Pelican/Mono "split" 12" Temporary Residence (US) 

Vinyl is NM, Jacket is NM..

Limited Edition of /1000

Pressed on Olive Wax!!

Out of Print!

Track Listing:
A1  -  Ran Amber

    Recorded By, Mixed By - A2  -  Angel Tears (James Plotkin Remix)

    Remix - B  -  Yearning

    Recorded By -
Pelican is a four-piece band from who have relocated to .

Biography and description

The band is known for its dense combinations of different melodies and extended track lengths. Its distinctive sound draws from , , , and other influences. Larry Herweg, Trevor de Brauw, and Laurent Schroeder-Lebec also make up three-quarters of the band .

Previously signed to (which is owned and operated by of ), Pelican is now part of the roster. The label has also announced that Pelican will embark on a tour with new labelmates and that their first release for their new label is an EP titled Ephemeral, which was released June 6, 2009. Trevor de Brauw stated that the new material would be darker, heavier and more "riff oriented" than on previous recordings, and Southern Lord stated that an undisclosed guest guitarist who "is very influential to the band" would be making an appearance on the new recording as well. was released on October 27, 2009. and both appeared on the album. In celebration of the new album, the "Pelican Burger" was served at for one night.

Genre

Regarding the band's genre, de Brauw said, "I don’t think of Pelican as a metal band... I feel like we're part of a trajectory of Midwest bands that kind of blend aggression with a pop sensibility, so while it's easy to classify us with instrumental bands, we're not instrumental by design. We just didn't know how to put vocals in our music and for it to sound right."

Speaking on the plethora of labels used to describe Pelican's genre, bassist Bryan Herweg states that "it's flattering, really", and that "I take that as nobody being able to classify what we're doing. I really don't want to be fixed in one genre."

As for the instrumental nature of the band, Herweg states that "I think there are limitations that come with having a vocalist. If we had some big burly man in front screaming, we'd be classified as metal. If we had some scrawny guy we'd be emo. As it is, no one can pin us down." Touring has evolved the band's style from "drawn-out... slow-building" to "more direct and faster, and straight to the point" material to provide more energy on stage.

Mono are a band, formed in 1999 in , , . The band consists of Takaakira Goto (electric guitar), Yoda (electric guitar), Tamaki Kunishi (bass guitar, electric guitar, piano, glockenspiel), and Yasunori Takada (drum kit, glockenspiel, synthesizer).

Mono have released five studio albums during their years of activity. They spent their early years, from 1999 to 2003, touring Asia, Europe, and America relentlessly, and released two studio albums, Under the Pipal Tree (2001) and One Step More and You Die (2002) on the and Music Mine Inc. record labels, respectively. From 2004 to 2007, Mono signed to , released two more studio albums, Walking Cloud and Deep Red Sky, Flag Fluttered and the Sun Shined (2004) and You Are There (2006), and toured worldwide in their support. In 2008, the band took a break, and later returned the following year with a new studio album, Hymn to the Immortal Wind (2009), also on Temporary Residence Limited.

The band's style of instrumental rock music is influenced by the genres of and , as well as by both the and periods of , and also by and . Mono's sound is characterised by the lead and rhythm guitars of Goto and Yoda respectively, both of whom make extensive use of , and effects. The band's live performances are noted for their intensity, both in the playing and in the .

History Formation and early years: 1999–2000

In January 1999, Japanese Tokyo-native electric guitarist Takaakira Goto began composing music and spent the rest of the year searching for other musicians with which to form an instrumental rock band; eventually recruiting long-time friend and electric guitarist Yoda on rhythm guitar. By December 1999, Tamaki Kunishi and Yasunori Takada had joined Mono on bass guitar and drum kit, respectively. In May of 2000, the band entered Rinky Dink Studios in Tokyo and recorded their first extended play, which was later self-released in September of 2000; a Japan-only release titled on their independent label, Forty-4. The band spent the next year composing more music and performing live around Japan, also playing a one-off show in November at the in , .

Under the Pipal Tree: 2001

Following the release of the Hey, You extended play, Mono spent the next year playing live shows throughout their native Japan, as well as playing several shows in and . The band also made an appearance at the 2001 music festival in . Between performing in Japan, Mono recorded their first studio album, at Studio Take-1 and Forty-4 in Tokyo, funded by experimental American musician , and self-produced by the band. The album featured two tracks from the Hey, You extended play, as well as six original compositions. The album was released worldwide on record label .

