The Math In Music
By Darren Wong
DARREN WONG heads out to find out more about the song Falkor by Covet, learning more about what the song does right and wrong.
Wong Wei Lung is practising Covet’s recent song, Parachute, and is making a video that breaks down the intricacies of the song.
(Photo courtesy of Wong Wei Lung)
From classical to pop, math has always been rooted in music theory. The mathematical wizards of rock today have since homed in on this aspect and crafted an identity of their own under the guise of math rock.
Oxford defines math rock as, “a style of music with complex musical patterns and rhythms”. The word ‘complex’ is intimidating enough to scare off newcomers and is why this genre is often veiled in mystery. This song review will serve not only as a review but will hopefully shed some light on this genre.
Falkor by Covet is a song that is seven minutes long with no vocals to boot. Released in 2019, the song and by extension, the band has garnered mainstream attention over the last year with guitarist Yvette Young uploading videos on YouTube and performing collaborations with other YouTubers.
The videos highlight her technical prowess with the instrument, and this is also evident in her songs that are difficult to perform.
Falkor starts with a dreamy intro with only the guitarist in the lead. Cymbals crash and soon the bass and drums slowly come into the mix. At about one-and-a-half minutes in, the song culminates into a new section where the drums are playing in tandem with the guitar. With every note the guitarist hits, the drummer follows to create a sense of cohesion.
​Mr Wong Wei Lung, 34, is a drummer who has been playing the drums for 18 years. He describes this as how in the case of math rock, “drums have the opposite effect as compared to other forms of music, where sometimes the drums can be the main songwriter. Usually, the melodies [and] vocals take the main role, but in math (rock), most of the time rhythm also takes center stage.”
This seamlessness is a strong portrayal of the band’s teamwork and is one reason I personally love listening to this band.
Three minutes into the song I get transported into a whole new world. This section stands out from the rest as it feels like an extremely long build-up, and it feels as though I am on a journey. This feeling of journey and return is used in many of their songs where the middle section feels distinctly different from the rest.
​Without vocals, Mr Wong said that what keeps somebody listening to the music is strong storytelling. This was what Covet was trying to do with the whole journey and return setting and I think that using music as a tool to tell stories is ingenious!
Mr Ryan Wong, 19, a huge fan of math rock said that even if there were vocals in a math rock band, “The vocals are used as an instrument and go along with the band instead of standing out on its own.”
The climax point of the song arrives about six minutes in and there is a strong drum solo to build up the eventual return to the start of the song, using the same guitar riffs and rhythms.
R Reshee Sharran, a guitarist who can read sheet music, is taking notes about parts of the song he likes and does not like.
(Photo courtesy of R Reshee Sharran)
Of course, music is subjective and Mr R Reshee Sharran, 19, who has no experience with this genre had some criticisms with the song. He said, “I feel that it may be a little too long and repetitive. I will probably listen to this song when I’m doing something else as I don’t think I will be able to sit through a song with no vocals while doing nothing for seven minutes straight.”
That being said, this song still deserves my four out of five for its display of cohesiveness and storytelling.
Mr Ryan Wong said that math rock is more accessible now due to YouTube recommendations and that people should not be afraid to give the genre a shot by just listening to a random math rock playlist. He said, “The joy of music is trying things out and finding hidden gems that you may like!”