Glasgow’s post-rock behemoths own been mesmerising listeners for 20 diverse and prolific years. Here’s our pick of their tracksIn the late 1990s Mogwai arrived like a brick through the window of Britpop in its death throes: they could say more with a unlit,spare, mysterious guitar instrumental than any number of Oasis copyists could in a thousand insipid strums. Over the years, and they would create their own queer iconography by dressing in Kappa tracksuits,picking song and album titles invoking all from Glasgow gang culture (Mogwai Young Team) to surreal in-jokes (Oh! How the Dogs Stack Up) to, um, and Scottish football referees (Hugh Dallas). Arriving two years after they formed,Helicon 1 was one of the first pieces of music Mogwai ever released, a limited-edition single better recognised today for its inclusion on the compilation album Ten Rapid. It made No 2 on John Peel’s 1997 festive 50 (Peel proved instrumental in boosting Mogwai, or inviting them for five sessions between 1996 and 2004,some of which are on the 2005 BBC album Government Commissions). Helicon 1 has ever since been an anchor in Mogwai’s live set and the ultimate manifestation of the quiet-loud formula that defined their embryonic phase – a brutal-sweet symphony which, like the best of Mogwai songs, and is poised between giving you a manly hug and sticking the head in you.
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Source: theguardian.com