Central belters

Description

« We’ve done so many things - we’re like really crappy Beatles, » says Barry, full of wisdom. « Well, actually I think we’re better than the Beatles! But I’m the only one. » It all started in the very conventional setting of a Scottish pub. On June 26, 1995, Dominic Aitchison, Stuart Braithwaite, and Martin Bulloch set up a drum kit, plugged in guitars, and played music together for the first time. This was the beginning of MOGWAI. Twenty years after this debut and enriched by two musicians, thinking it was the right time to take stock, the band decided to seize this opportunity to release a retrospective compilation: Central Belters. With 35 songs spread across three discs, Central Belters reflects the astonishing accumulation of sophistication that this 20-year journey by Mogwai has brought, but also reaffirms the wisdom present from the very beginning. The first two discs offer a largely chronological sweep of the band’s discography, starting with “Summer” from 1996 and ending with “Teenage Exorcists” from 2015. Each of the band’s eight studio albums is represented, as well as two EPs and a film score. The third disc then bravely dives into the threatening dark realm of a lesser-known Mogwai, with tracks that have only been released on compilations, split singles, tour EPs, or as bonuses... While listening to the music, take a look at the accompanying booklet. It’s a visual archive of the same story, featuring photos, schedules, tickets, posters - the raw materials of art and memory. When an active band releases a retrospective album, an unconscious impulse almost automatically drives you to hold the record up to the light and search for the reflection of a tombstone. But of course, this journey is not over. As its members approach middle age, Mogwai remains lively and restless, on the edge of hyperactivity. So, see you in 20 years...