From Monument to Masses
San Francisco's post rock trio From Monument To Masses has been at the forefront of political instrumental music since 2000. Formed with an enlightened and fluent approach to experimental sounds and real world concerns, the group incorporates samples that engage the audience while they intricately explode on stage and on record in ambitious and astute fashion.
NP: FMTM has a lot of political undertones in it's music. How are your feelings about the recent election and where do you hope that the country heads in the next four years.
Francis: Well, my hope is that after the initial Obama high wears off, people will start to realize that real political change, movement building, creating a better world, extends far beyond voting in a booth every four years. There are no miracles to be had. These are things I have to constantly remind myself in my comfortable life. With that said, I hope the Obama camp can at least begin to pull it's forces out of Iraq, seriously tame the actions of it's Middle East muscle (Israel), and tax the shit out of wealthy people and corporations.
NP: What do you think of the current music scene and what would you like to see more or less of out of it?
Matthew: Dude, I'm so not sure about music right now. I want to be excited about it - because I'm excited about FMTM music and certain other cadres of music makers around the globe - but I am so disillusioned right now and almost everything sounds lifeless. The instrumental stuff that I used to find so much hope in is drifting towards a safe sameness that lulls its fans into a creepy complacency. But I'm so looking forward to a new crop of bands that just mesmerize me. For now I'm sustaining myself on Del Rey, Maserati, Silian Rail, and Shuteye Unison.
NP: What are your influences and why?
Francis: I'm influenced by people and their beautiful or dangerous ideas, whether it manifest in the shape of music, art, film, literature, etc.
NP: What does the immediate future hold for FMTM?
Sergio: Well, aside from being excited about the Noise Pop show in February, we're desperately awaiting the release of our latest record, "On Little Known Frequencies". It's almost been a year. I hope it's worth the wait for folks. I'm hoping that there will be a bunch of other creative projects related to the record release—music videos, mini-documentaries for the web, figuring out some sort of video component for our live show, new website—to keep things interesting. I'm also excited about some new music ideas that've been running through my head that could end up in FMTM's music. ANDY POHL
