About Godspeed You! Black Emperor
Godspeed You! Black Emperor is a Canadian post-rock band that originated in Montreal, Quebec, in 1994. The group releases recordings through Constellation, an independent record label also located in Montreal.
The group released their debut album F♯ A♯ ∞, in 1997 and toured regularly from 1998 to 2003. Their second album Lift Your Skinny Fists Like Antennas to Heaven received critical acclaim and has been named as one of the best albums of the decade. Following the release of Yanqui U.X.O. , the band went on hiatus in 2003 to pursue other musical interests.
The band was rumored to have broken up, but reformed in 2010. Their first post-reunion album Allelujah! Don't Bend! Ascend! won the 2013 Polaris Music Prize. This was followed by Asunder, Sweet and Other Distress , Luciferian Towers , G_d's Pee at State's End! and No Title as of 13 February 2024 28,340 Dead .
The band has a dedicated cult following and is renowned for being influential in the post-rock genre. Their music, mainly instrumental in nature, has been noted for its contrasts between ambient soundscapes and chaotic crescendos; use of field recordings and spoken word monologues; and focus on dystopian, anarchist and anti-war themes. Members of the group have formed a number of side projects, including Thee Silver Mt. Zion Memorial Orchestra & Tra-La-La Band, Fly Pan Am, HṚṢṬA, Esmerine, and Set Fire to Flames.
Godspeed You! Black Emperor was formed in 1994 in Montreal, Quebec, by Efrim Menuck , Mike Moya , and Mauro Pezzente . The band took its name from God Speed You! Black Emperor, a 1976 Japanese black-and-white documentary by director Mitsuo Yanagimachi, which follows the exploits of a Japanese biker gang, the Black Emperors. The band initially assembled after being offered a supporting act for another local band named Steak 72. Thereafter, the trio performed live on a few separate occasions. Previously, the name "God Speed You Black Emperor!" had been used by Menuck on a limited cassette entitled All Lights Fucked on the Hairy Amp Drooling that had been recorded the year prior, with limited contributions by Pezzente on bass, although it would not be until 1994 that the actual band formed.
The band expanded and continued to perform live. According to Menuck, joining the group was simple: "It was like if anyone knew anybody who played an instrument and seemed like an okay person, they would sort of join up." The group's number of members frequently changed during this time. Local musicians would often join the band for a handful of performances, then depart. The revolving door nature of the group's membership frequently caused it strain before the release of F♯ A♯ ∞. After that release, the group stabilized around a nine-person lineup with Menuck, Moya and David Bryant on guitars, Pezzente and Thierry Amar on bass guitars, Aidan Girt and Bruce Cawdron on drums, and Sophie Trudeau and Norsola Johnson on violin and cello respectively. Moya would depart in 1998 to focus on HṚṢṬA, being replaced by Roger Tellier-Craig of Fly Pan Am. Tellier-Craig left in 2003 to devote more time to Fly Pan Am. In 2002, the band released their third album Yanqui U.X.O., which was recorded in Chicago and engineered by Steve Albini.
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