TOE

The relationship between math rock and post-rock is a nebulous one yet both were spawned from the same indie rock inspired ethos that launched a new breed of alternative compositional structures that was forged from prog rock legends such as King Crimson, the world of jazz as well as the more ambitious punk rock acts of the 80s such as NoMeansNo with jittery time signature changes. While math rock is characterized by complex, atypical rhythmic structures, odd time signature outbursts and oft bizarre chord progressions, post-rock on the other hand focused more on generating cyclical structures that explored complex textures, atmospheres and climactic buildups.

As the two styles diverged and became distinct entities in the greater world of experimental rock, some bands such as the Tokyo based TOE found a way to marry the two distinct styles into a cohesive whole and as a result has become a legendary force that showcases the blistering technicalities of bands like Shellac, Don Caballero and Hella only with the pacifying grace of post-rock continuity as heard from bands like Godspeed You! Black Emperor, Sigur Ros, Bark Psychosis and Tortoise. Formed in the year 2000 by Kashikura Takashi (drums), Mino Takaaki (guitar), Yamane Satoshi (bass guitar) and Yamazaki Hirokazu (guitar), TOE has risen to the top ranks as the perfect hybridizing act of where math rock makes a truce with its more ambient cousin post-rock.

The band released its groundbreaking debut EP titled "Songs, Ideas We Forgot" in 2002 but was still primarily delving into the math rock side of the equation however by the time the band debuted with its full-length release THE BOOK ABOUT MY IDLE PLOT ON A VAGUE ANXIETY, the marriage of the two styles had pretty much evolved into a seamless continuity unlike virtually any other act that resides on either side of the fence. Led by the pronounced drumming techniques of Kashikura Takashi, TOE is characterized by a focus on compositional simplicity fortified with complex rhythms driven by Takashi's extraordinary percussive idiosyncrasies that are taken to a higher level via the clean toned melodic twin guitar workouts and bass grooves that accompany.

Virtually a stripped down all-instrumental affair with only the tiniest traces of a human voice or electronic embellishments, TOE's debut is a testament to keeping things streamlined into a minimalistic approach which allows the percussive rhythms along with the pacifying tones and timbres to do all the talking. While fortified with rhythmic technical outbursts courtesy of Takashi's virtuosic drumming style, the band maintains a even keel melodic approach in how it constructs chord progressions, guitar arpeggios and an almost poetic sense of continuity. The simplicity may be a turn off to many but by eschewing long sprawling composiitons that build to thundering crescendoes, the band can focus on more direct pathways of free-form math rock excursions and less on the sprawling cyclical aspects of the world of post-rock.

THE BOOK ABOUT MY IDLE PLOT ON A VAGUE ANXIETY delivers a set of 11 tracks, with only one extending past the five minute mark and a total playing time of just over 38 minutes. The tracks are concise, to the point and offer all the strengths of the world of math rock without the bombast or overpowering emphasis on brutality for its own sake. Comparable to the simpler post-rock bands such as Dirty Three for example, TOE offers a more complex set of tracks that are tantamount to a very controlled form of chaos with the tracks flirting with pop hooks but keeping just enough distance to maintain the detached alternative feel that math rock exudes. It's a very strange balance act going on here indeed but for anyone remotely into math rock, this one is certainly one of the glaring examples of how to craft the perfect balance between the jittery nature of math rock and the best calming aspects of the world of post-rock.

SONGS, IDEAS WE FORGOT EP

TOE (usually stylized in all lowercase letters, thus toe) has become one of Japan's most significant hybrids of math rock and post-rock which showcases the blistering complexities of nerdy time signature-rich math rock with the pacifying stream of consciousness stylistic approach of its close cousin post-rock. The band began in 2000 Tokyo by Kashikura Takashi (drums), Mino Takaaki (guitar), Yamane Satoshi (bass guitar) and Yamazaki Hirokazu (guitar) and has reached a legendary status as one of Japan's leading "indie" bands.

While the band has become a legend for its two albums "The Book About My Idle Plot On A Vague Anxiety" and "For Long Tomorrow," TOE released two groundbreaking EPs soon after its formation beginning with this first one titled SONGS, IDEAS WE FORGOT. This EP was originally released with five tracks but over the years and subsequent releases has seen two extra tracks tagged onto the end making the overall playing time of the newer versions around 28 minutes of playing time.

