Its lineup is constantly changing, but has consisted of Toby Driver, Ron Varod, Mia Matsumiya, Keith Abrams, Tim Byrnes, David Bodie, Dan Means and Terran Olson.
The music of Kayo Dot can not be accurately described by the limiting contemporary genre nomenclatures. Their songs involve complex instrumentation (composed by singer and frontman Driver), generally without refrain. They are substantially longer than typical rock songs, often ranging from 8 to 15 minutes in length.
Kayo Dot's second album Dowsing Anemone with Copper Tongue was released in January of 2006.
On May 6 2008, they released their third full-length, Blue Lambency Downward, on Hydra Head Records.
Their fourth album, recorded in June 2009, named Coyote, was released on 20 April 2010 on Hydra Head Records. It was later brought out on vinyl by Taiga Records in November 2010.
Their first EP, Stained Glass, was released in January 2011 by Hydra Head, with very little fanfare. It was later issued on vinyl by Antithetic Records in August 2011, with a "de-mix" of the song on the second side.
Their second EP, Gamma Knife, was self-released digitally via http://kayodot.bandcamp.com in January 2012. Antithetic Records produced a vinyl release in June 2012.
Their fifth album, Hubardo, was released digitally on August 2013, with a vinyl release to follow.
Their sixth album, Coffins on Io, was released on October 15, 2014 through experimental metal label The Flenser. It is a concept album, and the first full-length album from Kayo Dot not to be self-released since 2010's Coyote.
Side projects include Tartar Lamb, Tartar Lamb II, and maudlin of the Well (to which Kayo Dot can be considered a spiritual successor, though the two projects now co-exist). Toby Driver's solo album In the L..L..Library Loft is also a Kayo Dot album in all but name, mainly being released under his name due to the record label's preference.
Magnetism
Kayo Dot Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Like water through fountain pipes
The eyes of many roll from their holes
Out to the causeway
Leering along the crooked sidewalks
At all there is to see
Follow secret back streets
Flow ljust like water through a pipeline
Avoid the avenues teeming
Sun goes down behind landscape seeming
Alien in its nightmare evening
Step lightly over whores reaching
Up through cracks in the concrete
Grinning death masks of beauty living
Hands like scalpels reaching out
Desire killed the curious
Incision neat and clean
Magnetism spilling onto street
Less the distance between
Unfathomable points
Attraction in repulsion
Who ever wanted to live forever?
The song "Magnetism" by Kayo Dot speaks about moving through the city's back streets and hidden passageways, away from the hustle-bustle of the avenues. The song deals with the complexities of urban life where people are drawn to hidden corners of the city, lurking and observing everything happening around them. The lyrics suggest that life in the city is an attractive force that pulls the people into its web of secrets, a magnetism that cannot be resisted.
The first verse of the song speaks of walking through hidden passageways like water through fountain pipes, showcasing the fluidity of movement amidst the serpentine pathways of the city. The second verse speaks of avoiding the main streets teeming with people and following secret back alleys. The lyrics convey the feelings of being trapped in a nightmare while walking through an alien landscape. The third verse of the song talks about the desire for beauty and how it has killed many curious souls. Overall, the song portrays a dark and poignant picture of life in the shadows, where human desires and magnetism meet.
Line by Line Meaning
Steal through passageways
Move stealthily through narrow alleys and paths
Like water through fountain pipes
Moving effortlessly and fluently like water flowing through pipes
The eyes of many roll from their holes
People watch suspiciously and curiously through their windows
Out to the causeway
Watching the view of the road and bridge from their windows
Leering along the crooked sidewalks
Looking at everything with a malicious or lustful intent, walking through the winding paths
At all there is to see
Relishing in the surroundings and scenery
Follow secret back streets
Take hidden paths
Flow just like water through a pipeline
Moving smoothly through the hidden paths like water flows through pipes
Avoid the avenues teeming
Bypass crowded streets
Sun goes down behind landscape seeming
The sun sets and transforms the scenery, making it look different and unfamiliar
Alien in its nightmare evening
The night feels strange and unwanted, like a nightmare
Step lightly over whores reaching
Walk carefully over prostitutes trying to reach out
Up through cracks in the concrete
Reaching out of the cracks in the sidewalk
Grinning death masks of beauty living
The prostitutes, with their fake and superficial beauty, wear death masks as they offer their services
Hands like scalpels reaching out
The prostitutes' hands appear sharp and precise, reaching out to their clients
Desire killed the curious
Curiosity led to desire, and then to trouble, resulting in a warning and a reminder of the dangers of desire
Incision neat and clean
Making a precise and sterile cut, perhaps metaphorically suggesting a surgical or cold detachment
Magnetism spilling onto street
A mysterious and powerful force is present, influencing and affecting people and things
Less the distance between
Reducing the space between people or objects
Unfathomable points
Dealing with inscrutable and incomprehensible concepts or domains
Attraction in repulsion
Being repelled or disgusted by something, yet unable to resist or ignore it as it draws your attention and curiosity
Who ever wanted to live forever?
A philosophical and existential question about human desires and mortality
Contributed by Carson N. Suggest a correction in the comments below.