Mogwai - 'Fanzine Made of Flesh'
Scottish Post-Rock powerhouses Mogwai continue to showcase their brilliance with their latest single, the graphically titled ‘Fanzine Made Of Flesh’.
‘Fanzine Made Of Flesh’ is the third cut from their forthcoming album, The Bad Fire, which is out on the 24th of January. Following ‘God Gets You Back’ and ‘Lion Rumpus’, ‘Fanzine Made Of Flesh’ is a combination of everything that makes Mogwai great. The single is a chaotic mix of melodies. A melodic dreamscape from the beginning that only continues to strengthen as the track grows. A cacophony of strong guitar chords, keyboards, synths and vocoded vocals that make the song sound almost otherworldly.
In usual Mogwai fashion, ‘Fanzine Made Of Flesh’ is a track that feels as if it is dripping with melancholy. It carries an undertone of sadness that you can’t quite put your finger on. However, certain parts of this track sound like, what I imagine a glimmer of hope would sound like. Although dark, melancholy tones are a staple for Mogwai, they make sense coming from this new album The Bad Fire, which also happens to be a Scottish colloquialism for Hell. This latest album is said to have been inspired by a series of tough personal moments that the band found themselves in, following on from their chart-topping tenth album, 2021’s As The Love Continues. The underlying feeling of hope and victory that course through this song can perhaps be interpreted as the band surviving those dark times and coming out the other side. No doubt a pattern that the other tracks on the album will also follow.
This latest single is also another example of Mogwai allowing the music to speak for itself, prioritising the sound over that of the vocals. They have always been predominantly instrumental, but even when vocals are included, they are never the focal feature of a track. They are often an amalgamation of effects, and at times almost sound like a language that perhaps only Mogwai can understand. It is no different on their latest track. The distorted, pretty much uninterpretable vocals on ‘Fanzine Made Of Flesh’ allow you to focus on the song itself, and the different sounds already buried within. The vocals do not create a distraction but rather enhance the experience by furthering the celestial, dreamy sound of the song. From Stuart Braithwaite’s surging chord progression to Barry Burns' intricate keyboard skills layered with arpeggiated synth, the vocals are only there to elevate but never distract.
‘Fanzine Made Of Flesh’ is also accompanied by a striking music video, directed by Agnes Haus. The video, following the almost chaotic pace of the track, leaves you with more questions than answers. The plot, or lack of, follows two characters, friends, lovers, maybe even strangers through a series of adventures. Haus themselves said that they wanted to make a video that matched the song - “a pseudo-film trailer with a jumbled plot that you can never grasp.” A video that encourages its viewers and listeners to interpret it themselves, allowing the song and video to carry multiple meanings.
Mogwai have been around for thirty years now, and they remain in a league of their own, one of the best in the game. They have never faltered when it comes to remaining in their own musical sphere, continuing to produce pieces that only they can - tracks that are simultaneously haunting, heart-breaking, inspiring, almost life-altering. If ‘Fanzine Made Of Flesh’ is anything to go by, there is no doubt that The Bad Fire will follow a similar path to its predecessor, As The Love Continues.
Words by Angela English
