Mono no aware is a term which can literally means sadness, transience, just plain apathy. It’s a good name for the band but sort of stereotypes into a genre from which there is no escape. The band have been gettting some hype of late with reviews in lots of publications but their late, late set, might not have been what the doctor ordered for their burgeoning career. This band is on a major upswing and the crowd in front of the Rookie Stage was quite strong, though the late night audience wasn’t what it was a few years ago either because everyone is getting a little older and there’s more focus on the larger stages rather than late night partying.

But back to the band, they bring a lot of moodiness and sadness to their music, preferring to strike a chord or a timbre rather than flat out rock songs. It works most of the time and many in the audience seemed enthralled. I was also impressed though I’ve been away from post-rock and shoegaze for quite a while now. The genre is apparently still very strong in Japan with new bands forming just to play this music and record sales in this genre are still quite strong.

Formed in 2013, the band has continued to pursue to perfect its ambient moody style choosing melodies which are slick and liquid in nature. I’ve heard the band uses lyrics that are full of wordplay and unique rhythms, but this was lost on me as I have little comprehension of Japanese. It was a suitable closing set for the rookie stage and I would like to see them again in an earlier setting where I could full focus on the music.