From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Kayo Dot
Kayo Dot
Kayo Dot Kayo Dot is an American avant-rock[3]/experimental mu-
sic group that was formed in 2003 by Toby Driver. They
released their debut album Choirs of the Eye on John Zorn’s
Tzadik Records label that year. Tzadik’s descriptive label
on that album reads: "Kayo Dot powerfully integrates el-
ements of modern classical composition with the layers
of guitars and vocals more common to rock and metal.
With a compositional map that is strict in form yet mal-
leable in execution, Kayo Dot uses a vast array of instru-
mentation to create an exciting convergence of violence
and serenity."
Kayo Dot in Santa Cruz, CA Since then, Kayo Dot’s music has undergone several
identity shifts, largely influenced by the band’s
Background information
constantly-changing lineup and instrumentation. One
Origin Boston, Massachusetts, USA predominant element of Driver’s compositional voice
which remains consistent throughout all of Kayo Dot’s
Genres Avant-garde metal[1]
Avant-garde rock[2] output, however, is the band’s use of abstract timing and
Experimental music performance cues. This lends to the music the element of
Progressive rock "malleability" mentioned in Tzadik’s description above.
Postmodern classical music The music of Kayo Dot is commonly categorized as
Post-rock
post-metal, post-rock, progressive rock, or avant-garde.
Chamber music
Free jazz Their songs involve complex instrumentation (composed
by singer and frontman Driver) and are substantially
Years active 2003–present longer than typical rock songs, usually ranging from 8 to
Labels Hydra Head 18 minutes in length.
Robotic Empire
Tzadik
Holy Roar History
Associated acts maudlin of the Well Kayo Dot was formed after the disbanding of maudlin of
Tartar Lamb the Well, a progressive heavy metal band which formed
Toby Driver (as a solo artist) in 1996 and dissolved in 2003. Many past members of
Baliset maudlin of the Well – Josh Seipp-Williams, Sam Gutter-
Ehnahre
man, Terran Olson, Andrew Dickson, and Toby Driver
Website www.kayodot.net – studied at Hampshire College in Amherst, Massachu-
Members
setts from 1996–2000, where My Fruit PsychoBells...A Seed
Combustible was recorded. At Hampshire, Driver, Olson,
Toby Driver and Dickson were students of jazz musician Yusef Lateef,
Mia Matsumiya
whose theories of autophysiopsychic music may have in-
David Bodie
Dan Means fluenced the bands’ output.
Terran Olson Driver has gone on to say on their website: "Some
members of this project worked in the progressive-metal
Past members
project-band maudlin of the Well from 1996 - 2003, at which
Jason Byron time motW dismembered. Kayo Dot isn’t much different from
Greg Massi maudlin of the Well musically - rather it’s more like a continua-
Sam Gutterman tion in the direction maudlin of the Well had been progressing."
Nicholas Kyte
Ryan McGuire and has also said: "People are too preoccupied with what-
Forbes Graham ever connection there may be between maudlin of the Well and
John Carchia Kayo Dot."
D.J. Murray In May 2005, Tom Malone joined the band as their
Tom Malone new drummer after longtime collaborator Sam Gutter-
1
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Kayo Dot
Release date Title
2003 Choirs of the Eye
2006 Dowsing Anemone with Copper Tongue
2008 Blue Lambency Downward
2010 Coyote
2011 Gamma Knife[6]
man left the band in March 2005. Kayo Dot then signed road with Secret Chiefs 3, and recorded it with Randall
to Robotic Empire Records and released its second album, Dunn in Seattle during June–July 2009. Sueta died while
Dowsing Anemone with Copper Tongue, in January 2006. the record was in post-production, and the band has ded-
In 2006, near the end of the fall tour, four members – icated it to her. Coyote is Kayo Dot’s fourth studio album
playing guitar, bass, drums, and trumpet – left the band and was released on April 20, 2010 by Hydra Head Records,
for personal reasons. On the tenth of December, Greg once again featuring a surprising re-configuration of the
Massi also left Kayo Dot on good terms stating he was go- band’s instrumentation and sound.
