For a while there, it was looking as though Glaswegian post-rock outfit Mogwai had reached their creative peak. The quintet, who’ve long reigned as instrumental rock overlords, were suddenly sounding depleted of ideas. There was the hit-and-miss remix album, A Wrenched Virile Lore, followed by the band’s soundtrack to the French TV series, Les Revenants, which was decent, albeit lacking innovation. Stagnation was creeping in up until the release of last year’s Rave Tapes, which saw a reinvigorated Mogwai experimenting with a broader spectrum of synth sounds, krautrock influences, and electronic textures.
As a counterpart to the album, Music Industry 3. Fitness Industry 1. offers three new tracks recorded during the sessions that produced Rave Tapes,alongside a trio of remixes. The centrepiece of the EP is opener Teenage Exorcists, with its mix of everything you’d least expect from Mogwai: a distinct pop sensibility, infectious chorus, and some My Bloody Valentine-esque vocals all packed into a neat three-and-a-half minutes. Vocals are not a new inclusion for these guys (they’ve experimented with vocal melodies for years), but they’ve never been as pronounced until now. While it might have felt out of place on the album, the track’s easily the most accessible thing they’ve coined and maybe a hint at what’s still to come. The other two originals, History Day and HMP Shaun William Ryder, are a little underwhelming in comparison, only because they follow the tried and tested slow-build-to-towering-crescendo formula the band are renown for.
The Rave Tapes remixes on the second half of the EP are not your typical dancefloor fodder, and while they’re interesting overhauls of the originals, they’ll likely appeal solely to the diehard fans. It’s the lead single Teenage Exorcists that redeems these superfluous moments. For a band that’s built a reputation on creating epic instrumental soundscapes, this unlikely pop-inflected jam opens up some interesting avenues for these veterans. Only time will tell if they continue down this path.
BY JACK PILVEN
