Inside No. 9, Season 3, Episode #35: Onions Wrapped In Rubber
A trip down memory lane on this one to some of my formative tracks from the ’90s and early ‘00s. It is somewhat of a mild palate cleanser after the rich cacophony of noise and drone, I’ve been pumping out. This mix sees me returning to (mostly) post-rock, a genre I devoured then hastily left behind as it saturated an era with more and more copycats and soulless imitators.
I’m going to start with the best example of the genre which is from 1994 and courtesy of the mighty Tortoise. Their self-titled record of that year is incredible. It is full of restraint and some of the best miniature epics of instrumental rock that sit somewhere between stoner rock and Chicago jazz in a way nothing else has ever done or ever will. By the end of this mix you may wonder why I picked this as some of the grander sounds come through; but this, for me, is the purist sound the genre has to offer.
Next up is one of the greatest guitarists of recent times, David Pajo. I have been a fan of his since the late 90s and the recent reissue of his Ariel M Peel Sessions proves, again, that he is a master of the min/max world-building from humble constructs. He sits next to Richard Bishop and Atahualpa Yupanqui in my favourite men to tinkle the strings. Seeing him live using a loop pedal and building beautiful worlds exploded in my mind. There was never the pomp and audacity of many-a-one-man-band loop sound wank-masters that ruined the scene. He kept things perfectly intricate and yet both delicate and human. He has connections with many of these bands, from Tortoise to Mogwai, and you can see why they wanted him. This is not the last time you’ll hear him on this mix.
I discovered Labradford around the same time as Tortoise but via Warp records (later home to Tortoise). Labradford shaped a lot of my youth from soundtracking Chris Morris’s Jam to being my go to for sleep (see the mighty track ‘P’). I picked the track Disremembering as it is one of the best examples of tonal vocal magic that birthed wonderful artists like Grouper and magic moments from Mogwai. This is one of my Desert Island tracks and will forever play in my heart. I would love to have this record on vinyl but alas it’s long gone and far too expensive.
Jumping forward to the millennium I had to include Do Make Say Think. This Constellation Records band flew into view after I devoured the early records from Godspeed You! Black Emperor. This is the first track on this mix that adheres to the latter incantation of post-rock. The long quiet/loud build-up of instrumental music that went on to see Explosions in the Sky, Sigur Ros and many more gain huge followings. DMST does this style of music in such a unique way, and manages to keep things closer to the Tortoise blue-print than the magnitude of many British pub-band clones.
Next up is the band that really nailed the alt/post-rock sound and did something so unique that this record is still on the tips of people’s tongues over 30 years later. I remember hearing this for the first time and feeling bemused as it didn’t quite sit with what I expected from instrumental post-rock and lo-fi indie. Then I listened again, and again, and again and I was hooked. This is pure teenage angst bottled by masters of their craft. And once again David Pajo lends his talents to one of the greatest records of all time. Plus the guy that took the photo of the record cover is up there as one of the greatest to have done it.
Skipping forward a decade it’s one of those bands who seemingly took the formula and made it palatable and consumable, yet their first two records are astonishing works full of grandeur and wondrous melody. I remember seeing these guys for just £5 at the ICA back in 2002 and they melted my heart and face in an intimate and smokey performance. Their music often goes against my love of the genre but the first two records had such an impact on me and this track is one of the best examples of blistering post-rock outside of Godspeed You! Black Emperor and Mogwai.
OK, so back to the 90s, and before you shout ‘This isn’t post-rock’ I don’t care. Early Mercury Rev is one of the greatest bands of all time. The first two records are both 10/10 and blueprints for how to make outsider music for the masses. This was soon shattered by a series of misfires that relied on orchestras and whimsy, over improv and heart. But we’ll leave that to history. There is a reason this track is on this mix, and that’s because not only does it sound incredible, it also soundtracked this part of my life. It had the vocal delivery of slint, the pace of early post-rock and the soul of big-hitters of experimental rock like Animal Collective and left the wank in the sock that shall not be named) that the Flaming Lips left us with to endure.
Before the big finale from the biggest British band of the genre, I had to represent the unsung heroes: Hood. Hood are so good and one of those bands that had a short and fruitful running time, blossoming from nowhere and exploding before they got boring. Before we get to Mogwai, this band played with the new post-production techniques that shaped Mogwai’s Happy Songs For Happy People record. This is not a wholly UK endeavour as you can hear from this track as Clouddead’s Why? and Dose add their flair to this track that feels like somewhere between Bone Thugs & Harmony and Oceansize. Yes, I’ve tipped far away from the glorious simplicity of that Tortoise record but this has to be heard as it’s pure gold.
As an Englishman it would be remiss to not include a Scottish band. Not just out of inherited guilt, but because if you ask most people to name a post-rock band ‘Mogwai’ is what you’ll hear. Young Team is one of those rare records that defines a genre and the closing track is one of the greatest explosions of blissful instrumental rock you are likely to hear. I couldn’t and wouldn’t finish this mix in any other way. I love the way this song embraces the stretched-out quiet/loud that made them so famous and ramps up the ante at almost every turn. I hope you can see why I included Mercury Rev in this mix as at just over three minutes in this turns into what sounds like a Dave Fridmann classic. Although Tortoise nails the genre in its refined elements, Mogwai let rip and push the sound to stadium levels without losing the soul of what made this such a great genre of music.
In 2024 I have no want or need to hear anyone new make music like this. These nine records are always with me. I want to mention Godspeed You! Black Emperor again as I think they are the best in the business, but they have carved a genre entirely their own and just didn’t fit here. I’d also recommend checking out their latest release. The political message has remained strong over the years, and this recent endeavour rings truer than ever as we see Western governments supporting genocide in the most savage way. Let us think of Palestine, Darfur, Manipur, Nicaragua and Armenia. Sad times. I hope this mix soothes the blood and inspires you to reach out to those who need us more than ever,
Magnet Pulls Through
Tortoise
Tortoise
1994
Vivea
Ariel M
The Peel Sessions
1997
Disremembering
Labradford
Prazision LP
1993
Minmin
Do Make Say Think
Goodbye Enemy Airship The Landlord Is Dead
2000
Good Morning, Captain
Slint
Spiderland
1991
The Moon is Down
Explosions in the Sky
Those Who Tell the Truth Shall Die, Those Who Tell the Truth Shall Live Forever
2001
Downs Are Feminine Balloons
Mercury Rev
Boces
1993
You’re Worth The Whole World
Hood
Cold House
2001
Mogwai Fear Satan
Mogwai
Young Team
1997
Inside No. 9 is an attempt to share unique narratives through the mixing of 9 songs. Every episode will showcase a new theme, opening up new tributaries of discovery. Inside No. 9 is presented by Peter Taylor, a former features writer for Foxy Digitalis from back in the late 2000s. Peter is a visual artist and musician and has been creating music as MAbH since 2008.
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