Hi everyone, I discovered the word “IDM” yesterday (stands for “Intelligent Dance Music“) and it made me think of this idea of “Math Rock“. Let’s ask Wikipedia about this one :
Math rock is a style of indie rock that emerged in the late 1980s in the United States, influenced by post-hardcore, progressive rock bands such as King Crimson, and 20th century minimal music composers such as Steve Reich. Math rock is characterized by complex, atypical rhythmic structures (including irregular stopping and starting), counterpoint, odd time signatures, angular melodies, and extended, often dissonant, chords. It bears similarities to post-rock.
This definition is enough to put a big smile on my face. Crimson and Reich, wahhhh!
When I think about Math Rock I think about the groupe Battles. Atlas indeed is like crazy crimsonian :
Yes, if you listen to Crimson fury after that, you’ll find the links. And there’s fun in listening to the parts (the guitars weaving, the crackling drums, the bass…) :
OK if you’re in the mood you can Google “best math rock albums” or “best intelligent dance music albums”. And get a headache?
So let’s extract the pattern : In a field, there’s a movement named “math something” or “intelligent something” by the public, which shows a creative complexification of a field.
(Yeah some’ll think it’s all “elitist and derogatory towards other genres” – so there!)
What if you “mathed” something? Intelligent poetry? Math marketing? Photography? Love? What is this :
“complex, atypical rhythmic structures (including irregular stopping and starting), counterpoint, odd time signatures, angular melodies, and extended, often dissonant, chords”
…applied to teaching, writing, sex, blogging, or business?
Is there a way to grow, blossom and climb, propelled by intelligence instead of brute force and traditional tools?
Etc…
Thanks for reading!
a french toolbox 