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Godspeed You! Black Emperor are famous for their extremely intense and long concerts, accompanied by fascinating analog visuals from reel-to-reel tapes and tube projectors. The group’s music, which combines the power of epic guitar music, the eclecticism of post-rock, punk uncompromisingness, the boldness of improvisation and the focused expression of new classics, reaches fans from all corners of the sonic world.
Godspeed You! Black Emperor released a series of albums widely regarded as a redefinition of what protest music can be, in which long instrumental compositions of immense emotional charge and power serve as soundtracks of alienation and resistance. The band’s first four releases – especially F#A#∞ (1997) and Lift Your Skinny Fists Like Antennas To Heaven (2000) – are considered classics of their era. GY!BE’s legendary live performances, accompanied by multiple 16mm projectors emitting collages of overlapping analog film loops and reels, further define the group’s aesthetic substance, ethos and myth. GY!BE operate on their own terms – in their more than 25 years of existence, they have published barely two official photos, have not shot a music video, have given few interviews, and have never had a website or social media accounts. Few rock bands in the 21st century have been so persistent in their quest to let their work speak for itself.
Their latest CD “G_d’s Pee AT STATE’S END!” released in 2021 was considered one of the best in the group’s career.
“This is a timely triumph. The four musical suites sound amazing, capturing the grandeur, aggression and power of their symphonic punk with perfect clarity.” wrote a Pitchfork reviewer.”
“A ferocious, thrilling blast of energy…. impossibly dramatic music with a symphonic sense of scale.” – added Mark Richardson in the Wall Street Journal. A Clash reviewer echoed: “their ability to convey a spectrum of both emotional and political feelings through the raw power of the music remains unparalleled.”