TOE is revered for its drummer Kashikura Takashi who is the clear band leader with his idiosyncratic drumming style that delivers all the sophistication of a trained jazz drummer only set to the world of math rock which offers a solid foundation for the two guitarists and bassist who follow suit quite nicely. TOE has primarily been an all-instrumental band and that is certainly the case on SONGS, IDEAS WE FORGOT. In addition to the incessant drumming prowess of Takashi, this EP offers energetic performances that allow twin clean guitar riffing and beautiful bass tones with the occasional foray into some atmospheric constructs but basically this is a mere quartet delivering a set of beautifully designed math / post-rock tracks that focus on punchy rhythms and exquisite bright cheery tones.

In short it's well worth checking out these original EPs that led up to the band's full albums because the band pretty much started out as a fully functioning powerhouse that offered a unique stylistic approach and an above average competence of power housing the instrumentation through catchy yet intricately complex webs of rhythmic mazes that conspire to craft a very powerful band sound. Very few bands are capable of blending the more brutal aspects of math rock with the serene flow of post-rock but TOE seems to have the ability to do it with ease. An excellent beginning for one of Japan's top exports of outsider music.

Toe's debut impressed me with its lovely mix of math rock's complexity with the twinkly guitars that can be found in Midwest emo, ultimately making an album that managed to be both frenetic, yet soothing. With this in mind, I went into For Long Tomorrow with high expectations, wondering what the band would do to further refine their sound. What I found was an album that felt like a step forward and a step back at the same time, creating an album that had more variety, largely thanks to the guest vocals utilised throughout, yet the album also feels as if it lacks that perfect contrast between 2 opposing feels that drew me into their debut so much, leaving the quality more or less the same to me.

Just like with their first album, Toe kick this one off with a track that begins sounding very glitchy and unusual before slowly revealing its sense of structure, before kicking into track 2, which is full of extremely tight instrumentation paired nicely with excellent drumming. This track is relatively short, but definitely sets up the album very nicely, being overall more mellow without being completely toothless, which is fairly representative of the album as a whole. After Image is one of my personal favourite moments here as a whole, the soft vocal melodies being nothing short of beautiful, made even better once the guitar begins following this same melody to create a burst of dense, yet lush greatness. This sense of variety is maintained by the energy present in track 4, the drumming being absolutely pinpoint while simultaneously being absolutely breakneck, which is made even more prominent once the electric guitars briefly kick in to increase the tempo significantly, making for a very dynamic and engaging track. Say It Ain't So takes the sound to an interesting place, sacrificing most of the complexity in favour of a simple, catchy riff backed by equally lovely vocals to create a more conventional song, which genuinely works quite well, given how its tone and atmosphere isn't a far cry from other tracks on the album.

Many of the other tracks tend to be somewhat more standard in the context of the band, with varying degrees of success, the 2 part track being one of my personal favourites based on the progression that can be seen between the 2, the latter being more chaotic in its composition, with the drumming suddenly becoming extremely high hat, providing a suitable change while still staying firmly within the confines of the album. My one big issue with this album stems from its final three tracks, at which point I feel that the band ran out of steam, with none of them having anywhere near the same inspiration for me as the rest, which genuinely weakens the overall experience significantly, knowing that it all just fizzles out at the end. These aren't necessarily bad by any means, simply lacking in anything to make them truly great, inoffensive across the board.

Overall, I feel relatively similar about this album as I do about Toe's first, that it's a lovely, mellow math rock album that begins to wear thin by the end. The relative lack of intensity this has compared to the debut is also a bit of a disappointment, but is balanced out nicely by the variety this album possesses, especially with the vocals on certain tracks really keeping things fresh. I honestly wouldn't recommend one of these albums to listen to first over the other, as both definitely have their strengths and weaknesses, but are overall great, making both options valid ones.

Best tracks: After Image, Track 4, Track 7 and 8

Weakest tracks: You Go, Our Next Movement, Long Tomorrow

Verdict: Wonderful twinkly math rock that is able to contain the complex heart of the genre while seamlessly blending it with lovely melody, overall a high quality album, despite is falling short by the end.

