Instrumental rock quartet’s Chris Hrasky tells Danny Turner why Explosions in the Sky’s eighth album, End, isn’t a goodbye
Formed in Austin, Texas, Explosions in the Sky have built a loyal following over the past 25 years. The band, consisting of drummer Chris Hrasky and guitarists Michael James, Munaf Rayani and Mark Smith, have been acclaimed beyond the post-rock scene for their elaborate guitar work and catalogue of dynamic, narratively ‐styled albums. Perhaps unusually for an instrumental four-piece, their cathartic, emotive-led sound has seen them open for bands such Nine Inch Nails, Fugazi and Godspeed You! Black Emperor amidst invitations to score for numerous film and TV projects, with dozens of tracks licensed for commercials and even video games.
The collective’s latest album, titled End, has caused inevitable consternation amongst their fan base, forcing Explosions in the Sky to reject rumours of their impending demise. Instead, the LP is touted as their most grandiose to date; brooding, restrained and melancholy, yet uplifted by their trademark sonic crescendos.
Can you remember how you got signed by Temporary Residence – the label you’re still on 20 years later?
“Some friends of ours from an amazing band out of Austin called the The American Analog Set recorded one of our early live shows and sent the recording to the label. They liked it a lot, called us up and asked if we wanted to put a record out and we’ve been with them ever since – at least in the US. We’ve had other offers through the years, but we don’t want to have to deal with the bureaucracy of bigger labels so we’ve stuck with Temporary Residence and it’s been great.”
“We’re probably called post-rock because the songs are long and instrumental, and that’s fine, but even though our songs are pretty crazy and different to typical rock, that’s the music that we all grew up on. We still think of ourselves as a bunch of friends with guitars and drums playing loud rock music. Even if the songs are long and excessive in some ways, we want the music to have immediacy and be, for lack of a better term, hummable. We’ve always approached the music as songwriters rather than soundscape artists, which is probably more applicable to the post-rock tag.”
Did the band ever think about employing a vocalist?
“We never really thought about it. When we formed we were heavily into two or three instrumental bands that were very important to us because their music was so emotionally charged and visceral. We wanted to emulate and pursue that route and never thought Explosions in the Sky would still be going 24 years later. Things seem to have worked out wit
