As we pack our bags for holiday travel and prepare to usher 2019 into oblivion, our staff banded together and took a brief moment to reflect on what truly matter here at Bahamas: ultra-sick math riffs.

Some picks were no surprise, and some even came up several times, but each of them, and many more, served as fantastic reminders of what make end-of-year lists like these so rewarding.

In a year that kept people all around the world on their toes, it’s no wonder the chaotic nature of so many of these records kept us coming back for more. It may have been a tough one for the human race, but in terms of the math rock we managed to release, we certainly had our moments.

RESULTS

25. yvette young – Piano

Trading in noodly guitar licks for piano passages, math rock superstar Yvette Young creates one of the most luscious and indisputably moving math rock EPs of the year. A surprise release that kicked 2019 into life, and one that quickly found a home in many Bandcamp collections.

piano EP by yvette young

24. Snooze – Familiaris

Familiaris can be summed up with one word: fluidity. From its beautiful acappella opener to its ethereal finish, the record wanders seamlessly from gentle to fierce, sustained to frenetic, straightforward to downright wacky. This record also boasts some of the finest vocal harmonies in the game.

Familiaris by Snooze

23. Car Bomb – Mordial

In 2010, Michael Dafferner of Car Bomb released his documentary ‘Why You Do This’, an bleak insight into the harsh realities of a touring band. It appeared to be the bitter swansong for the band, their futile endeavors and their financial losses. Nine years later, a re-energized Car Bomb releases Mordial, one of the most punishing and dissonant records of the year. Despite the pain, something made them thirsty for more.

Mordial by Car Bomb

22. tortuganónima – Imago

Chilean math rock quartet tortuganónima reached for new heights with their sophomore release Imago, incorporating hip-hop, free-jazz and electronica to revitalize their adored guitar-driven math rock sound.

Imago by tortuganónima

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21. PoiL– Sus

From the unhealthy minds of French Zeuhl-math-prog dabblers PoiL came the wonky and wonderful Sus, a cavalcade of challenging, Python-esque musical excursions that sent its listeners head-first into discombobulation and paranoia.

Sus by PoiL

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20. Dammit I’m Mad – Dammit I’m Mad

Nothing topped the charm of Swedish palindromic two-piece Dammit I’m Mad this year. Their self-titled debut brought together the imagination of King Crimson and the adorable zaniness of Deerhoof. We absolutely loved this one.

Dammit I'm Mad by Dammit I'm Mad

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19. John Makay – Crom

A surprise release from French instrumental two-piece John Mackay had us double-taking in 2019. Crom featured a mix of unreleased recordings featuring their signature brand of low-to-the-ground 90’s math rock pastiche. A well-rounded and rewarding record.

crom by john makay

18. Yoink – Interactome

Brooklyn trio Yoink dropped their second EP Interactome, which was everything to be expected. A wonky experimental rock feast from the ex-members of Noxious Foxes and Feuding Fathers. Picture a cuckoo clock from a deranged clockmaker.

Interactome by Yoink

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17. Hikes – Mahal Kita

Mahal kita is Filipino-Tagalog for ‘I love you’. In their 2019 release, Hikes offered a story of the maternal bond and its role in our preparation for life’s hurdles. It was a moving record from one of the leaders in the genre.

Mahal Kita by Hikes

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16. LITE – Multiple

Six albums deep and still forging a unique sound, LITE‘s 2019 contribution Multiple brought the genre fluidity, the experimentation, and the sonic dynamics that make them a true juggernaut in the instrumental sphere.

Multiple (6th album) by LITE

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15. zeta – Mochima

Coming through like a pissed off The Mars Volta, Venezuelan trio zeta brought their signature blend of raw and cathartic punk in 2019 release Mochima, an album that never paused for a breather.

Mochima by zeta

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14. Lightning Bolt – Sonic Citadel

2019 saw monumental noise duo Lightning Bolt take to the studios for the seventh time. The result, Sonic Citadel, was an exercise in dizzying guitar fuzz and downright nasty riffs. You can hear the sweat on this thing.

Sonic Citadel by Lightning Bolt

13. Gambo – Au!

Also blitzing the noise spectrum this year was Au!, the killer debut from Mexican instrumental trio Gambo. Teeming with gritty riffs and pedal-stomping folly, the album paved a passage between off-kilter math rock instrumentation and good ol’ rock tropes.

