[Foreign Music] A Guide to Post-Rock: Essential Classics and a Recommended Pick

The Audio PoolThe Album Leaf

The Album Leaf – The Audio Pool

The Album Leaf is a solo music project by Jimmy LaValle, formed in 1998 in San Diego, California.

This track is included on their second album, “One Day I’ll Be on Time,” released in 2001.

Await Rescue65daysofstatic

65DaysOfStatic – Await Rescue

Emerging suddenly from Sheffield, England in the mid-2000s, 65daysofstatic is an instrumental-driven band that shocked music fans who love post-rock and related genres.

Unlike post-rock bands that generate new sounds through methodologies outside a rock context, their sound is defined by chilled, textural electronics, ferocious, roaring guitars, ferociously dense live breakbeats, and lyrical piano phrases unfolding into majestic melodies.

The impact of their musical style was such that it was described as “Mogwai meets Aphex Twin.” You’ll understand that this praise is no exaggeration, especially if you listen to their early work.

The album introduced here, One Time for All Time, released in 2005, is their second full-length, and it’s a gem that renders their debut-era style even more dynamic and dramatic.

It brings back memories of their visit to Japan for Summer Sonic 2006 and their standalone shows promoting this record.

The onrushing wall of sound where cold intellect and overflowing passion merge into one, the startlingly effective piano entrances, the flowing strings—start by listening to Await Rescue, a track from the album highlighted here and a bona fide classic, and experience its brilliance for yourself.

A Street SceneBark Psychosis

Bark Psychosis – A street scene

The name of the music genre “post-rock” is said to originate from a term used by critic Simon Reynolds when reviewing a particular band’s album.

That band was London’s Bark Psychosis, and the work in question was their 1994 debut album, Hex.

It can be considered a pivotal album that defined post-rock, and one that anyone delving into the genre cannot afford to overlook.

The band itself broke up after releasing their debut, then restarted from 2004 onward as the solo project of central figure Graham Sutton, who has also been active as a producer and mixer.

As for Hex, although it unfortunately failed to achieve commercial success upon release, its cutting-edge approach was highly acclaimed, and as noted above, it has continued to reign as a landmark in the history of post-rock.

By deliberately stripping away rock-like dynamism, building around a gentle ensemble with jazz-inflected elements and an ennui-tinged vocal, and creating an ambient sonic space with meticulous attention to detail—plus an intelligent sound born from the exquisite fusion of live instruments with programming and sampling—it’s easy to see why, at the time of its release, it could only be described as “post-rock.” Also recommended as a hidden gem of ’90s UK rock.

Distant ShoreDirty Three

Dirty Three – Distant Shore

Formed in Melbourne, Australia, in 1992, The Dirty Three are a band globally known among many post-rock groups for their unconventional trio of guitar, drums, and violin.

Their distinctive ensemble—drums driving the rhythm, guitar creating harmony and melody, and violin filling the spacious sound with mournful lines that command presence—produces a sonic world entirely different from conventional rock.

Their minimal developments, often discussed in the context of slowcore, and a worldview described as having a road-movie-like imagery, radiate a truly one-of-a-kind identity.

Their third album, Ocean Songs, released in 1998 on Chicago’s esteemed label Touch and Go, is a remarkable masterpiece that brought them widespread recognition and high praise.

As the title suggests, the tracks bear sea-related names, allowing the album to be enjoyed as a kind of conceptual work.

With recording engineered by Steve Albini—one of the most important musicians and engineers in the US indie and hardcore scenes—the tense, bristling sonic image is also striking.

David Grubbs, who led bands such as Bastro and Gastr del Sol, appears as a guest, and in that sense the album is also tied to the Chicago circle.

It’s a must-check for anyone looking to delve deeper into post-rock.

FredericiaDo Make Say Think

Fredericia

When it comes to large post-rock ensembles from Canada, Godspeed You! Black Emperor comes to mind, and though a bit different in vibe, Broken Social Scene as well.

Do Make Say Think, hailing from Toronto, Canada, includes members of Broken Social Scene.

In addition to the core rock-band setup of guitar, bass, and drums, they feature members like a trumpet player and a violinist, and are known for lengthy instrumental tracks with a hint of jazz sensibility.

While their warm ensemble is fundamentally centered on acoustic instruments, they also conjure a different kind of roar than dramatic, wall-of-sound post-rock: howling guitars, a fervent horn section, an intense sound that sometimes even distorts the drums, and experimental song structures laced with dissonance that defy easy categorization—all creating a uniquely freaky, intriguing sonic world.

At the same time, having seen them live myself, I felt a wonderful sense of joy in music radiant like a celebration, and a childlike curiosity.

I highly recommend listening to their 2003 album Winter Hymn Country Hymn Secret Hymn, a peak of their sonic world!

The Everyday World of BodiesRodan

Rodan – The Everyday World of Bodies

If you’ve traced your way back to the legendary bands hailed as the roots of post-rock and math rock—like Slint and Bastro—then you should absolutely get your hands on Rodan, another legend born in Louisville, Kentucky, just like Slint.

Their active period was only about three years, and they released just one original full-length album, but as mentioned at the outset, their music— which forged a blueprint for post-rock, math rock, and post-hardcore—has been highly acclaimed.

Members included Jeff Mueller, who later formed June of 44, and Tara Jane O’Neil, a renowned multi-instrumentalist and singer-songwriter; and some guest contributors went on to become Rachel’s.

In other words, Rodan is indispensable when charting the hidden history of US indie.

On Rusty you’ll find tracks like Bible Silver Corner, built around “quiet” passages reminiscent of Rachel’s; the off-kilter hardcore tune Shiner, where taut, hard-edged guitars and drums generate a solid tension and explosive sound; and the 11-plus-minute epic The Everyday World of Bodies, which encompasses both of those elements.

It’s not exactly easy listening, but if this album piques your interest even a little, I hope you’ll pick it up on CD or vinyl.

RespiraTristeza

Tristeza – Respira

Album Leaf is the solo project of Jimmy LaValle, whose beautiful music fuses lyrical electronica and post-rock, and has a devoted fanbase here in Japan.

The band where Jimmy once played guitar is the renowned post-rock group Tristeza.

They might not be widely known unless you’re well-versed in genres like post-rock or emo, but if you love The Album Leaf and haven’t heard Tristeza—or if you’re looking for bands that craft richly lyrical instrumental soundscapes—they’re absolutely worth your attention.

Today I’d like to introduce their masterpiece released in 2000, Dream Signals in Full Circles, from the period when Jimmy was a member.

Its sound world, woven from shimmering guitar arpeggios and a soft, hazy palette, offers real comfort, while the rhythm section’s firm, driving, repetitive beats add a persuasive power that sets them apart from bands focused purely on atmosphere.

The very fact that musicians from hardcore and screamo/emotional core backgrounds are creating this kind of sound is remarkable.

It’s a classic that greatly influenced Japanese post-rock bands from the 2000s onward.