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.
___ On Limpid Form
Kayo Dot Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
A man baring scrolls
These are faces I've seen
Written in to sympathy
Kingly ships in ecstasy
That fill'd their sails with delight
Received to me in languid keys
A knowledge subtle drawn
With sunlight faring well the matchless seas!
And up through the ductwork feels a bloody door
Mine if I remain, but horror
Remain, yes, where body binds the body
And awake is a lonely room away
Maybe a soundless rapture that dissolves the form
And pulsars deep in mourning (the portrait of the music to the poet) I
would argue that these lyrics are a depiction of a fantastical journey through various waterways, encountering different individuals or faces that the singer has seen before. The singer of the song is presented as a man carrying scrolls, possibly indicating some sort of knowledge or power. The mention of “kingly ships in ecstasy” suggests a feeling of overwhelming joy and blissful inspiration brought about by the journey.
The next set of lyrics is slightly more cryptic, describing the printing of a “fountainhead” and receiving knowledge in “languid keys”. The use of language here implies that the knowledge received is something subtle and not easily comprehended. This knowledge is described as being drawn or sourced from sunlight, suggesting a connection to enlightenment or higher understanding.
In the second half of the song, the tone shifts slightly to a more ominous description of a “bloody door” and a sense of horror. The singer seems to be trapped in a “lonely room” and contemplating whether or not to remain there, potentially suggesting a moment of decision or reckoning. The final line of the song offers an eerie image of “pulsars deep in mourning”, suggesting a melancholic or sorrowful ending to the journey.
Some possible interpretations of the song could include a spiritual or mystical journey, a descent into madness or otherworldly realms, or a metaphorical representation of artistic creation or inspiration.
Line by Line Meaning
In a host of unbarred waterways
In a multitude of unhindered water paths
A man baring scrolls
A person holding unrolled manuscripts
These are faces I've seen
I recognize these countenances
Written in to sympathy
Emotionally intertwined in written form
Kingly ships in ecstasy
Majestic boats in a state of euphoria
That fill'd their sails with delight
Whose sails were joyfully packed
I printed out the fountainhead
I produced a copy of the origin source
Received to me in languid keys
Given to me in sluggish, relaxed way
A knowledge subtle drawn
A discernment delicately derived
With sunlight faring well the matchless seas!
The ocean flourishing illuminated by the sun!
And up through the ductwork feels a bloody door
Up in the duct system is a recognized violent entrance
Mine if I remain, but horror
It will be under my possession if I stay, but it's dreadful
Remain, yes, where body binds the body
Stay, exactly where a physical form restricts another
And awake is a lonely room away
And consciousness resides in a distant room, alone
Maybe a soundless rapture that dissolves the form
Perhaps a silent ecstasy that dissolves the shape
And pulsars deep in mourning (the portrait of the music to the poet)
While grieving pulsars (the representation of music to the poet)
Contributed by Adeline L. Suggest a correction in the comments below.