Ten Kayo Dot tracks from 10 albums

In my earlier years at PA, it seemed like Toby Driver was one of the most talked about composer/bandleader/musicians at PA. His Kayo Dot project, his debut album under his name, his maudlin of the Well project all got considerable recognition (more-so in some PA circles than others, of course). In the first year I could vote in the AOTY as a collab, Dowsing Anemone "won" PA Album of the Year. A controversial choice, with TheT being particularly critical of the album as some here might recall. And of course there were the kinds of calls like the Collab's choice/ choices is/are not really representative of what the greater Prog fans like (and have been called pretentious). I thought Kayo Dot was great, and actually I enjoy Kayo Dot more than ever now. The last few albums are not on the whole as enjoyable to me, but I might need to listen to them more. Certainly every KD album has music I like. I guess I might choose Hubardo as my favourite these days.

I would say that Toby Driver was a real "it" boy before at PA among quite a few, and for others it was Steven Wilson (no need to choose or take sides, but I was in the Driver camp -- never really got much into Porcupine Tree). But Driver became less and less talked about. This was partially because the numbers of people here diminished (the kind who like such music became less) and Kayo Dot's albums became lower rated especially with the last three. Plastic House could have been better produced, and Driver tries different things... Popularity generates popularity and it can just take very few to take about someone to create a buzz. I wonder who our top five biggest influencers are now? But I digress.

"The Manifold Curiosity" (Choirs of the Eye, 2003)
"Immortelle and Paper Caravelle" (Dowsing Anemone With Copper Tongue, 2006)
"Blue Lambency Downward" (Blue Lambency Downward, 2008)
"Calonyction Girl" (Coyote, 2010)
"Lethe" (Gamma Knife, 2012)
"The Wait of the World" (Hubardo, 2013)
"The Mortality of Doves" (Coffins on Io, 2014)
"Magnetism" (Plastic House on Base of Sky, 2016)
"Turbine, Hook, and Haul" (Blasphemy, 2019)
"Get Out of the Tower" (Moss Grew on the Swords and Plowshares Alike, 2021)

Here's a playlist with all of the tracks listed.



Please vote for three, or more, or less, tracks. And feel free to vote with limited familiarity. And please mention your own favourites.

Saperlipopette! wrote: Logan wrote: I would say that Toby Driver was a real "it" boy before at PA among quite a few, and for others it was Steven Wilson (no need to choose or take sides, but I was in the Driver camp -- never really got much into Porcupine Tree). But Driver became less and less talked about. This was partially because the numbers of people here diminished (the kind who like such music became less) and Kayo Dot's albums became lower rated especially with the last three. ...yes and Coffins on Io is the last Kayo Dot album that genuinely exited me.  Musically speaking, I can't remember anything like a hook, or a melodic line from any of those last three. I remember how they made me feel. I don't know why, but for some reason I wrote about those listening experiences: Plastic House on Base of Sky sounded unappealling (as in the sheer sound of it) and somewhat directionless at first listen. But that one grew on me the second time around. I'm thinking it could be one of those albums that might click upon a revisitiation. This happen all the time with me.  Blasphemy: Funny you should mention Porcupine Tree or rather Steve Wilson, as this album disengaged me in similar ways that his projects does. I respect the latter artist undeniable talents, but those are in musical fields I do not gravitate towards. This clean, Big Music sound... like The Mission maybe - a polished, stadium sized version of the grittier gothic rock I actually do enjoy. It's such a turn off that it literally makes me want to turn the music off. I think this is a solid album for those into this sort of thing, but much prefer PHoBOS despite it's questionable production - over this. Moss Grew on the Swords and Plowshares Alike: Now this never got an extra spin either. Mostly I suppose because I have much less interest in - and patience for Avant Garde Metal, Post Metal... or whatever nowadays than back when I was introduced to their classic Choirs of the Eye (still a classic for me and still love it). I also remember asking myself that maybe Toby Driver had become less interested in this kind of music himself. While listening. I mean he's about my age, and I've changed. At least a little. I bet he's fully aware that many lost fans has longed for something like this. You know, a "return to form". Anyway I felt very much on the outside of what I was hearing and I did not like the vocals (never an issue with early Kayo Dot). And if I don't like the vocals there's really no hope.   -haha I have to come back to answer the poll question...

Thanks for being so detailed, nothing really to add to it, I have only listened to those last three once, and feel much the same. Coffins on Io too was the last one that excited me. Plastic House on Base of Sky is the one of the three that musically did appeal the most musically, but the sound/production seems quite poor to me. A remastering might help. Blasphemy is slick and pretty straightforward, and does remind me of PT. A lot of PT/Wilson comparisons can be made with Kayo Dot/Driver and Radiohead/Yorke (which in the case of Radiohead is a clear influence on Wilson), but I don't like his music nearly as much as KD or Radiohead. Also not keen on the style of the last Kayo Dot album but I do find it more interesting than Blasphemy. It is interesting that his last has similarities to his debut, but it is not anywhere near as engaging or enjoyable for me.

Like Radiohead, it's a band that I have come to appreciate more and more over the years. I had found its alt. rock approach a little off putting in music at one time, and the vocals had been a bit of a turn off. I love the similarities to Godspeed You! Black Emperor's music which is band I have returned to in a big way over the past year or two (due to a topic at PA as can be the case which gets me returning to music and exploring more).

For three, I will go with:

"Immortelle and Paper Caravelle" (Dowsing Anemone With Copper Tongue, 2006)
"Blue Lambency Downward" (Blue Lambency Downward, 2008)
"Calonyction Girl" (Coyote, 2010)