Like most Internet denizens, we here at Fecking Bahamas have a soft-spot for math-rock hailing from Japan. Despite the language barrier, the quality and quantity of their math-rock output has earned the country quite the reputation. Here, we chat to Ryo from PENS+ about the name, Bandcamp and the term 'math rock'.
No matter where you are in the world, returning to daily life after a period of holidays sucks. It's a relatively minor frustration but nonetheless it leaves you feeling empty as you slowly unpack your joy. Even worse is, you're going to die later. And all that labour you're undertaking is completely superfluous; it aids no one but instead keeps the fleeting and ephemeral human endeavour ticking over. Your life is absurd.
In this very special Focus feature, we present to you the first article on the internet devoted specifically to the history of the genre of math rock. In this first instalment we trace the first elements of math rock stemming somewhere between hardcore punk in Los Angeles, and No Wave in New York.