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)

Kasia
Rolo Tomassi Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Enchanting ourselves and trying to preserve
The signals we transmit through fingertips
It does not do to dwell on dreams
Desperately seeking to find something real
The hours are lingering losing momentum
Dismembered a memory of what once was close to me
Enchanting ourselves and trying to preserve
The signals we transmit through fingertips

Though
Without a doubt
I am complete
This is unbroken
There's no defeat
I am not abandoned
We have belief
I am blessed
To hold tight and fight
Following all our own advice
Treasuring time
As time well spent
No distance will disturb this

Gathering the pieces
Making the montage

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Rolo Tomassi's song Kasia seem to revolve around the concept of preserving moments and memories, and the struggle to differentiate between reality and dreams. The first verse describes this struggle in detail, as the singer tries to hold onto fleeting moments and feelings through "signals" transmitted through their fingertips. The lines "it does not do to dwell on dreams" suggest that the singer is aware of the limitations of these fleeting moments and the need to focus on the present.

The second verse shifts to a more positive tone, with the singer asserting their completeness and lack of defeat. There is a sense of comfort and belonging, as the singer expresses gratitude for the people in their life and the strength to hold onto the good times. The repetition of "I am blessed" emphasizes this sense of gratitude and the importance of staying positive and fighting for what is important.

Overall, the lyrics to Kasia seem to be about the importance of holding onto moments and memories, even in the face of inevitable loss and change. The constantly evolving nature of life and relationships can be difficult to navigate, but it is possible to find comfort and strength in the present moment and in the people and memories that matter most.

Line by Line Meaning

Enchanting ourselves and trying to preserve
We are mesmerizing ourselves with the idea of self-preservation

The signals we transmit through fingertips
Our gestures speak louder than words

It does not do to dwell on dreams
Dreaming about the past is not helpful

Desperately seeking to find something real
We are yearning for an authentic experience

The hours are lingering losing momentum
Time seems to drag on without clear direction

Dismembered a memory of what once was close to me
The memory of what was once cherished is now fragmented

Though
Despite everything

Without a doubt
No reservations

I am complete
I am whole

This is unbroken
The bond will never break

There's no defeat
We will never surrender