One Step More and You Die: 2002–2003

After the release of Under the Pipal Tree, the band spent the next year touring Japan and the United States, also visiting Germany and Taiwan, and composing material inspired by the tour. In June 2002, between shows in Japan, the band recorded their second studio album, at Little Bach and Sound City studios in Tokyo. The album was released in Japan in October of that year on Japanese record label Music Mine Inc. The band spent most of 2003 touring, returning to Japan, the United States, Sweden, and visiting Canada, Switzerland, Belgium, Hungary, the Netherlands, France, and the United Kingdom for the first time.

Walking Cloud and Deep Red Sky, Flag Fluttered and the Sun Shined: 2004

Mono's next release was a collaboration with Japanese musician Aki Onda; whom the band met while touring New York in 2002. The band, Onda, and several notable members of the New York experimental music scene (including , , and ) remixed One Step More and You Die. The album, titled , was released in February 2004 on Human Highway, Mono's own record label.

In January of 2004, the band began a long partnership with Chicagoan recording engineer , recording their third studio album at Electrical Audio Engineering in . The album, titled was released in April 2004 on Human Highway in Japan, and on Rykodisk in Europe and Temporary Residence Limited in the United States later in the year. After the album's release, the band embarked upon a year-long tour of America, Asia, and Europe.

You Are There: 2005–2007

The band also spent 2005 touring Asia, America, and Europe composing music, and eventually returning to Electrical Audio Engineering in February and September to record their fourth studio album with Steve Albini. The album, titled was released in Japan in March 2006 on Human Highway, and on Temporary Residence Limited in the United States and Europe. Mono also collaborated with Japanese musician in 2005, releasing a collaboration studio album in December of that year, on Human Highway, and with American band , releasing a split album with the band through Temporary Residence Limited in October 2005.

Mono spent 2006 and 2007 touring Asia, America and Europe in support of You Are There. In October of 2006, the band returned to Electrical Audio Engineering and recorded an extended play, which was released in April 2007 as part of Temporary Residence Limited's series, titled The Phoenix Tree. In November of 2006, the band released an extended play titled through Vinyl Films, and contributed a track to a Temporary Residence Limited compilation album, Thankful. In September 2007, the band released a compilation album, compiling material from all previous extended plays, split albums, and compilations, titled , as well as the DVD, The Sky Remains the Same as Ever, documenting the worldwide tours of 2006 and 2007 and the recording of The Phoenix Tree extended play.

Hymn to the Immortal Wind: 2008–present

In 2008, the band took a break, composing new music and playing a handful of shows throughout the year, including an appearance at in Somerset, England, curated by in May. Mono returned to Electrical Audio Engineering in June and November 2008 to record their fifth studio album, , which was released in March 2009, and followed by a year-long tour of America and Eurasia. The band played a ten year anniversary show at the Society for Ethical Culture Hall in New York, United States on 8 May 2009, backed by the 24-piece Wordless Music Orchestra. The performance was recorded and will see a release in the form of a , and a , under the name Holy Ground: NYC Live With The Wordless Music Orchestra, through Temporary Residence Limited in Europe and America, and Human Highway in Asia.

Musical style

Although Mono's musical style has developed throughout their career, it has primarily been characterised by dynamic, guitar-based , the majority of which are composed by lead guitarist Takaakira Goto, in an attempt to channel and express the emotions of and . The band's style of music originally featured elements of and , and later developed to integrate more complex, arrangements and instrumentation. Mono's music has sometimes been categorised as "", although the band has expressed discomfort with the term, identifying more with .

Mono are primarily a live band, and have toured worldwide several times. Their live show tends to feature intense and emotional playing by the band members, as well as using extreme dynamics (in crescendos as well as diminuendos) in their attempt to create an "unforgettable" live performance. When recording their music, the band has always played live in the studio and, since 2004's Walking Cloud and Deep Red Sky, Flag Fluttered and the Sun Shined, worked with Chicagoan recording engineer , who they feel accurately captures a live band's "raw emotion to [magnetic] ."

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