Au! by Gambo

12. standards – Friends

What a year it was for Marcos and Kynwyn of standards, from the relentless touring schedule, to the stunning ‘wall of life’ at the Arctangent Festival. To top it all off, their 2019 offering Friends answered the call of many a math rock aficianado with its catchy guitar melodies and feel-good charm. A state-of-the-art release.

Friends by standards

Read more about ‘Mochima’ on Fecking Bahamas

11. concrete concrete – Drifter

A truly laudable debut from New York trio concrete concrete. Drifter is a record that pulls at heartstrings, offering the coolly off-kilter instrumental play of bands like toe and LITE, but instilling a deeply moving narrative that is uniquely their own.

Drifter by concrete concrete

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10. Sleep Tactics – S/T

This Philly trio tapped into the jangly indie rock salad days with their self-titled debut, adding dashes of shoegaze and math rock to the mix. It’s an album that has flair, is rich in crunchy hooks, and pulls no punches. Don’t sleep on this underdog release.

s/t by Sleep Tactics

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9. Quadrupede – Interiors

Going above and beyond their 2014 full-length TOGOBAN, French guitar-looping, sample-snapping duo Quadrupede squeezed out more adrenaline for their five-year follow up. Interiors is darker, faster, and meaner.

Interiors by Quadrupède

8. Le Grand – Plastic Jazz

Plastic Jazz took us on a drive through familiar territory but with more torque, more hard turns, and more side roads. Simply put, Le Grand are one of the best math rock engineers in the scene right now. As we said earlier this year “it’s the sweetest fruit in the bowl, but it’s also the densest and pithiest”.

Plastic Jazz by Le Grand

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7. Griffo – Neo Eniac

An exceptional debut for Chinese math rock outfit Griffo. Rich in melody and imagination, Neo Eniac created a sonic space that was pleasant and dizzying. A key band to watch in 2020.

《NEO ENIAC》 by GriffO鬼否

6. Delta Sleep – Younger Years

Brighton math rock quartet Delta Sleep rattled the scene this year with their surprise release Younger Years, a heartfelt record that mused on memories, nostalgia, and the fading past. In true DS style, the band won the off-guard hearts of their followers with their unfettered honesty.

Younger Years by Delta Sleep

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5. Shake The Baby Til The Love Comes Out – Growth and Healing Through Bringing Others Down

Shake The Baby absolutely floored the scene with Growth and Healing. The writhing guitar melodies and ricketing percussion created a visceral, often grotesque, soundscape for its unprepared listeners. It was math rock delivered in its most raw and pure form, which hasn’t been achieved to this extent in a long time.

Growth and Healing Through Bringing Others Down by Shake the Baby Til the Love Comes Out

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4. black midi – Schlagenheim

Divisive and riddling, it was hard not to look away from the enigmatic and genre-less black midi. A band that seemingly appeared out of nowhere in 2018, the London band quickly a name for themselves with their experimental and deconstructionist form of rock. Schlagenheim won our hearts not only for its Slint– and Polvo-esque mathy snippets, but its bold and uncompromising exploration of musical space.

Schlagenheim by black midi

3. Body Hound – No Moon

As ‘Spectrum’ roared into life on Body Hound‘s full-length No Moon, we knew the bar had been raised. The monolithic odd-metered hook that serves as the backbone for the track brought power and punishment, and hoisted the listener into the dark and tangled milieu where the ‘Hounds inhabit. This spectacular debut straggles the line between cacophony and well-calculated, labyrinthine madness.

No Moon by Body Hound

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2. Alarmist – Sequesterer

Alarmist had no need to reinvent the wheel. Their warbling jazzy math rock style deserves thorough exploration and picking apart. Sequesterer offers everything that made their 2015 cut Popular Demain so mesmerizing, but sprinkles extra nuances and motifs to the Dubliners’ electro-wonky style that repeated listens become a necessity.

Sequesterer by Alarmist

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1. Town Portal – Of Violence

In the Danish trio’s long-awaited follow-up to The Occident, they took their definitive brooding sound and sculpted it to perfection. Of Violence showcases a fully fledged Town Portal, cohesively structured and narrated, and immaculately produced. A profound offering from the arcane abyss they dwell in.

Of Violence by Town Portal