When I think of math rock, I think of high energy and extremely complex passages of music, often with large amounts of abrasive qualities and distortion, along with a certain hyperactivity. This makes Toe a very interesting case, fusing the complexity of math rock with teh atmospheric qualities of post rock, leading to rapidly changing time signatures being made into some incredibly relaxing music. While each song has a very similar feel to it, it ends up working quite well here, sounding more like an extended passage taking on various rhythmic patterns than a collection of songs.

From the short opening track, you're immediately made fully aware that there will be a lot of focus on rhythm, strting off with crackling, seemingly off beat notes before introducing other elements until it becomes an edm style beat. After this, the rest of the album follows a similar kind of sound, one involving each note feeling perfectly calculated, especially the drumming, which is genuinely some of the greatest I've heard, being incredibly fast and technical, keeping a good amount of variation, but also showing the perfect amount of restraint. The album is in a constant state of being perfectly on the line just before devolving into excess, but never hits that point, instead maintaining a high level of excellence througout, with each song being led primarily by this simply incredible rhythm section. It amazes me how such incredible technicality can manage to morph into music that I could see myself comfortably dozing off to. All I Understand is that I Don't Understand is one of the best tracks here, with soft riffs playing off each other meticulously, sounding like a complex indie rock track more than anything else, but being so lovely in the process. C is probably the most energetic tracl here on the other hand, with a really cool, strange drum beat, and some of the most focus on the guitar elements, along with a really groovy, prominent bassline. I really don't feel like I can say much more about this album without beginning to repeat myself, each song shares very similar features with one another, but are all played exceptionally well, even if it does lead to some issue with memorability and a slightly repetitive feeling by the end, not that it is enough to majorly detract from this album.

I find the middle ground taken here between the expansive, softer aspects of post rock and the excessive, wildly technical nature of math rock to work exquisitely, as it balances these in such a wy where neither overpowers the other, all topped off by some out of this world drumming. The one issue I do have is how the album is definitely somewhat one note, but despite that it's still highly enjoyable, as well as quite easy to listen to. I'd recommend this album to a fairly wide range of people, namely those who like chill music, as I think you'd have at least a passing interest in this album.

Best songs: All I Understand Is That I Don't Understand, C, Everything Means Nothing

Weakest songs: none

Verdict: Surprisingly soft, melodic math rock that I'd honestly recommend for anyone who likes relaxing music to listen to, as it provides an element of beauty, while also being an incredible display of technicality.

This album really is like a breath of fresh air. A four piece Math-Rock band out of Japan with 2 guitarists, a bassist and drummer. Lots of guests though including keyboards on 8 of the 13 tracks, 2 sax players and a clarinet all on one song plus three different vocalists. Released in 2009 it's really cool how they achieve a catchy sound with all that complexity. These guys can play and as Drew says in his review the drummer is outstanding!

I'm surprised they opened with the two tracks they did though. Not the best start with that 40 second experimental song to begin with followed by "Vanishing Point And Whistle" with the clapping that comes and goes although the guitars and drumming are great. "After Image" is where I start to get really impressed. Those female vocal melodies to start as picked guitar and drums join in, bass too. I like this a lot. Punchy and mathy.

"Esoteric" has faint guitar sounds to start then a second guitar joins in then it kicks into gear just before a minute. K.C. like here with those guitar lines. It's heavier before 3 1/2 minutes to the end. "Say It Ain't So" has intricate guitar as drums, keys and male vocals join in. A catchy and poppy sound but mathy. Piano as well here. A calm before 2 1/2 minutes with piano and faint sounds as quiet vocals return. It kicks back in before 3 minutes. Kind of a cool track. Different. "Two Moons" has some beautiful guitar melodies to start and more. Drums just before 2 minutes as it starts to build.

