Level Live is a new series made in partnership with artists on the rise, centered around a live-recorded performance brought to life by multimedia storytelling and an official release via Level.

A heavy warble. A cymbal crash. The bass kicks in. All breaks loose. Until a piano interlude interrupts, bringing you back to equilibrium. Only to be thrown back into a cacophony of noise, intensifying, feeding off its own frenetic energy. It’s dizzying. The room spins out of control — any attempt to reorient yourself is futile. This is math rock, exemplified by Taiwanese trio — Elephant Gym (大象體操).

To try to simplify math rock would be a disservice to the elaborate genre. But to put it in broad terms, math rock is a niche style of indie rock, influenced by post rock and progressive rock. First appearing in the U.S. in the 1980s, math rock is built on unique rhythmic structures and time signatures. Its main distinction can be described as organized chaos. First-time listeners may be taken aback by its atypical and largely unpredictable course, which includes dissonant chords, hard stops, and general irregularity. But that’s precisely what’s so appealing about math rock. The only constant is that it’s not; it’s a confident, experimental upset of the rules that we hold to be absolute. But to break the rules, one has to know them first.

"The three of us coexist using our instruments."

As Elephant Gym recalls where they were first introduced to the fundamentals, it becomes clear that their musical fate seems somewhat predestined. Like many artists, KT Chang (bass) and older brother Tell Chang (guitar, keyboard) can attribute their musicality to their childhood and mother who teaches music. KT fondly reminisces on learning the flute, which “every elementary school kid in Taiwan learned in school.” Only in hindsight does she realize how their lessons and classical training would be so predictive of the future. “I learned the bass flute and Tell learned flutes with higher octaves. In a way, our band roles were set way back when we were younger. We learned mostly duets or trio pieces from Baroque periods, which are actually somewhat similar to math rock. The rhythm for that type of music is pretty challenging, strict, and intertwined. So that had a big influence on us.”

Chia-Chin Tu (drums) also recalls learning percussions early on, much to his own chagrin. “I hated practicing when I was a kid. I would run and hide in the bathroom whenever practice started. When it came time to perform, I couldn’t really get things right since I didn’t put in the work.” Of course, he has since had a change of heart, which he credits to his band members. “I’m really thankful to KT and Tell for helping me realize my love for music, which helped me get over my dislike for practicing. I’m really grateful and touched by that.” He’s not alone in the sentiment. He first met the siblings at a music club in high school, where they bonded over their love of math rock and the like. They formed Elephant Gym — the “elephant” refers to the integral role that the bass guitar plays and “gym(nastics)” as a metaphor for their rhythm. The band members rely heavily on one another, preferring that each play at their strengths in order to create harmoniously. “We’re lucky in that we each really specialize in one thing and can complement each other really well,” explains Tell. “KT is really great at [bass] tapping. Chia-Chin is really good at manipulating rhythms. I’m good at riffs, melody, and chords. What I think is rare is that we’re good at knowing each other’s special powers and can help each other shine during performance. I think this is one of the things that makes Elephant Gym special. The three of us coexist using our instruments.”

This heightened interplay is pivotal in their group dynamics and in creating music, especially in a genre that’s largely built on a rehearsed improvisation. In fact, not unlike an improv troupe, Elephant Gym owes much of their success to their ability to say “yes and —.” Breaking down their last album “Underwater,” Tell explains their creative process, emphasizing how important it is to know when to lead, follow, and at all times remain receptive. Each of the members led production for at least three to four tracks on the album. “I think this gave me a whole new way to experience making music. […] before this album, we didn’t really put drums front and center. But after putting in the effort with a four minute drum demo by Chia-Chin, we found a lot of really interesting things that he had laid down. After the album came out, fans shared with us two of their favorite songs, which happened to be the two that Chia-Chin produced.” Tell continues to gush, “I’m super happy to see different creative styles from each other and that I’m able to pair up to whatever style that is.”

As far as math rock itself, Elephant Gym is one of Taiwan’s very few. “We didn’t tour much outside of Taiwan three years ago,” KT explains. “We didn’t feel quite as confident in our choice of the genre since there weren’t a lot of locals listening to math rock back then.” But as their fanbase grows in the East, the band has been pleasantly proven wrong with a warm welcome overseas.

"In our recent U.S. stops, we were amazed that people were seriously moshing to our music. We’ve never experienced that before in Taiwan."

She likens touring as “the most direct way for [them] to experience people’s energy.” “When we’re in the studio, we don’t get the same type of physical energy as we can at shows. In our recent U.S. stops, we were amazed that people were seriously moshing to our music. We’ve never experienced that before in Taiwan. That kind of energy can easily feed from the crowd back onto the stage. It’s physical and raw, which helps us give the crowd even more. That’s when we feel most connected via music.” Elephant Gym’s ability to transcend presumed ambiguity is proof that no matter how obscure you think your music is, you can find an audience for it. Something that the band has taken to heart. When asked what advice they had for their younger selves, KT quips, “To just not worry and trust that there will always be some weirdos liking our music! They might be all over different corners in the world. We just need to find them.” Read on for a Q&A and listen to the live-recorded single of “Half” — out now via Level.