Godspeed You! Black Emperor – F#A# (Infinity)

Release: August 17, 1998
Country: Montreal, Canada
Label: Constellation Records
Genre: Post-Rock
Sounds like: A Silver Mt. Zion, Set Fire To Flames

“Despite this being their first album, and despite having such a crazy name, this group made a fairly big splash in independent circles with the release of their debut album last year. While it didn’t hit mainstream, or even close to mainstream, it did make the year-end lists of several different artist picks from members of Belle and Sebastian to Mogwai, and even different electronic artists. Having such an interesting name, it would almost be a letdown if the group was fairly normal, and fortunately they aren’t. Hailing from Canada, this 10 piece (yes, 10 people) group plays just about everything but the kitchen sink (although it might be in the mix somewhere as well).”

Ok, after the colorful Beach House that just came out, I wanted to talk about one of my favorite record: F#A# (Infinity) from Godspeed You! Black Emperor. This band introduced me to post-rock, but I’ve never found any other bands that sounds like that. They have such a unique sound that it took me a few listens to get into it, but once I did, it instantly became one of my favorite albums. I would describe it as the soundtrack to the end of the world, each of the three long songs being connected in misery and darkness. From the opening spoken-word segment to the half hour long finale track, there isn’t a moment where sunshine peaks through the clouds long enough to offset the sheer despair. Also, what I find interesting is that the band treats their songs as classical music pieces, each one having several movements that create the greater whole. The change of scenes come suddenly, often times the music swells to a frantic pace before coming to a crash. Weeping guitars, shaky violins, tribal drums, and more sounds straight from an orchestra work together with the dead atmosphere to create a depression unlike anything I’ve heard from music before. The band also includes several samples that serve to make the isolation even more frightening. The fact that the band never sings, and all voices heard are used more for instruments of atmosphere than to deliver a message. But it takes a special state of mind to really be able to enjoy the album. This isn’t an album for a rainy day, this is the worst rainy day in an album. It’s certainly not going to appeal to everyone, but it has quickly become one of my favorite albums. It’s bone-chillingly haunting, and my ears love it. If you’re in the mood for something slow, depression, and masterfully performed, I would say that F# A# Infinity is the best album for it.

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.