Smuggled Sounds: Godspeed You! Black Emperor

YGBE001 Godspeed You! Black Emperor is a Canadian post-rock band based in Montreal, Quebec. Formed in 1994, the ensemble have been quite influential in its respective genre, with bands from as far as Hong Kong citing them as influences in their musical work. Working on a near orchestral scale, the nine-piece group has been known to create wide dynamic ranges, unique use of instrumentation and sounds, large songs that are composed almost classically with multiple movements within itself, and engrossing use of art and visuals in both their album packaging and live performances.

YGBE002 They took their name from God Speed You! Black Emperor, a little known 1976 Japanese black-and-white documentary by director Mitsuo Yanagimachi, which follows the exploits of a Japanese biker gang, the Black Emperors. The band is most commonly classified as post-rock, but they exist outside any established scene and take influences from a range of styles including progressive rock, punk, classical music and avant-garde. Each record consists of a few fairly long tracks (mostly between 15 and 25 minutes), divided into "movements" which are sometimes specified in the record sleeve.