BLACK Myth Math - Tongues EP

This is preorder and U.S. orders will arrive on or before July 10th.

Tracklisting

A1: Deep Down

A2: Lift

B1: Infinity

B2: Our Lips

Shipping:

United States: $6

Canada: $20*

Worldwide: $25*

You may order other items along with your pre-order, however, the entire order will ship together in July. If you would like other items to ship earlier, please place an additional separate order for just those items.

*International shipping can take 1-4 weeks and is limited to lower weights (3 items maximum). If you want to order more items or explore quicker options, email us at hello@illegalart.net with your address, and we will send you a quote.

Digital downloads are available by sending an email with the subject "MM download" to hello@illegalart.net after placing an order. Payhip doesn't allow us to embed digital content in a physical product.

Contact hello@illegalart.net with any questions.

RELEASE DESCRIPTION

Myth Math is a new musical project from Illegal Art founder Matthew S, who previously released as Oh Astro and ran label operations anonymously as Philo T. Farnsworth. Myth Math picks up where Illegal Art left off, blending samples with more live instrumentation and original composition. The four songs on Tongues are a culmination of years of transformation, Matthew pivoting towards a more song-based approach and growing comfortable as a lyricist and vocalist. Though the EP’s fluid, genre-less aesthetic may suggest otherwise, Matthew found himself most inspired by singer-songwriters. “The earliest Myth Math tracks, ‘Lift’ and ‘Infinity,’ were pivotal since they were pure songwriting,” Matthew explains. “They have no samples — just sonic alterations, live drumming, and synths.”

A far cry from the electronic excursions of Matthew’s past, Tongues was a solo project but also shaped by his collaboration with a recent student of his, Mitchell Baker Martin. Lead track “Deep Down” was a pure sample-based work, until Martin transcribed chords to match the samples and Matthew wrote new melodies and lyrics above them. “He has a sharp musical mind, and most of the tracks relied on his skills and guidance for development and final polishing,” Matthew says. The single also features drums by Kellii Scott, drummer of the influential LA rock band Failure. “Without collaborators, this would have ended up much more experimental,” notes Matthew.

Instead, Tongues sits at a perfect balance of forward-thinking and accessible, fitting for the life experiences that compelled Matthew to write these songs. During the pandemic, he and his wife left an overbearing religious community, and many of the EP’s refrains revolve around a newfound sense of self-expression. At the same time, these are love songs to cherished family members, the conversationally dreamy “Lift” a recollection of and tribute to Matthew’s uncle while the trippy synth surge of “Infinity” is inspired by Matthew watching his son’s spiritual life blossom outside of the tradition they had all been raised in. The conclusion is something more haunted: The eerie, droning “Our Lips” repurposes iconic Echo & The Bunnymen lyrics to dissect religious hypocrisies, building from samples of sludge metal improvisation from Matthew’s friends then yielding to a cathartic outro in which Matthew combines 10 layers of his own voice. “Maybe I grew disenchanted with hiding behind so many aliases,” Matthew ventures of his new soul-baring music. “I became attracted to the idea of saying I’m just a person, with no illusion of a larger project.” 

CREDITS

Primary Artist: Matthew S - Songwriting, Composition, Production, Vocals, Synths, Sound Design, Sampling

Composition: Mitchell Baker Martin (1-3)

Additional Production: Mitchell Baker Martin, Seth Boggess

Additional Vocals: Mary Farnsworth (1, 2)

Additional Synths: Ryan Nolan (1, 3)

Additional Sound Design: Greg S. Martin (3)

Drums: Kellii Scott (1), SonOfKarl (2-4)

Guitar: Grill Billyenz (4)

Bass Guitar: Seth Boggess (4)

Trumpet: Joe Auckland (2), Tom Harrison (2)

Drum Engineering: Gabe VanBenschoten (1), Ryan Nolan (2-4)

Mixing: Seth Boggess

Mastering: Carl Saff

Artwork: Joji Koyama