''Failed at Math(s)'' is the debut

studio album An album is a collection of audio recordings (e.g., music) issued on a medium such as compact disc (CD), Phonograph record, vinyl (record), audio tape (like 8-track cartridge, 8-track or Cassette tape, cassette), or digital distribution, dig ...

by British

indie rock Indie rock is a Music subgenre, subgenre of rock music that originated in the United Kingdom, United States and New Zealand in the early to mid-1980s. Although the term was originally used to describe rock music released through independent reco ...

band

Panchiko Panchiko ( ) is a British indie rock band originating from Nottingham, England. Formed between 1997 and 1998, the band originally consisted of lead vocalist and guitarist Owain Davies, guitarist/keyboardist Andrew "Andy" Wright, bassist Shaun F ...

. The album was self-published by the band on 5 May 2023. The album consists of the first new material recorded by the band since their reunion after the discovery of their debut EP, '' D>E>A>T>H>M>E>T>A>L''.

Background

Panchiko had originally consisted of four friends who recorded a variety of EPs and had disbanded quickly after in 2000. In 2020, the band decided to reform after the successful search for their debut EP, ''D>E>A>T>H>M>E>T>A>L'', where a copy had originally been found in a

charity shop A charity shop is a retail establishment run by a charitable organization to raise money. Charity shops are a type of social enterprise. They sell mainly used goods such as clothing, books, music albums, shoes, toys, and furniture donated by ...

. ''Failed at Math(s)'' was announced on 13 February 2023. Three singles were issued for the album; "Failed at Math(s)", which was released on 8 March; "Until I Know", released on 30 March; and "Portraits", released on 12 April. Music videos for the singles, as well as for the track "Gwen Everest", were released on the band's

YouTube YouTube is an American social media and online video sharing platform owned by Google. YouTube was founded on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim who were three former employees of PayPal. Headquartered in ...

channel. The artwork for the release and its music videos was created by Japanese painter Shunsaku Hayashi.

Composition

''Failed at Math(s)'' has been described as

trip hop Trip hop is a musical genre that has been described as a psychedelic music, psychedelic fusion of hip hop music, hip hop and electronica with slow tempos and an atmospheric sound. The style emerged as a more experimental music, experimental var ...

and

electronic Electronic may refer to: *Electronics, the science of how to control electric energy in semiconductors * ''Electronics'' (magazine), a defunct American trade journal *Electronic storage, the storage of data using an electronic device *Electronic c ...

. Some of the tracks on the album, such as "Until I Know", "Gwen Everest", "Think That's Too Wise" and "Rocking with Keith" were the product of reworked

demos Demos may refer to: Computing * DEMOS, a Soviet Unix-like operating system * DEMOS (ISP), the first internet service provider in the USSR * Demos Commander, an Orthodox File Manager for Unix-like systems * Plural for Demo (computer programming ...

previously recorded by the band before they disbanded. These demos were released on the

compilation album A compilation album comprises Album#Tracks, tracks, which may be previously released or unreleased, usually from several separate recordings by either one Performing arts#Performers, performer or by several performers. If the recordings are from ...

, ''Ferric Oxide (Demos 1997–2001)''. The opening track "Failed at Math(s)" was described as a

lo-fi Lo-fi (also typeset as lofi or low-fi; short for low fidelity) is a music or production quality in which elements usually regarded as imperfections in the context of a recording or performance are present, sometimes as a deliberate stylistic ch ...

track containing "sparkling synth, grungy atmospheric beats and distorted vocals". Andy Wright, a band member of Panchiko, explained in an interview that the track is about breaking free from habits in order to improve oneself. The track "Portraits" was described as a dark and mellow track with

ambient Ambient or ambiance or ambience may refer to: Arts and entertainment * ''Ambiancé'', an unreleased experimental film * ''Ambient'' (novel), a novel by Jack Womack Music and sound * Ambience (sound recording), also known as atmospheres or backgr ...

instrumentals. Owain Davies, the lead singer of the band, discussed how the song "covers feelings of pressure and tackling things on your own". The track "Gwen Everest" contains lyrics about watching a loved one make poor choices, and seeing the consequences take place. The track was one of the reworked demos previously recorded by the band. The closer for the album, "Rocking with Keith" was another reworked demo and was described as " oastinga prominent piano feature and clocks in at over five and a half minutes long". According to Davies, the track was originally recorded on an

Akai Akai (, ) is a Japanese brand & former electronics manufacturer, established as Akai Electric Company Ltd in Tokyo in 1929. It was best known outside Japan for its tape recorders during the 1960s and 1970s. The company became bankrupt in 2000 ...

DPS12 multi-tracker.

Release

''Failed at Math(s)'' was released on 5 May 2023 on CD, LP and digital services. The album marked the first new material from the band in 23 years, and their first studio album altogether. To coincide with the release of the album, the band embarked on a tour across the United States with supporting bands

Horse Jumper of Love Horse Jumper of Love is an American indie rock band from Boston, Massachusetts. History Horse Jumper of Love released their self-titled first studio album in 2016 to mixed reviews. The single “Ugly Brunette” from the album premiered on Ster ...

and LSD and the Search for God, which later expanded into the UK and Europe. This tour commenced on 5 May in Seattle, and concluded on 1 December in Bologna.

Track listing

All tracks written and produced by Panchiko.

Notes

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Failed at Maths 2023 debut albums Panchiko albums Self-released albums