Release Date: November 1, 2017

Genre: Math Rock

Three-piece math rock band Paranoid Void continue to reinforce their ideals of “three-dimensional composition” through their 1st album release, Literary Math. Following their 1st mini-album release, POP MUSIC, members Meguri, Yu-Ki and Mipow have maintained and developed on their ability to arrange a collection of instrumental tracks with minimal lyrical output. Math rock listeners would identify it as a familiar method that is applied by math rock contemporaries such as Toe and LITE. While there is a lack of emphasis on vocal presence, the band’s interpretation of angular guitar riffs and irregular time signatures enable the listener to explore a range of emotions that the Osaka trio convey through this album.

The strongest contention of this approach is apparent in the album’s opener and lead single, Karma Dog (カルマの犬), which includes a clever fusion of progressive jazz and frenetic pace complementing spoken word verses by lead vocalist, Meguri. All of these characteristics blend in with its respective music video which depicts the tedious repetition of daily life routines as Meguri, out of evident rage and anger, frantically searches and hopes for any significant event to break the cycle. This frenzied tone is continually applied to the purely instrumental closing track, null, as well as the fifth track, Route to Correctness (正しさの行方), which contains the most lyrics of any track on the album. While the instrumentals are prominent, the vocals do not feel overwhelmed especially during the gradual crescendo of guitars during the latter part of the track. The band has proven ability to showcase melodic capacity through the seventh track, Voice and Wink (声と瞬き), which presents with dynamic changes in pace and contains some of the catchier melodies among the deeper cuts.

Most of the slower to moderately paced tracks are inserted in between faster tracks to provide ample opportunity for reflective thinking. Standout tracks include the second single, Emptiness of a Bubble, Eternal Town (泡沫の空、永遠の街). An ethereal experience that is also further enhanced by the music video’s visual animation of a floating city enveloped within an eye. The arrangement of the song holds similarities to the track After Image by Toe with its pronounced guitars and concise vocal melodies. While the third track, Everything in the World (世界の全ては) , is the slowest track on the album, it contains many variations of soothing guitar melodies that avoid feeling repetitive or overstimulating.

Although there are some tracks that may lack some of the positive characteristics mentioned above, none feel like they are not deserving to be on the album. While it may be preferential for listeners to engage in music driven by the lead vocalist, Paranoid Void possess a unique ability to enable emotions and thoughts from the listener through their instrumental aptitude. Literary Math is a great debut album that stands among math rock releases adopting similar concepts.

This album is certified DELISH.

4/5

Favourite tracks: Karma Dog, Way of Correctness, Emptiness of a Bubble, Eternal Town, null, Everything in the World, Voice and Wink

Would recommend to people who are fans of: Toe, LITE, Tricot, Uchu Conbini, JYOCHO

Here is the music video for Karma Dog down below! Thank you for taking your time to read my review. Hope you’ve learned something new about one of the most promising acts in the Japanese math rock scene today. Literary Math is out on Spotify for your listening pleasure! Take good care and stay DELISH!