Toby Driver is a multi-instrumentalist, composer, songwriter, producer, label owner, and artist, best known for his work as the leader of the

experimental An experiment is a procedure carried out to support or refute a hypothesis, or determine the efficacy or likelihood of something previously untried. Experiments provide insight into cause-and-effect by demonstrating what outcome occurs when ...

bands Kayo Dot and

maudlin of the Well maudlin of the Well (commonly abbreviated as motW) is an avant-garde metal band from Boston, Massachusetts. Their music contains elements from many different genres including jazz, progressive rock, psychedelic rock, post rock, art rock, prog ...

. Driver creates the majority of the album artwork associated with these bands, performs the lead vocals and several instruments, produces the albums, and has written and arranged the music for both bands. Although several members of motW continued on when the band dissolved and reformed as Kayo Dot in 2003, Driver is the only remaining member of the original line-up of maudlin of the Well who is still consistently active with Kayo Dot.

Biography and early work

Toby Driver was born in 1978, in

Meriden, Connecticut Meriden is a city in New Haven County, Connecticut, United States, located halfway between the regional cities of New Haven, Connecticut, New Haven and Hartford, Connecticut, Hartford. In 2020, the population of the city was 60,850.tape recorders An audio tape recorder, also known as a tape deck, tape player or tape machine or simply a tape recorder, is a sound recording and reproduction device that records and plays back sounds usually using magnetic tape for storage. In its present- ...

and a

karaoke Karaoke (; ; , clipped compound of Japanese ''kara'' "empty" and ''ōkesutora'' "orchestra") is a type of interactive entertainment usually offered in clubs and bars, where people sing along to recorded music using a microphone. The music is ...

machine. He later released his favorite cuts of these albums online as collections. After playing with a handful of bands in high school, including a

Nirvana ( , , ; sa, निर्वाण} ''nirvāṇa'' ; Pali: ''nibbāna''; Prakrit: ''ṇivvāṇa''; literally, "blown out", as in an oil lampRichard Gombrich, ''Theravada Buddhism: A Social History from Ancient Benāres to Modern Colombo.' ...

and

Jane's Addiction Jane's Addiction is an American rock band from Los Angeles, formed in 1985. The band consists of vocalist Perry Farrell, guitarist Dave Navarro, drummer Stephen Perkins and bassist Eric Avery. Jane's Addiction was one of the first bands from t ...

cover band, and a gothic-progressive-metal band called "Celestial Providence," Driver formed maudlin of the Well with his friends Jason Byron and Greg Massi and recorded a demo entitled ''Through Languid Veins'' (1996) He attended

Hampshire College Hampshire College is a Private college, private Liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal arts college in Amherst, Massachusetts. It was opened in 1970 as an experiment in alternative education, in association with four other colleges ...

Amherst, MA Amherst () is a town in Hampshire County, Massachusetts, United States, in the Connecticut River valley. As of the 2020 census, the population was 39,263, making it the highest populated municipality in Hampshire County (although the county seat ...

, where he expanded maudlin of the Well, and where they recorded their second (''Begat of the Haunted Oak... An Acorn''), third (''Odes to Darksome Spring''), and fourth (''For My Wife'') demos which turned into their debut album ''My Fruit Psychobells... A Seed Combustible''. During this time, Driver also studied under composer and jazz legend,

Yusef Lateef Yusef Abdul Lateef (born William Emanuel Huddleston; October 9, 1920 – December 23, 2013) was an American jazz multi-instrumentalist, composer, and prominent figure among the Ahmadiyya Community in America. Although Lateef's main instruments ...

, and composed, directed, and performed an

oratorio An oratorio () is a large musical composition for orchestra, choir, and soloists. Like most operas, an oratorio includes the use of a choir, soloists, an instrumental ensemble, various distinguishable characters, and arias. However, opera is mus ...

for 20 musicians based on and titled after the

epic poem An epic poem, or simply an epic, is a lengthy narrative poem typically about the extraordinary deeds of extraordinary characters who, in dealings with gods or other superhuman forces, gave shape to the mortal universe for their descendants. ...

''Six Trillion Miles Before the First'' by Jason Byron. Sections of this piece later reappeared on motW's reunion album, ''

Part the Second ''Part the Second'' is maudlin of the Well's fourth and most recent album. It was funded by donations from fans, and released for free on the internet in three formats, including a FLAC-encoded 24-bit version. The fans who donated prior to the alb ...

'' (2009).

Style and musicianship

As evident in the bands and projects to which Driver has contributed, he generally utilizes unconventional styles of song-writing and song structure. Many songs he writes use odd

time signatures The time signature (also known as meter signature, metre signature, or measure signature) is a notational convention used in Western musical notation to specify how many beats (pulses) are contained in each measure (bar), and which note value ...

, range from ten to twenty minutes in length, divert from typical

riff A riff is a repeated chord progression or refrain in music (also known as an ostinato figure in classical music); it is a pattern, or melody, often played by the rhythm section instruments or solo instrument, that forms the basis or accompani ...

