Math Rock Facts

Origins and early development

Math rock traces its roots to progressive and post-punk artists cited as influences on the style. Albums frequently mentioned as seminal include King Crimson's Red and Discipline and Slint's Spiderland. Other early precursors noted in accounts of the genre include the Canadian group Nomeansno, the avant-garde group Massacre, and the unusual polyrhythms found on Black Flag's 1984 album My War. Early pioneers associated with the emergence of the style include Polvo, Don Caballero, Slint, Bitch Magnet, Bastro, and Ruins.

Evolution or diversification

The style developed distinct musical characteristics centered on rhythmic complexity and the use of more non-standard, frequently changing time signatures such as 5/4 7/8 11/8 or 13/8. Sound is often dominated by guitars and drums with drums providing driving, complex rhythms; guitarists employ tapping techniques and loop pedals to build on these rhythms. Vocals are frequently de-emphasized or treated as another instrument and many notable math rock groups are entirely instrumental. The genre has intersected with emo, with bands such as Tiny Moving Parts and American Football described as combining twinkly, mathy elements that influenced the emo sound in the 2000s. Math rock also has a significant presence in Japan with groups like toe, tricot, the cabs, and lite, and an emergent scene in Taiwan including bands such as Elephant Gym.

Cultural or musical significance

The term began as a joke but has become the accepted name for the style, and math rock has been compared to post-rock as a related but rockier approach to songwriting and timbres. The style is often performed by smaller ensembles emphasizing the role of the guitar. Not all critics consider math rock a distinct serious subgenre and some of the scene's notable acts have disavowed the label.