Rolo Tomassi are a British experimental mathcore band from Stocksbridge, Sh… Read Full Bio ↴Rolo Tomassi are a British experimental mathcore band from Stocksbridge, Sheffield.

Formed in 2005, they set their local scene alight by playing a synth-driven technical mix of styles and genres difficult to define in a single word. The band's name was taken from the movie L.A. Confidential. They are known for their strong DIY ethic and chaotic live performances.

The band is currently signed to MNRK Heavy. They released two albums on Hassle Records: Hysterics (2008) and the Diplo-produced Cosmology (2010). After creating their own record label called Destination Moon in 2011, they released Eternal Youth, a compilation album of B-sides, remixes, and rarities from throughout their career, and their third album, 21012’s Astraea, with the first line-up change in their career. They then released two albums on Holy Roar records: Grievances (2015) and Time Will Die and Love Will Bury It (2018).

Their music has been difficult to classify simply because of the band's resistance to being identified with one single genre. Described as "like a polished chrome King Crimson for the 21st Century" they have typically been acknowledged as being mathcore, a tag which summarises the theoretical complexity of their music, such as odd time signatures like 9/8 and 13/8 and polyrhythmic drumming. They have been identified as "falling somewhere between grindcore, progressive and alternative rock and have been categorised as experimental rock, post-metal, post-hardcore, progressive hardcore, progressive rock and screamo. The band utilises two vocalists in their music, a quality which "immediately creates a rich and textured sonic world". Eva Spence's vocal style was acknowledged by Michael Wilson of the BBC as bi-polar; swapping between "fragile lullabies to blood-curdling scowls". Her singing voice is in a soprano vocal range and has been compared to the stylings of Alison Goldfrapp of Goldfrapp and Elizabeth Fraser of the Cocteau Twins.

Their earlier work—such as Hysterics, Cosmology and their demos and extended plays—was known for its use of jazz breakdowns and swapping chaotically between explosive mathcore, calm atmospheric experimental music and acid jazz. Their music is also noted for sharing traits with Nintendocore in terms of chaos and sound for the use of 8-bit synthesizers. The compilation album Eternal Youth gave insight into their musical development from their 2005 demos to their latest b-side releases with Hassle records.

The band’s sound developed further into pop, ambient, shoegaze and space rock elements for their third album Astraea, and has been jokingly dubbed as cosmic-core. For one of the b-sides from the album—“Mezmerizer”—NME journalist Hamish MacBain classed it as a "space rock ballad". For the album, the band decided to base its name on the goddess of the same name, a reference to the Spence siblings’ admiration for Greek mythology and a desire to pick a title which made the album "sound big and like this proper body of work". The non-album single "Old Mystics" and the song from the album "The Scales of Balance" both make reference to the "Golden Age" declared by Astraea.

In contrast to the lighter tone developed on Astraea, their fourth album—Grievances—is frenetic and dark in its composition, utilising pianos and violins for a darker character.

Their fifth album, Time Will Die and Love Will Bury It— as described by James Spence—“continues in the vein of Grievances' darkness, but shouldn't be used to judge what all our new material sounds like."

The band's sixth album, Where Myth Becomes Memory, was released on 04 February 2022. Lyrically, it deals with "how the passage of time, miles on the road, bittersweet nostalgia and the inherent unreliability of human memory shape and reshape our experience of the art we make and the lives we live." Sonically, the music continues to "magnify the dynamic interplay between light and shade", moving from chaos to tranquility at the drop of a hat.

Current members:
Eva Korman – vocals (2005–present)
James Spence – vocals, synthesizer (2005–present)
Chris Cayford – guitar (2012–present)
Nathan Fairweather – bass guitar (2012–present)
Al Pott – drums (2018–present)

Fofteen
Rolo Tomassi Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

When do you think the search is over?

Confusion kissed me on the cheek and left a taste so bittersweet
Unsure where I've been, the distance, it blisters
Locked up with the villain

Time is worthless
When

Time is worthless
Hearts
Time is worthless
When
Time is worthless
Hands

Mindless wanders searching for answers
Riddled with guilt for sins not yet committed

Time is worthless
When hearts are magnets
Time is worthless
When hands are magnets
Time is worthless
When hearts are magnets
Time is worthless
When hands are magnets
Time is worthless
When hearts are magnets
Time is worthless
When hands are magnets
Time is worthless
When hearts are...

Time is worthless
When hands are...

Overall Meaning

The first line "When do you think the search is over?" seems to be a central question in this song. It almost represents a moment of self-reflection where the singer is questioning the status quo of their life and questioning if they are on the right path. The next line states "Confusion kissed me on the cheek and left a taste so bittersweet". This line seems to suggest that the singer is lost and unsure of where they are going. They have been kissed by confusion, which could represent the overwhelming feeling of being lost, and this has left a taste that is both bitter and sweet.

The following two lines (Unsure where I've been, the distance, it blisters Locked up with the villain) add further context to the singer's confusion. They are unsure of where they have been, and the distance between themselves and their goals is causing pain, almost like a blister. The final line seems to suggest that the singer is locked up with their own villain, perhaps their own mental state, which is preventing them from moving forward.

The repetition of the phrase "Time is worthless" seems to further emphasize the feeling of confusion and being lost that the singer is experiencing. It almost feels like they are stuck in a loop, going over the same thoughts and problems repeatedly without any solution. The last four lines of the song (Time is worthless/When hearts are magnets/Time is worthless/When hands are magnets) seem to suggest that the confusion and feeling of being lost is something that is pulling them back, like a magnet. The repetition of the phrase "When hearts are magnets/When hands are magnets" could indicate that the singer is struggling with both their mental state (represented by the heart) and their physical state (represented by the hands).

Overall, the lyrics of "Fofteen" seem to be exploring the idea of being lost and confused, and struggling to move forward. The repetition of certain phrases throughout the song emphasizes the sense of being stuck, and the final lines regarding magnets suggest that this confusion and being lost is something that is difficult to escape.

Line by Line Meaning

Confusion kissed me on the cheek and left a taste so bittersweet
I am confused and uncertain of my direction, leaving me with mixed emotions.

Unsure where I've been, the distance, it blisters
I am lost and unsure of my path, causing me pain and confusion.

Locked up with the villain
I am trapped with someone who is causing me pain, sadness, or harm.

Time is worthless When Time is worthless Hearts Time is worthless When Time is worthless Hands
Time is meaningless when our hearts or hands are occupied with things that are negative or draining.

Mindless wanders searching for answers
I am aimlessly searching for solutions or understanding without a clear direction or plan.

Riddled with guilt for sins not yet committed
I am burdened by a sense of guilt or wrongdoing despite not having done anything to warrant it.

Time is worthless When hearts are magnets Time is worthless When hands are magnets Time is worthless When hearts are magnets Time is worthless When hands are magnets Time is worthless When hearts are magnets Time is worthless When hands are magnets Time is worthless When hearts are... Time is worthless When hands are...
Time loses value when we are drawn towards negative or harmful people or things, repeating the same cycle over and over again.

Contributed by Mackenzie O. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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