Explosions In The Sky

Explosions In The Sky

Explosions In The Sky is an instrumental post-rock group from Austin, Texas, active since 1999. The band consists of Munaf Rayani, Mark Smith, Michael James and Chris Hrasky, with Rayani, Smith and James moving to Austin from Midland, Texas, and Hrasky moving there from Rockford, Illinois. The group originally performs under the name Breaker Morant before adopting its current name after a live session in Austin, when they see fireworks in the sky as they leave the studio.

Background and sound

The band develops a reputation for its live shows early on, including among other Austin groups such as Lift To Experience. Its music is built around entirely instrumental arrangements and is associated with ambient, instrumental and post-rock. Over time, the group broadens its sound from the early crescendo-based style often linked with post-rock towards a more experimental approach that can include electronic elements.

Albums and key releases

The debut album, How Strange, Innocence, first appears in a very limited CD-R pressing and is later remastered and reissued. The band later releases Those Who Tell the Truth Shall Die, Those Who Tell the Truth Shall Live Forever, which draws media attention because of rumours connecting it to the September 11 attacks; the record includes liner notes with an aeroplane image and the text “This Plane Will Crash Tomorrow”. Their third full-length album, The Earth Is Not a Cold Dead Place, is widely acclaimed and is described as showing their signature sound at full strength.

Further releases include All of a Sudden I Miss Everyone, Take Care, Take Care, Take Care and The Wilderness. The 2016 album The Wilderness marks a major departure from their earlier style. The band also records 21, an experimental work created over eight days, with one song written for each day.

Film and television work

Explosions In The Sky contribute extensively to the soundtrack for the film Friday Night Lights, with music drawn from both original compositions and earlier releases. Their music is also frequently used in the television series of the same name.

Legacy

The band is widely associated with the popularisation of modern post-rock and is often cited as a major entry point into the genre. Its emotionally driven instrumental style becomes one of the defining features of its music and gives it a strong place in the development of post-rock.