What is Math Rock?
- Calvin Chew
- Sep 25, 2019
- 6 min read
Math rock is a style or the sub-group of indie rock that emerged in late 1980. It is influenced by post-hardcore, progressive rock and minimal music. Math Rock can be described as a rhythmically complex guitar-based style of experimental rock that emerged in the 1980s. It is characterized by complex, atypical rhythmic structures (including irregular stopping and starting), angular melodies and dissonant chords. Some would speculate that the Canadian punk rock group Nomeansno (founded in 1979 and active as of 2015) have been cited by music critics as a “secret influence” on math rock, Predating much of the genre’s development by more than a decade. Math Rock bears some similar characteristics to the genre Post-Rock. The basic building blocks of Math Rock can be traced back to the late ’60s and 70’s where Progressive Rock artists were making more elaborate compositions than the standard rock bands and were experimenting with song structures. This genre also has influences from Avant-garde rock groups like Massacre, and 20th-century composers such as Steve Reich and John Cage because of its complex structures, angular melodies and constant abrupt changes in tempo and time signature. Audio engineer Steve Albini contribute on the development of Math Rock by working with bands and artists from the Chicago scene in an effort to describe the new style of Progressive Rock.
The sound of Math Rock is usually dominated by guitars and drums just like the classic, traditional rock. The difference is that because of its complex rhythms, the drum section of Math Rock groups tend to be more salient compared to other genres. Often, the guitarists in Math Rock groups uses the tapping technique of guitar playing, and loop pedals are occasionally incorporated. One example for this technique is often heard from the band Battles, where the guitarist heavily incorporated the use of effect pedals. Regardless of this, there are some bands that prefer a cleaner guitar tone compare to other upbeat rock songs. Besides that, lyrics are often not the focus of math rock as it is generally treated as just another sound in the mix. Usually, vocals are not overdubbed but instead, they are positioned low in the mix. This is one of the recording styles of Steve Albini or Rolling Stone’s producer Jimmy Miller. Many of Math Rock groups are usually entirely instrumental and would sometimes collaborate vocals into their songs.
Characteristics
Even though Math Rock and Post-Rock share similar characteristics and aesthetics, there are some difference between them that makes Math Rock different from the other sub-groups of indie rock. Comparing both Math Rock and Post-Rock, Post-Rock has distinct jazz influences, while Math Rock is the opposite side of the same coin. It is dense and complex, filled with difficult time signatures and intertwining phrases. Also, the style is a little more rock-ish than Post-Rock, since it is usually played by small, guitar-led bands. One of the characteristics regarding on their complex time signature that makes Math Rock stands out from other rock music is that most rock music uses a 4/4 meter, however accented or syncopated, whereas Math Rock frequently uses non-standard time signatures such as 7/8, 11/8/ or 13/8, or features constantly changing meters based on various grouping of 2 and 3. Their rhythmic complexity is almost seen as mathematical in character by many listeners and critics, is where the genre got the name ‘Math Rock’. Some would say that the term Math Rock has often passed off as a joke that some would believe it as a musical style. According to Matt Lemay (December 2006) in an interview with the Math Rock band Chavez on Pitchfork, vocalist and frontman, Matt Sweeney said that the term ‘Math Rock’ was invented by a friend of theirs as a derogatory term for a band him and their drummer James Lo played in called Wider. He continued saying that his whole joke is that he’d watch the song and not react at all, and then take out his calculator to figure out how good the song was. Because of this, he would call it ‘Math Rock’.
Japanese VS American Math Rock Bands
Besides the complex style of Math Rock in the American or UK scene, Japanese Math Rock is a little different compared to their western counterpart. According to Asif Ayon (November 2017), both American bands American Football and Clever Girl have heavy uses of trumpets and other complementing orchestral elements added to their already rich and upbeat music. while the Japanese groups have a more melancholic sound in comparison. There is also an interesting charm about Japanese Math Rock. The aesthetics of their sound almost makes them sound like a pop-rock band but with complicated rhythms. According to Nikk Hunter (April 2014), their innovation commonly counterbalanced by delicious hooks, soothing reverb, and catchy rhythms (amidst in irregular ones). Do they generally discard the technical and noisy eccentricities pertinent to many US and UK math rock groups like Hella, Giraffes? Giraffes! and Piglet. Hunter continues saying that Japanese math rock bands invest more time crafting pop-leaning idyllic musical prose that invites the listeners into a new world.
