EP (Mogwai EP)
EP is an EP by Scottish post-rock group Mogwai, released in various countries in 1999.
Overview
EP is Mogwai's third EP. It features four tracks, "Stanley Kubrick" (recorded at Sub Station Studio in Cowdenbeath, Scotland and produced by Michael Brennan Jr., assisted by Kevin Lynch), "Christmas Song", "Burn Girl Prom Queen", and "Rage:Man" (all recorded at CaVa Studios in Glasgow, Scotland, and also produced by Michael Brennan Jr., assisted by Tony Doogan and Willie Deans). The US release of EP is titled EP+2, due to the two bonus tracks, "Rollerball", and "Small Children in the Background", both from No Education = No Future (Fuck the Curfew), which was not released in the US. All four tracks on EP were later included on the 2000 compilation album, EP+6. The cover of EP is similar to the cover of EP+6, as they both feature the same image, a movie still entitled "Watertower" by Scottish photographer Neale Smith, of a Water tower in East Kilbride, South Lanarkshire, Scotland.Stuart Braithwaite has commented on EP, saying:
Mogwai
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Mogwai (/ˈmɒɡwaɪ/) are a Scottish post-rock band, formed in 1995 in Glasgow. The band consists of Stuart Braithwaite (guitar, vocals), Barry Burns (guitar, piano, synthesizer, vocals), Dominic Aitchison (bass guitar), and Martin Bulloch (drums). The band typically compose lengthy guitar-based instrumental pieces that feature dynamic contrast, melodic bass guitar lines, and heavy use of distortion and effects. The band were for several years signed to renowned Glasgow indie label Chemikal Underground, and have been distributed by different labels such as Matador in the US and Play It Again Sam in the UK, but now use their own label Rock Action Records in the UK, and Sub Pop in North America. The band were frequently championed by John Peel from their early days, and recorded seven Peel Sessions between 1996 and 2004. Peel also recorded a brief introduction for the compilation Government Commissions: BBC Sessions 1996–2003.
History
Mogwai (Chinese culture)
The word mogwai is the transliteration of the Cantonese word 魔怪 (Jyutping: mo1 gwaai3; Standard Chinese: 魔鬼; pinyin: móguǐ) meaning "monster", "evil spirit", "devil" or "demon".
Mogwai/mogui in Chinese culture
According to Chinese tradition, mogwai are certain demons, which often inflict harm on humans. They are said to reproduce sexually during mating seasons triggered by the coming of rain. Supposedly, they take care to breed at these times because rain signifies rich and full times ahead.
The term "mo" derives from the Sanskrit "Mara", meaning 'evil beings' (literally "death"). In Hinduism and Buddhism, Mara determines fates of death and desire that tether people to an unending cycle of reincarnation and suffering. He leads people to sin, misdeeds and self-destruction. Meanwhile, "gui" does not necessarily mean 'evil' or demonic spirits. Classically, it simply means deceased spirits or souls of the dead. Nevertheless, in modern Chinese, it has evolved to refer usually to the dead spirits or ghosts of non-family members that may take vengeance on living humans who caused them pain when they were still living. It is common for the living to redress their sins by sacrificing money to gui by burning (usually fake) paper banknotes so that gui can have funds to use in their afterlife.
Gremlins
Gremlins is a 1984 American comedy horror film directed by Joe Dante and released by Warner Bros. The film is about a young man who receives a strange creature called a mogwai as a pet, which then spawns other creatures who transform into small, destructive, evil monsters. This story was continued with a sequel, Gremlins 2: The New Batch, released in 1990. Unlike the lighter sequel, Gremlins opts for more black comedy, balanced against a Christmastime setting. Both films were the center of large merchandising campaigns.
Steven Spielberg was the film's executive producer and the screenplay was written by Chris Columbus. The film stars Zach Galligan and Phoebe Cates, with Howie Mandel providing the voice of Gizmo, the main mogwai character. Gremlins was a commercial success and received positive reviews from critics. However, the film was also heavily criticized for some of its more violent sequences. In response to this and to similar complaints about Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, Spielberg suggested that the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) alter its rating system, which it did within two months of the film's release.
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