The next two tracks are parts one and two called "I Can't Hear Mosquitone Anymore" totalling less than 5 minutes combined. Sounds like vibes here along with piano and the second part is more of the same but a different shade. Vocal melodies around 1 1/2 minutes are brief. "Night" is one of my favourites. Some nice drum work to start then it settles in. Love how this sounds. Vibes and synths in this one as well. "Goodbye" has pleasant picked guitar for about 1 1/2 minutes then it kicks in some. Female vocal melodies 2 minutes in. Excellent sound to this one. Some interesting drum work 4 1/2 minutes in. Catchy stuff.

"You Go" has intricate guitar and beats. Some brief vocals 2 1/2 minutes in. A bright catchy tune. "Our Next Movement" is another highlight for me. This one has the guest horns on it and they arrive quickly with beats and intricate guitar lines. Some amazing drum work here as well and it dominates until 3 1/2 minutes in when they stop and a horn returns. Not for long though as it all kicks back in. Nice. "Long Tomorrow" ends it with picked guitar only to start. It kicks in before a minute with a full sound. Catchy and complex.

A solid 4 stars and I wish I had picked up some of their other studio albums back in the day.

So many musicians in the math rock area can tend to get stuck into a groove, chugging away at their 1980s King Crimson guitar lines to the point of monotony and neglecting to add enough variation to their overall approach to keep things interested. toe here cannot be accused of that, offering up a far gentler and more nuanced take on math rock. If I wanted to draw a stark contrast between post-rock and math rock, I would say that math rock is very interested in the individual ingredients of a performance, with an emphasis on technically proficient play, whilst post- rock seems to be more interested in the big picture, where the whole shape of a composition across its running time is given more significance; toe manage to capture both of those qualities, avoiding the pitfall of technical showboating that has claimed so many in this field.

A spectacular Japanese math band, Toe here have shifted away from their sort of standard and at times post leaning math to a minimalistic and poppy take on the genre that reaps many unexpected rewards. The complex riffs are light, and feed a collection of tracks that are catchy, relaxing, and often pretty. They pull off some great instrumental cuts, and have chosen only the best guest artists to sing on various others, avoiding the all too common pitfall of featured spots in modern music that create out of place and disastrous results. "G.O.O.D. L.U.C.K." is the best of the tracks with guests, not just having a great vocal set but with the great Japanese percussionist U-zhaan providing traditional drums as part of a killer instrumental backing for the aforementioned vocals. Also on the top flight for this record are the first three tracks, which string together into a beautiful opening sequence. An altogether excellent album that looks set to bring their greatness to a fairly wider audience, there's something here for crossover fans as well as math fans.

This is an interesting and enjoyable album that has a lot of the King Crimson Discipline sound and stylings that I love, especially songs 2, 3, 12, and 13. Though categorized Post Rock/Math Rock, it is far more that that, for in it I hear snippets that remind me of ALGERNON, IVY, KOOP, PAUL SIMON, JONI MITCHELL and many others. But most of all I hear DRUMS! AMAZING drumming!

The first song is a brief 39-second sonic introduction that bleeds directly into the brief "Shou[&*!#]su tenyo fue" (2:40) (9/10) which is, in effect, an introduction and set-up for the album's third song (and, IMO, crown jewel). Arpeggio

3. "After Image" (3:59) featuring female vocalist Harada Ikuko reminds me of an awesome upbeat song from IVY or FIONA APPLE. (10/10)

4. "Esoteric" (4:15) is the album's first song to fully fall under the familiar/more usual Post Rock/Math Rock formats--and it is an excellent one! Sitar, arpeggiated acoustic and electric guitars, and amazing drumming! This is like MASERATI at its best! (10/10)

5. "Say It Ain't So," with the vocals of Dry River String's Hoshikawa Yuzuru (3:42), sounds like it wants to be pop and maybe even rappy. It's laid back, very repetitive and uses multiple tracks for its vocals. (7/10)

6. "Two Moons" begins rather delicately, involving a synth, glockenspiel an acoustic and an electric guitar interweaving polyrhythmic melody lines. Until the bass and drums arrive at the 1:49 mark. Then we have a full-out jam! Kind of reminds me of ALGERNON. (8/10)

7. "Mosikiiton wa mou kikoenai #1" (2:32) (8/10) is a piano over tuned and electronic percussion intro/variation for the next song,

8. "Mosikiiton wa mou kikoenai #2" (2:20) in which drums, bass and acoustic guitars play a more prominent role. Together the two variations rate a pleasant KOOP-like (8/10)--lacking enough development and change to make me reach for the replay button. This one is the drummer's song!

