photos by Joe Branton
Prominent US prog label The Lasers Edge presents the fifth album from English instrumental progressive rock quartet POLY-MATH, Something Deeply Hidden.
Based in Brighton and London, POLY-MATH is heavily influenced by early classic prog, Ethio-jazz, post-rock, and math rock, having explored different genres and identities over the course of their five albums, two side project lockdown albums, and numerous EPs. The band has morphed through several lineups, initially started as a trio in 2013, formed by guitarist Tim Walters. Originally the drummer of post-rock band Monsters Build Mean Robots, Walters formed POLY-MATH to focus on guitar and explore more expansive instrumental music, joined by bassist Joe Branton and drummer Chris Woollison.
Six months into the band’s casual existence, POLY-MATH was booked to play the opening slot on the second stage of the first ever ArcTanGent Festival in Bristol, UK, a festival that today has become one of the UK’s premium avant-garde music events. Following the success and subsequent support that ArcTanGent afforded the band, POLY-MATH switched it up a gear, and started working more seriously on recording and touring.
In 2018, POLY-MATH crowd funded their album, House Of Wisdom | We Are The Devil, allowing fans the opportunity to send in voice notes from selected texts to be manipulated and used in the final record. Shortly after this, the band expanded to a four-piece, with the addition of keyboardist Josh Gesner; an American multi-instrumentalist who had recently relocated to the UK. While the band started work on their 2022 release, Zenith, they also took on saxophonist Chris Olsen, expanding the band to a five-piece, although only temporarily for that album.
In 2024, POLY-MATH began work on their new album, Something Deeply Hidden, alongside the preliminarily released EP, The Halting Problem. These two releases are the first to include abstract expressionist artwork created by guitarist Tim Walters. Both the album and EP are the first releases to be largely recorded by the band themselves. In style, they both move away from the formulaic structure of POLY-MATH’s previous work and include a greater focus on improvisational solos and expansive percussion. Something Deeply Hidden was mixed by Mark Roberts, mastered by Chris Muth, and features additional guitar on “Terror Management Theory” by Ben Harris and additional music on “The Universe As An Engine” by C. A. Walters, the latter of which arrives as the album’s lead single. For fans of King Crimson, The Mars Volta, Behold The Arctopus, Dysrhythmia, Battles, And So I Watch You from Afar, and similar acts, POLY-MATH’s instrumental music is prime listening.
Joe Branton reveals, “We always love writing with complex rhythmic structures. ‘The Universe As An Engine’ really felt like a statement of intent on this record. Plus, we love how each section is wildly different, the track almost feels like a medley from the POLY-MATH riff toolkit, I think we all just loved that about it. We hope it’s as fun to listen to as it is to play!”
Stream the first preview from POLY-MATH’s Something Deeply Hidden, “The Universe As An Engine,” now streaming HERE.
The Lasers Edge will release Something Deeply Hidden on CD, LP, and digitally on April 10th. Find physical preorders, digital preorders, and presaves HERE.
Additional songs from the album will be unveiled over the weeks ahead.
Something Deeply Hidden Track Listing:
1. The Universe As An Engine
2. One/Two/Three/Four Body Problem
3. No Such Thing As Now
4. Euthyphro Dilemma
5. Spectral Dis/Order
6. Chronostesia
7. Terror Management Theory
POLY-MATH will support Something Deeply Hidden with tour dates scattered across the UK and Europe beginning the day of the album’s release, April 10th, running through May 23rd. All current dates are listed below, and additional live excursions are to be expected. During the tour, POLY-MATH will also include additional percussionist, Sam Simpson of Memory of Elephants, to better portray the tracks on the new album.
POLY-MATH Something Deeply Hidden UK & European Tour 2026:
4/10/2026 Le Pub – Newport, UK
4/11/2026 The Flapper – Birmingham, UK
4/16/2026 MusikBunker – Aachen, DE
4/17/2026 Neue Zukunft – Berlin, DE
4/18/2026 Secret Location – Leipzig, DE
4/20/2026 Live At Rama Studio – Mannheim, DE
4/22/2026 Cafe V Lese – Prague, CZ
4/23/2026 Kuba – Jena, DE
4/24/2026 MK Bar – Esche-Sur-Alzette, LU
4/25/2026 Kunsthalle Im Kalkwerk – Limburg, DE
5/07/2026 Crofters – Bristol, UK
5/08/2026 Oslo – London, UK
5/09/2026 Dust – Brighton, UK
5/21/2026 Carousel – Nottingham, UK
5/22/2026 Wharf Chambers – Leeds, UK
5/23/2026 Little Buildings – Newcastle, UK
POLY-MATH:
Joe Branton – bass
Josh Gesner – keys
Tim Walters – guitar
Chris Woollison – drums
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