Comments On The Post-Rock Movement
Like most sub-genres of music found in the last quarter decade, Post-Rock has had its detractors and even those who refuse to acknowledge it. However, unlike few other sub-classifications of music, Post-Rock is both quite simple and terribly complex to define. It has had no distinct pioneer, no particular artist who brought it into the spotlight. In many ways, the very concept of Post-Rock defies mainstream sensibilities as its few similar characteristics give it limited commercial appeal. Even the term, ?Post-Rock? and its origin are up to much speculation.
One could attempt to describe Post-Rock as ?Experimental & Progressive Art Rock.? Indeed, its roots lie in such fields as diverse as the prog homes of Pink Floyd, Genesis & Rush but branch over to Lou Reed & Brian Eno. While bands in the early 1990?s such as Tortoise, Don Cabellero & Cul De Sac with first associated with the term Post-Rock, these acts shrugged off the name and their music shows little resemblance to what is commonly assumed as the sub-genre today.
There are some key factors, often found in typical songs written by the musicians coined Post-Rock acts. Tracks tend to last much longer than your average pop song, usually over five minutes, quite often into ten or twelve minute length. There are layered soundscapes, momentums that build and crescendos. While traditional rock instruments are employed, they are done so in very non-traditional manners along side chimes, violins, gongs, and whatever else the bands find they need to use to capture the correct sonic element. Rarely are guitar riffs or power chords used, or instead they are used in a repetitive nature to create texture. The changes are often subtle and organic, usually attained through the addition of a new instrument to the song.
Most Post-Rock is instrumental, although while singing might be present, it is never the focus of the music. The vocals are usually minimal, sometimes muted, or used to simply accomidate a song as another form of instrumentation. In some cases the vocal tracks aren?t even performed, but are samples from other songs, movies or speeches.
Perhaps the best known modern Post-Rock outfit is Sigur Ros, a group from Iceland. While they have vocals in half their songs, the strange lyrics are in ?Hopelandic,? a bastardized version of Icelandic fused with ancient Norse given its own pronunciation. Used truly in an instrumental fashion, it gives the tunes an ethereal quality to go along with the epic accompanying music. Vying for the top position is the UK group Mogwai. Sparatic vocal use and a wide range of emotive elements land them fully in the Post-Rock category, but they are also perhaps the most ?radio friendly.? Both acts have performed live at the BBC, had their music used on film soundtracks and somehow found themselves working with Thom Yorke of Radiohead.
Some of the Post-Rock bands are far more orchestral, and their work is surely more composed than ?jammed out.? In the case of bands like This Will Destroy You or Red Sparowes, the music offers more of a nod to the likes of Beethoven & Mozart than anything commercially contemporary. These sounds are akin to what would happen if Philip Glass or Clint Mansell threw together a rock group. Sometimes referred to as ?Soundtrack Rock,? the band Explosions In The Sky did just that when they scored the film Friday Night Lights.
To take it back a notch, occasionally Post-Rock bands will strive for the opposite of ?Epic? and go for ambient. Godspeed You Black Emperor create songs that barely sound like recognizable tunes, while A Silver Mt. Zion make quiet, eerie tracks with strings and whispering vocals. The band Mum offer a more electronic take, one filled with muffled beeps and scratches.
Other bands don?t forget their Prog roots and have strayed into new territory. For instance, the band 65 Days Of Static have combined elements of Post-Rock with industrial music. Their songs are shorter, usually only five minutes long, but they try and cram as much sound into that time as possible. Other acts, such as Russian Circles, take a harder approach and attempt to create a dark atmosphere with their tunes.
And if it?s heavy you want? bands like Tool & Opeth are already heading in this direction. Most of these Metal-tinged Post-Rock bands feature vocals of some type in about half their songs, but it?s still all about the music. Bands like Pelican and Cult Of Luna have been around for years, other acts like Isis starting to grow in fame.
While Post-Rock will never be popular simply due to its uncommercial nature, most mature listeners who relish a good, solid rock tune will find something among the sub-genre they like. Whether you?re looking for a delicate piano or a droning guitar, you can find it; occasionally in the same song with a few of these bands. It?s absolutely the best music to write to, great to drive down the highway blarring and for musicians, incredible to consider. It might not really be POST anything, but it?s damn good regardless?
rating: 5
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