9. "Last Night (Album Version)" (4:56). By this time into the album I am looking for a little more variety. The one-note-at-a-time Kool-and-the-Gang synth is starting to get on my nerves, the interwoven tuned-percussion and acoustic guitar leads are getting a little old, the bass and drumming are the only things still keeping it interesting. (7/10)

10. "Goodbye (Album Version) featuring Toki Asako" (7:06) establishes another IVY-like groove using acoustic guitars and rolling COCTEAU TWINS-like bass before the vocalist and drummer get engaged. Again, the drummer is stealing the show! At the four minute mark ends a peak and things settling into a bit of a mellow, more simply and controlled section-- though the drummer apparently has difficulty with this mode, as he seems to always sneak in, or bulldoze his way into . . . taking over! I think the rest of the band shows admirable restraint in the face of his "lead" though I also believe the drumming is what makes this music work on such a high level. (9/10)

11. "You Go" (3:35) begins like one of DAVID BYRNE's Brazilian-influenced or PAUL SIMON's South African-inflluenced songs of years ago. The drummer is held a bit farther back in the mix on this one?and shows more than his usual restraint, though even in quiet restrained mode he continues to shine and attract the attention of the listener. (8/10)

12. "Our Next Movement" (4:48) begins with a very blatant folk drum style--large African hand drums and other hand percussives. Saxes play around in the background--as if I'm reminded of JONI MITCHELL's "Dreamland" from Don Juan's Reckless Daughter. The random sax play, bass play, and replacement of hand drums by drum kit reign this jazzier tune in a bit. Horns come together in a bank format as guitars pick in their arpeggiated KING CRIMSON way. I like the looseness of this one. (8/10)

13. "Long Tomorrow" (5:18) displays the same controlled "Discipline"-like weave of electric guitars, drums, and bass as the album began with. I like the bass being a bit more forward in this one. Static-screeching synth enters around mid-point. Finishes in a much more PostRock/Math Rock way. I can't explain why I like this time of "controlled chaos" so much-- that KC "Discipline" weave--but I do. (9/10)

Though this album often threatens to slide into background music, it is definitely one of the best Math/Post Rock albums I've ever heard?one that I will play again and again. I look forward to the growth and maturation of this great little combo.

4 stars: An excellent addition to any prog lover's music collection.

One of the more famous groups in the energetic and exciting Japanese post-rock/math-rock scene, Toe. brings forth a nice little follow-up to the album For Long Tomorrow which since its release in 2009 has garnered a small cult following on this site.

The Future Is Now dabbles in much of the same territory as its predecessor but the formula has clearly not grown stale and Toe. should use it as long as it keeps working. Their sound is a nice blend of both post-rock and math-rock and the music this group creates is phenomenal. Japan's groups in the genre are always great with composition of music pieces, and this album is no exception, it is quite stellar in terms of musicianship and the music writing quality.

It's a short little listen that always seems to fly by because it's such a fun little EP to listen to. Even people who aren't fan of the post-rock/math-rock scene can learn to appreciate this. It's an album you can tell the group enjoyed making (Toe. always gives off this vibe) and it won't take up very much of your time at all.

I would go as far as to say it's an excellent addition to any prog rock music collection.

A short review for a short album!

Toe is one of the rare bands that can combine elements of math rock with post rock without feeling forced, and New Sentimentality is a great way to see all of these facets utilized to their fullest. Dreamy and spacious guitars mix with tight, rapid, complex drumming and are tied together with atmospheric, emotional vocals to create an experience that is all at once thoughtful and exciting. "Goodbye" is the best example of this, which starts off with a humming, impassioned guitar line not unlike something you might hear from an early Modest Mouse album, but is soon driven forward by what is simultaneously one of the catchiest and most intricate drumlines I've ever heard.

Toe's ponderousness can wear a bit thin on a full-length album, but as a 20 minute E.P. their music is just what the doctor ordered. If you're a fan of post rock or math rock, there's no reason for you not to give this little gem a listen.