Mono formed at the very end of 1999 and to celebrate their 20th anniversary they released a new mini-album earlier this month and will launch a European tour tomorrow. The mini-album, titled Before The Past • Live From Electrical Audio was released by Temporary Residence Ltd. on vinyl, CD and digital and it contains newly recorded versions of three of the band’s early classics: L’America from their 2001 debut Under The Pipal Tree and Halo and Com(?) from their 2nd album, 2002’s One Step More And You Die. I am especially happy about the inclusion of Com(?), that is probably still the most essential Mono track ever made. After omitting it from live sets for a long while, they started to perform it again this Spring as the closing track during their EU tour and it sounded better than ever (click over here for my live report and photo gallery from the Budapest stop of that tour).

As for the anniversary tour, it will start on the 29th of November in Turkey, will visit 11 countries, ending in London, where the band will hold a very special two day festival, that will feature several bands that share a bond with them. As already mentioned, Boris will be one of the performers for Day 1 alongside Sweden’s Årabrot, UK punk band Svalbard and Japanese screamo legends Envy. While Day 2 will have an early afternoon event starring A.A.Williams, Floating Spectrum, Nordic Giants and cellist Jo Quail and a main event starring Alcest (from France) and a very special incarnation of Mono, called MONO & The Platinum Anniversary Orchestra. Check the schedule below and snatch a copy of the new release here.

Also, besides these dates, the band already have a gig announced for next summer: they will be appearing at next year’s Hellfest Open Air in France!

Before The Past • Live From Electrical Audio
2019.11.05 (cd, vinyl, digital)
01.Com(?)
02.L’America
03.Halo

2019.11.29 – Turkey, Istanbul: Zorlu PSM
2019.11.30 – Romania, Brasov: Rockstadt
2019.12.01 – Russia, Moscow: Aglomerat
2019.12.02 – Ukraine, Kiev: Atlas
2019.12.04 – Norway, Oslo: Roverstaden
2019.12.05 – Sweden, Gothenburg: Pustervik
2019.12.06 – Sweden, Stockholm: Fryshuset Klubben
2019.12.07 – Danmark, Copenhagen: Lille Vega
2019.12.08 – Germany, Hamburg: Mojo
2019.12.09 – Germany, Cologne: Gebaude9
2019.12.10 – Netherlands, Nijmegen: Doornroosje
2019.12.11 – Belgium, Brussels: Botanique
2019.12.12 – France, Paris: Petit Bain
2019.12.14 – UK, London: Barbican Hall
2020.06.20 – France, Clisson: Hellfest Open Air