Who We Are: A Montreal Collective Since 1994
We're Godspeed You! Black Emperor, a collective from Montreal, Quebec. We started in 1994, and people often shorten our name to GY!BE. This is where our music turns into designs you can wear.
Where does the name come from?
It comes from God Speed You! Black Emperor, a 1976 Japanese documentary by Mitsuo Yanagimachi about a biker gang called the Black Emperors. We took the title, kept the exclamation mark, and it has stayed with us ever since.
Who plays in the band?
Over the years the collective has included:
- Efrim Menuck: guitar, tape loops and keyboards
- Mauro Pezzente: bass
- Mike Moya: guitar
- Thierry Amar: double bass and bass
- David Bryant: guitar, tape loops and synthesizer
- Aidan Girt and Timothy Herzog: drums and percussion
- Sophie Trudeau: violin
- Karl Lemieux and Philippe Léonard: film projections
What does our music sound like?
Long pieces, mostly without words. They build slowly through drones and crescendos, with orchestral parts and field recordings woven in. Some people call it post-rock; we've never been fond of the label. On stage, film projections run behind us while we play.
Where can you hear it?
Our records come out on Constellation Records, here in Montreal, and on Kranky. We went on hiatus in 2003 and came back in 2010, and we've been making records again since.
What's in the shop?
Designs drawn from our albums and our name, on tees, long sleeves, crewnecks and hoodies, with kids' and youth sizes too. Every product page has its own size chart.