Grapthar's Song of the Day: toe - 'Song Silly'

contemporary bands, I figured I'd also keep on the path of Japanese groups, with toe being the choice for the today! This is a band that I became obsessed with six or seven years ago, as I was going through a pretty heavy math-rock kick, and they fit nicely in that slot at the time. The group was formed in 2000, in Tokyo, Japan by Mino Takaaki (guitar), Kashikura Takashi (drums), Yamane Satoshi (bass guitar), and Yamazaki Hirokazu (guitar). They only have 3 full length albums, though they have released a number of EPs over the years; their early music very much fits with the Japanese math-rock space, but over time, they began experimenting with sounds and ideas outside the genre, and by their last release, they had managed to create something completely unique, with hiphop, rock, math-rock and electronic elements, fused seamlessly into incredible, catchy tunes.

Hear You, which is far and away my favorite from the group. The album begins with their sort of typical math-rock vibe, though they incorporate some acoustic guitars, and much more raw sounding drums, a telling sign that the album wasn't going to be their usual thing. There are a couple others that sort of fit within that vibe, though the most interesting songs are ones like this, which incorporate hip-hop ideas, along with some really stark, dry sort of production. I actually didn't know they made a video for this track, so I've included that below. It is definitely an hilarious one, with the camera focused only on the face of Yamazaki Hirokazu, as he grows and loses various facial hair. There are also vocals on this track (obviously, haha) which is a rarity for the band, as they had mostly focused on instrumental music before this period, only occasionally utilizing guest vocalists for single tracks.