‘Math rock’ is by now a well-established genre with an understood definition (“a style of rock music characterized by complex rhythmic and instrumental patterns,” according to Merriam-Webster), but its name can conjure images of cold logic and unemotional music. Japanese band Lite has succeeded more than most at embodying the technical wizardry and playfulness associated with math rock while also making music that exudes warmth and emotion, all without a single lyric.
“If we have to be categorized, I think our music is math rock,” says Lite’s guitarist Nobuyuki Takeda. “But we’re not trying to be a math rock band, and I really don’t think about it. I’d be happy if people could take our music simply as ‘rock.’”
Active since 2003, the Tokyo-based foursome have released five albums of dizzying instrumental music. Their songs range from dense post-rock tracks like ‘Infinite Mirror,’ to songs filled with bleeps and looping like ‘Bond,’ to elegant orchestrations like ‘Rabbit.’ Lite tour all of their albums extensively, both in Japan and abroad. Performing live is something they find essential for connecting with their fans, as well as for displaying the full complexity of their music.
“When you listen to our songs at shows, it sounds different from what it is on records,” says Takeda. “You can experience the diverse range of our musical scales.” He also believes that Lite’s lack of vocals increase their accessibility worldwide, making a concert in any country a way to connect with fans. “We are an instrumental band, and so wherever we are in the world, everyone can enjoy our music,” says Takeda. “I think playing live is a better way to express ourselves.”
Thanks to their exhaustive touring, Lite are no newcomers to China; they last toured the country by high-speed rail in 2016, narrowly avoiding hijinks like leaving their snare drum on a train. Takeda recalls that the band’s tour of China was one of the only times he experienced breakdowns in communication. “I was able to speak with our fans at the venue in both Japanese and English, but outside of the venue I couldn’t talk with people,” he says. “I’ve been to many countries all over the world, but it was the first time for me to be in a place where I totally could not understand the local language. I felt that I was really on foreign soil, and that made me very excited.”
Their upcoming China shows are part of an Asian tour to promote their most recent album, Cubic, a project Takeda was hoping would keep Lite in touch with their early goals as a band. “My original image for Lite was ‘tightness’ and ‘geometry,’” he says. “I thought these original concepts are the way we can be true to ourselves, the way Lite should be. So the album's theme is returning to our origins.”
This geometric theme extends into Lite’s acclaimed music videos, which all have an experimental bent. Most are animated, depicting cartoon animals and radio waves in psychedelic colors – rarely do the band members themselves appear onscreen. Takeda believe this tactic is a way to keep the music open to multiple interpretations.
“Since our songs have no lyrics, people can listen to them any way they want to,” he says. “I want each person to have a different impression. I try to make music that people can simply enjoy without taking it too seriously.” This light-hearted warmth paired with the precision of geometry is at the heart of Lite’s music and their enduring appeal.
Shanghai: June 9, 9pm. RMB120 presale, RMB150 door. MAO Livehouse, see event listing.
Beijing: June 10, 9pm, RMB120 presale, RMB150 door. Yugong Yishan, see event listing.
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