ing "to try and figure out other aspects of my musical Kayo Dot also released an EP entitled Stained Glass in
life and take some time to figure out where I want to November, 2010.[4] In addition, a fifth studio album, en-
be going." (Massi has since completed his solo album, titled Gamma Knife, has been announced on their official
"A Time for Rust" under the moniker Baliset. Massi also website. Recording took place at Littlefield in Brooklyn,
temporarily rejoined Kayo Dot in January 2010 as a guest New York on October 5, 2011, and the album is scheduled
for the purpose of one performance of Choirs of the Eye at for digital-only release in December. [5]
The Stone (music space) in New York City on February 6,
2010).
After Massi’s departure, Kayo Dot, consisting of only
Current members
two members, Driver and Matsumiya, began working on • Toby Driver - vocals, guitar, cello, bass guitar,
their third album, Blue Lambency Downward, which was re- baritone guitar, keyboards, clarinet
leased in May 2008 by Hydra Head Records.[citation needed] • Mia Matsumiya - violin, viola, vocals, guitar, synth
Kayo Dot used several session musicians on this record- bass, mellotron
ing (Skerik on tenor and baritone saxophone and vibra- • David Bodie - drums (Time of Orchids, MATH)
phone, Hans Teuber on clarinet, Charlie Zeleny on drum- • Terran Olson - keys, clarinet, saxophone
set), and enlisted Randall Dunn as their producer and • Daniel Means - saxophone, clarinet, guitar
recording engineer. This album marked the first time one
of Driver’s recordings was not produced by Driver him-
self. After Blue Lambency Downward’s release, Driver relo-
cated from Boston to New York City, and for the pur-
pose of touring the woodwind-abundant album, put a
new lineup together whose new members were: Patrick
Wolff on woodwinds, Daniel Means on woodwinds and
guitar, David Bodie on drums, and original (and former
maudlin of the Well) member Terran Olson on wood-
winds and keyboards. Patrick Wolff has since left the
band, and Daniel Means has added bass guitar to his du-
ties.
In April 2008, Driver began working on a new long-
form composition with his partner, Yuko Sueta, a NYC- • Kayo Dot in Santa Cruz, CA
based writer, filmmaker, and video artist (with Driver as • Violinist Mia Matsumiya
the composer and Sueta as the author, intending to cre-
ate a film to be projected along with performances of Discography
the music). A first draft of this piece was premiered at
The Stone in September 2008 by The Kayo Dot Auxiliary Studio albums
Unit (Bodie and Means of Kayo Dot, Yuko Sueta, and Tim
Byrnes on trumpet). Shortly thereafter, Sueta, who had Splits, EPs & live albums
been fighting breast cancer, became incapacitated by the
• Split with Bloody Panda, 2006, Holy Roar Records
disease. Driver re-drafted and adapted the piece for Kayo
Dot (along with Byrnes), toured it in May 2009 on the
2
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Kayo Dot
References
[1] http://www.avantgarde-metal.com/content/
bands2.php?id=25
[2] http://www.kayodot.net/kayodot/
index.php?text=bio
[3] http://www.kayodot.net/kayodot/
index.php?text=bio
[4] http://www.metalunderground.com/news/
details.cfm?newsid=54284
[5] http://www.kayodot.net/kayodot/
index.php?text=home
[6] http://www.kayodot.net/kayodot/
• "Twins Eating Fer De Lance," Champions of Sound 2008 index.php?text=home
compilation, 2009, Hydra Head Records
• Live In Bonn, Germany: October 7, 2009
• "Pages" remix on Candiria’s Toying With The Insanities, External links
vol. 1 • Official website
• Stained Glass EP, 2010, Hydra Head Records • Kayo Dot on Myspace
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Kayo_Dot&oldid=467805561"
Categories:
• American experimental musical groups
• American post-rock groups
• American rock music groups
• Post-metal musical groups
• Avant-garde metal musical groups
• Musical groups established in 2003
• Tzadik Records artists
• Toby Driver
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