The difference, by ear
Post-rock hides its difficulty and builds to a crescendo; math rock exhibits its difficulty and has no interest in release. Slint is claimed by both.
Both are mostly instrumental, but post-rock is a little slower: 60 to 140 bpm against 100 to 160. Songs run longer in post-rock: usually 7 to 15 minutes, against 4 to 8 minutes in math rock. To hear the difference, play Slint next to Mogwai. Both grew out of progressive rock, math rock first and post-rock three years after.
In figures
Math rock
Where it sits
Rock › Progressive rock › Math rock
In short
Odd meters and interlocking riffs assembled like a puzzle, usually without vocals. Post-rock's cerebral cousin.
How it sounds
- Frequently changing odd meters, often with two guitars in different metres at once.
- Clean or lightly overdriven guitars in alternate tunings, with tapping and harmonics.
- Usually instrumental; where there are vocals, they are spoken or whispered.
Key acts
- Slint
- Don Caballero
- Battles
- Toe
Start here
The pickSlint - Spiderland. Six songs that changed independent rock.
Full page →Post-rock
Where it sits
Rock › Progressive rock › Post-rock
In short
Rock instruments used for texture and crescendo rather than for choruses. The song climbs for ten minutes and detonates once.
How it sounds
- A long crescendo: the piece starts near silence and ends in a wall of sound.
- Guitars with delay and reverb used for texture rather than riffs.
- Almost always instrumental, with pieces running eight to twenty minutes.
Key acts
- Slint
- Mogwai
- Godspeed You! Black Emperor
- Explosions in the Sky
Start here
The pickMogwai - Young Team. The closing track runs sixteen minutes and earns every one.
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