FYI.

This story is over 5 years old.

Music

VICE Exclusive: Listen to Upsilon Acrux's Cathartic Math Rock Song, 'Remnants of the Habitable Epoch'

This song isn't just a pissing contest of guitar technique. It's packed full of emotional chaos.

Upsilon Acrux makes experimental rock that never feels cold, because they manage to present all of their technical chops with the same passion as some kids just learning bar chords. They're like that one math teacher you had in middle school who made solving for X tantamount to life and death and had feelings towards pi that would make the class feel a bit uncomfortable. With that kind of fervor, it wasn't hard for you to embrace numbers. And it's not hard for us to embrace Upsilon Acrux's heady, progressive noodling.

The California-based group has a new record coming out April 14 on New Atlantic Records called Sun Square Dialect. The track above, "Remnants of the Habitable Epoch," begins with some twinkly melodies and quickly evolves into a maelstrom of layered rhythms and mathy goodness. It's the perfect introduction to their new album, which is full of songs that have the spirit of hardcore and post-rock with the complexity of classical compositions.

Preorder the new album via New Atlantis Records here.