“The genre in Japanese has unique styles compared to overseas math-rock/post-rock. I think many Japanese Bands have a unique sense of melody mixed with a high strung rhythm pattern” -Uchu Conbini (A Japanese Math Rock Odyssey April 2014)
Uchu Conbini writes structurally complex songs with frenzied guitar tapping, but their finished sound is a soothing pop harmony instead of the usual distortion that is often heard in most progressive rock or western Math Rock songs. The Japanese band Toe is also a great example for their overarching chaotically structured sound is buffered by gently rolling guitar melodies and sedating chord progressions, which overall invoke a sense of comfort. Even though they have their own distinctive cultural niche endemic to Japan, many of the more renowned Japanese Math Rock bands took their influence from western Math Bands. For example, Uchu Conbini took their inspiration from the works of Owls and American Football, and Toe was influenced by Ghosts and Vodka. According to Shawn Despres (January 2010), one of the guitarists of Toe Yamazaki Hirokazu stated that he was listening to Ghosts and Vodka’s 1999 “Memento Mori” prior to starting Toe and knew that he wanted to find musicians to make similarly styled songs.
“I love their emotional guitar music without vocals. Mino (guitarist) and I had started to make some tracks together. I wanted to start a new band with those songs after I left Dove. I asked Yamane (bassist) to join us and Mino invited Kashikura (drummer) because they were friends.” -Yamazaki Hirokazu (Math Rockers Toe Take it Slow, Jan 2010)
Math Rock is still small as a culture in the Japanese underground scene, but they do have a fairly large international audience who are somewhat drawn to their musical style. But despite that, the media does not really write much about these underground bands, which makes the international fans feel distant from this exciting underground scene. According to Nikk Hunter, Tom Smith of Japan Underground said that most of the ‘underground’ bands people usually think of in Japan probably have a bigger fan base outside of their country.
“Japan’s really fragmented. You have pop-culture, then you have what feels like a thousand sub-cultures against it. Yeah, there’s a math-rock scene where bands like LITE and others blossom. The scene will be small, but fans dedicated. Getting magazines and media to write about (bands) is anything but easy so a few years ago I decided to cut out the media and do it myself.” -Tom Smith (Japanese Math Rock Odyssey April 2014)
Final Thoughts
The chaotic natural of Math Rock with its complex rhythmic style and catchy riffs are often what draws fans to it. Some would say that fans of Math Rock are tired of the overly used 4/4 time signature which are often heard in most mainstream genres like pop or progressive rock, and are drawn to something more refreshing and unique that you would hardly hear on the radio or television. But the culture of Math Rock is still a small group under a large umbrella in the indie underground scene. Frank Zappa once said: “the mainstream comes to you, but you have to go to the underground”, which is quite relevant to this movement. We are drawn in by the grand hooks and comforting melodies of Math Rock, especially the unique cultural niche movement of Japanese Math Rock bands, who are mostly leaning towards crafting pop-leaning idyllic musical prose but still holds the respect of rock elements into their crafts.
Source:
Prog Archives, Post Rock/Math Rock: A Progressive Rock Sub-genre, last viewed 23 March 2017
Asif Ayon, Why you should listen to Math Rock, 02 November 2017, The Daily Star
Nikk Hunter, A Japanese Math Rock Odyssey, 23 April 2014, Fecking Bahamas
Jeff Lees, Post-Rock, Math Rock, and Mid-Western Emo: How Are They Related?, 05 August 2011, Jeff’s Hobby Blog
Matt Lemay, Chavez, 08 December 2006, Pitchfork https://pitchfork.com/features/interview/6502-chavez/ Shawn Despres, Math rockers Toe take it slow, 29 January 2010, The Japan Times, https://www.japantimes.co.jp/culture/2010/01/29/music/math-rockers-toe-take-it-slow/#.WrPlc6huZPY Toe - Goodbye / グッドバイ (CUT_DVD with Toki Asako), published 29 July 2010, Youtube
Uchi Conbini 宇宙コンビニ – Pyramid, published 12 December 2013, Youtube
Ghosts and Vodka – Memento Mori Remastered version (1999), published 27 April 2017, Youtube
American Football – My Instincts Are The Enemy, published 22 May 2017, Youtube
Battles – Tonto. Published 11 September 2007, Youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1LLAN29W-4w
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