concert concludes with a pair of the band’s most iconic songs – “Ashes in the Snow” and “Everlasting Light” – that pay homage to that first-ever orchestral live performance in NYC 15 years ago. Recorded and mixed by MONO’s longtime touring sound engineer, Matt Cook, Forever Home captures the venerable group in their natural environment, and at their most transcendent. With the symphonic accompaniment of Japan’s Orchestra PITREZA, MONO makes a room in Tokyo feel like a limitless sea – mercurial, contemplative, and overwhelming. The physical formats of Forever Home are appropriately expansive and suitably special. Designed by longstanding art director and collaborator, Jeremy deVine, the 2xCD is packaged in a quadruple gatefold and includes a feature-length concert film on high-definition Blu-ray, directed by Yusaku Mitsuwaka. It is a stunning work of multi-camera cinematography that perfectly encapsulates the live MONO experience. The triple-gatefold 3xLP is available on audiophile black vinyl, or limited-edition colored vinyl variants. Both CD and LP formats each include a sprawling 28-page full-color archival photo book that documents the complete concert. This is MONO. This is Forever Home. https://www.temporaryresidence.com/products/trr450 Read more on Last.fm.

"You Are There", is the 4th studio album by MONO. The album was released on March 15, 2006 in Japan by Human Highway Records. The album was later released in the UK on March 27, 2006, Europe on April 10 2006, and North America on April 11, 2006. Read more on Last.fm.

They are also known as Mono of Japan. Read more on Last.fm.

"For My Parents is the new album by MONO, the Japanese quartet who -- over the course of half a dozen albums in twice as many years -- has followed their own muse, and in the process have become "one of the most distinctive bands of the 21st century." They are an instrumental rock band whose melodies have grown increasingly lyrical, with increasingly transcendent execution. There is no doubting a MONO song when you hear it, and no denying their uncanny ability to feel perfectly at home in both pristine symphony halls and dirty rock clubs. In the way that only MONO can, For My Parents obliterates that divide, showcasing a sensitivity and maturity that simultaneously acknowledges where they came from, and where they're going. The songwriting is sharper, the dynamics are subtler, and the production is stunning. For the recording, the band once again enlisted The Wordless Music Orchestra for support, and the collaboration has never sounded stronger. The unique combination of soul-stirring melodies, cinematic East-meets-West arrangements, and firm command of elusive emotional intangibles is what makes MONO so...well, so MONO." From their Facebook: "Just try to think less, and feel more. There is a variety of noise music out there and each kind generates different waves of energy. These waves of energy have the power to make people feel joy, sadness, anger, or celebration. We want to create the sound of joy, the noise of reaching through darkness and finding joy at its center. Thanks!" Takaakira 'Taka' Goto: Guitar Tamaki Kunishi: Bass, Piano, Glockenspiel Yoda: Guitar Yasunori Takada: Drums, Glockenspiel, Timpani, Tubular Bell, Gong The Holy Ground Orchestra Jeff Milarsky: Conductor Yuki Numata, Courtney Orlando, Emily Ondracek, Paati Kilroy: Violin1 Conrad Harris, Ben Russell, Caroline Shaw, Amanda Lo: Violin 2 Caleb Burhans, Nadia Sirota, Erin Wright, Jeanann Dara: Viola Clarice Jensen, Brian Snow: Cello 1 Caitlin Sullivan, Laura Metcalf: Cello 2 Logan Coale: Bass Shayna Dunkelman: Timpani Yuri Yamashita: Cymbals Read more on Last.fm.

The conflict and correlation between dark and light is a universal theme with a historically rich history. Musically, perhaps no band in the 21st Century has mined that relationship more consistently or effectively than Japan’s MONO. Across 10 albums in 20 years, MONO have convincingly reflected the quietest and most chaotic parts of life through their music. Their ever-expanding instrumental palette – which began in earnest in 1999 with the traditional guitar-bass-drums rock band setup – has evolved to include as many as 30 orchestral instruments. Now, on Nowhere Now Here, the band add electronics to their repertoire – perhaps inspired by guitarist/composer Takaakira ‘Taka’ Goto’s recent collaboration with John McEntire, the beguiling Behind the Shadow Drops. Nowhere Now Here also sees MONO’s first-ever lineup change, adding new drummer Dahm Majuri Cipolla (The Phantom Family Halo) to the core trio of Goto, Tamaki, and Yoda. Tamaki also makes her vocal debut here, singing into the shadows of vintage Nico on the poetically hazy “Breathe.” The unlikely career of MONO has taken them to virtually every corner of the planet, several times over. Those corners have all left indelible marks on their music, as it drills deeper towards the sound of feeling not quite human and all too human – often at the same time. Release:January 25, 2019 Labels: Temporary Residence Ltd. (North America & Asia) Pelagic Records (UK, Europe & Oceania) Formats: CD, LP & Digital Tracks: God Bless After You Comes the Flood Stream / Film Breathe Nowhere, Now Here Far and Further Sorrow Parting Meet Us Where the Night Ends Funeral Song Vanishing, Vanishing Maybe Physical:Temporary Residence Ltd. CD - Custom slipcase LP - Opaque Purple & Super Blood Moon Colored DLP in custom slipcase Limited to 1,000 copies LP - Black DLP in custom slipcase Pelagic Records CD - Custom slipcase LP - Color In Color DLP Limited to 250 copies LP - Splatter DLP in custom slipcase Limited to 250 copies LP - Smoke DLP in custom slipcase Limited to 500 copies LP - Black DLP in custom slipcase Read more on Last.fm.