Mogwai Fear Satan
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| “Mogwai Fear Satan” | ||
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| Song by Mogwai | ||
| Album | Mogwai Young Team | |
| Released | 21 October 1997 | |
| Recorded | MCM Studios Hamilton, Scotland |
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| Genre | Post-rock Instrumental rock |
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| Length | 16:19 | |
| Label | Chemikal Underground Jetset |
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| Producer | Paul Savage | |
| Mogwai Young Team track listing | ||
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"Mogwai Fear Satan" (sometimes referred to as "Fear Satan"[1] and sometimes just "Satan"[2]) is a song by Scottish post-rock group Mogwai, which ends their 1997 debut studio album, Mogwai Young Team.
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[edit] Overview
"Mogwai Fear Satan" is a sixteen minute long instrumental, using basic rock instrumentation; guitars, bass, and drums, along with flute. It is a fan favourite and a regular part of Mogwai set lists, often being played as a show-closer or an encore. When it is played live, Mogwai make use of an extreme contrast between quiet and loud, going from playing almost nothing, to blinding and deafening the audience with a huge explosion of light and noise.[citation needed] It was originally born out of a jam session.[3] The origin of the song title stemmed bassist Dominic Aitchison’s fear of the Devil, due to his Catholic upbringing, which continues to this day as Aitchison is the only religious member of Mogwai.[4] English musician Kele Okereke mentioned "Mogwai Fear Satan" in a Mojo interview, describing it as "really yearning, beautiful guitar music".[5] In the Pitchfork Media reviews of Mogwai Young Team and "My Father My King", "Mogwai Fear Satan" is mentioned:
| “ | The sixteen-minute-long, mind-exploding closer "Mogwai Fear Satan," which is by far the most accurate sonic representation of the Big Bang theory in the history of music.[6] | ” |
| “ | "Mogwai Fear Satan" represents all that's good about olympic post-rock: a driving theme, huge extended crescendos, a blatant climax, and a few orchestral instruments thrown in to boot.[7] | ” |
[edit] Musical composition
"Mogwai Fear Satan" begins with a guitar melody played by Stuart Braithwaite and John Cummings, which is soon joined by bass played by Dominic Aitchison and a frantic drumbeat played by Martin Bulloch, which fades gradually in. The same guitar melody is repeated throughout the song; at times almost frighteningly distorted. During the quiet parts of the song, in the build up to the explosion of sonic noise and feedback which Mogwai are known for, there is a quiet haunting flute melody played by Shona Brown over tribal-sounding drums. The song slowly fades out into feedback and noise.
[edit] Media usage
- In 2002, a short excerpt of "Mogwai Fear Satan" was featured in "Eddie Kidd Rides Again", an episode of the documentary television program, RE:Brand, hosted by English comedian and actor, Russell Brand.
- It was also featured on soundtrack for WRC4, The Official Game of the FIA World Rally Championship on PlayStation 2.
- Manic Street Preachers used the song as the intro music for their 2005 Past Present Future tour of the UK.
[edit] Remixes
There are five official remixes of "Mogwai Fear Satan". The Mogwai Remix (LP Version) can be found on the remix album, Kicking a Dead Pig. The second disc of Kicking a Dead Pig, entitled Fear Satan Remixes, includes the Surgeon Remix, the Mogwai Remix, the μ-Ziq Remix, and the My Bloody Valentine Remix.
[edit] Personnel
- Stuart Braithwaite – guitar
- Dominic Aitchison – bass guitar
- John Cummings – guitar
- Martin Bulloch – drums
- Shona Brown – flute
- Paul Savage – producer, mixer
[edit] Notes
[edit] External links
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