Episode 38 – Fathom by Fathom by Fathom: Kayo Dot’s Blasphemy

Toby Driver’s path to the present has been circuitous and inscrutable, which is to say, in keeping with music he has written over the last 25 years. His work in Maudlin of the Well, Kayo Dot, and as a solo artist has encompassed metal, chamber music, serialism, aleatoric composition, electronics, folk, sci-fi soundtracks, and beyond. For this episode of Radical Research, we will be taking a detour from our normal practices to investigate an album not yet released (at time of recording), Kayo Dot’s ninth album, the estimable, Blasphemy. A work of remarkable accomplishment, and surely one of the year’s very best albums, Blasphemy distills and refines the characteristics that have shaped the band’s last two albums, Coffins on Io and Plastic House on Base of Sky. Note I: As a supplement to the podcast episode, you’ll find our interview with Kayo Dot leader Toby Driver on the Radical Research blog: https://www.radicalresearch.org/an-interview-with-kayo-dots-toby-driver/ Note II: The title of this episode comes from a lyric within Blasphemy song “Turbine, Hook and Haul.” Note III: Please consider donating if you listen to Radical Research often: https://www.paypal.me/rrpodcast Music cited, in order of appearance: [all Kayo Dot except where otherwise noted] Maudlin of the Well, “He Who Breathes the Soil” (Begat of the Haunted Oak: An Acorn, 1997 demo) “Magnetism” (Plastic House on Base of Sky, 2016) “Ocean Cumulonimbus” (Blasphemy, 2019) “The Something Opal” (Blasphemy, 2019) “Lost Souls On Lonesome’s Way” (Blasphemy, 2019) “Vanishing Act in Blinding Gray” (Blasphemy, 2019) “Turbine, Hook and Haul” (Blasphemy, 2019) “Midnight Mystic Rise and Fall” (Blasphemy, 2019) “An Eye For a Lie” (Blasphemy, 2019) “Blasphemy: A Prophecy” (Blasphemy, 2019) episode 39 preview: Drawn, “Marygold” (A New World?, 1999) Radical Research is a conversation about the inner- and outer-reaches of rock and metal music. This podcast is conceived and conducted by Jeff Wagner and Hunter Ginn. Though we consume music in a variety of ways, we give particular privilege to the immersive, full-album listening experience. Likewise, we believe that tangible music formats help provide the richest, most rewarding immersions and that music, artwork, and song titles cooperate to produce a singular effect on the listener. Great music is worth more than we ever pay for it. This is Radical Research Podcast episode 38.