-based structure, and employ elements of many musical genres, often shifting between these styles within the same song. Songs often incorporate musical qualities suited to styles as diverse as

death metal Death metal is an extreme subgenre of heavy metal music. It typically employs heavily distorted and low-tuned guitars, played with techniques such as palm muting and tremolo picking; deep growling vocals; aggressive, powerful drumming, feat ...

minimalism In visual arts, music and other media, minimalism is an art movement that began in post–World War II in Western art, most strongly with American visual arts in the 1960s and early 1970s. Prominent artists associated with minimalism include Don ...

chamber music Chamber music is a form of classical music that is composed for a small group of instruments—traditionally a group that could fit in a palace chamber or a large room. Most broadly, it includes any art music that is performed by a small numb ...

post-rock Post-rock is a form of experimental rock characterized by a focus on exploring textures and timbre over traditional rock song structures, chords, or riffs. Post-rock artists are often instrumental, typically combining rock instrumentation with ...

and

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a major ...

, while seldom completely conforming to any one specific genre. Driver has repeatedly denied any connection of his music to jazz, minimalism or improv. His work is strictly composed and rehearsed thoroughly, and the songs seldom see any changes after being recorded. Driver's vocals are accordingly diverse in range and style. Driver uses a

normal Normal(s) or The Normal(s) may refer to: Film and television * ''Normal'' (2003 film), starring Jessica Lange and Tom Wilkinson * ''Normal'' (2007 film), starring Carrie-Anne Moss, Kevin Zegers, Callum Keith Rennie, and Andrew Airlie * ''Norma ...

singing voice, screams, shouts, occasionally uses

death vocals A death growl, or simply growl, is an extended vocal technique usually employed in extreme styles of music, particularly in death metal and other extreme subgenres of heavy metal music. Death growl vocals are sometimes criticized for their ...

(not to be confused with former band member Jason Byron who contributes vocals in early motW also), as well as occasionally singing

falsetto ''Falsetto'' (, ; Italian diminutive of , "false") is the vocal register occupying the frequency range just above the modal voice register and overlapping with it by approximately one octave. It is produced by the vibration of the ligamentous ed ...

and using

spoken word Spoken word refers to an oral poetic performance art that is based mainly on the poem as well as the performer's aesthetic qualities. It is a late 20th century continuation of an ancient oral artistic tradition that focuses on the aesthetics of ...

(see Kayo Dot's ''

Choirs of the Eye ''Choirs of the Eye'' is the debut studio album by Kayo Dot, released on Tzadik Records in 2003. It was released shortly after the breakup of maudlin of the Well, with the band consisting of several members from the former band as well as guest p ...

'' and ''

Hubardo ''Hubardo'' is the sixth studio album by American avant-garde metal band Kayo Dot. It is a concept double album self-released and funded through pre-orders on frontman Toby Driver's Ice Level Records in 2013. It is the follow up to ''Gamma Knife'' ...

'' for an example of all the styles listed above). A multi-instrumentalist, Toby Driver is credited on various albums as playing the following instruments: *guitar ( acoustic and electric) * 12-string guitar *

baritone guitar The baritone guitar is a guitar with a longer scale length, typically a larger body, and heavier internal bracing, so it can be tuned to a lower pitch. Gretsch, Fender, Gibson, Ibanez, ESP Guitars, PRS Guitars, Music Man, Danelectro, Schec ...

*bass *double bass *various keyboards including piano, organ and synthesizer *laptop

mellotron The Mellotron is an electro-mechanical musical instrument developed in Birmingham, England, in 1963. It is played by pressing its keys, each of which pushes a length of magnetic tape against a capstan, which pulls it across a playback head. A ...

clarinet The clarinet is a musical instrument in the woodwind family. The instrument has a nearly cylindrical bore and a flared bell, and uses a single reed to produce sound. Clarinets comprise a family of instruments of differing sizes and pitches ...

*cello * bells *percussion *

gamelan Gamelan () ( jv, ꦒꦩꦼꦭꦤ꧀, su, ᮌᮙᮨᮜᮔ᮪, ban, ᬕᬫᭂᬮᬦ᭄) is the traditional ensemble music of the Javanese, Sundanese, and Balinese peoples of Indonesia, made up predominantly of percussive instruments. T ...

Bands

maudlin of the Well

Driver was a founding member of maudlin of the Well in 1996 along with Jason Byron and Greg Massi. They morphed into Kayo Dot in 2003 during the process of recording what would have been motW's fourth album, and titled Kayo Dot's henceforth first album ''Choirs of the Eye,'' due to label problems and the desire to move away from being pigeonholed in the metal scene. In 2009, due to fan requests and contributions, Driver, along with Terran Olson who was also still playing with Kayo Dot, reformed maudlin of the Well to record the

digital Digital usually refers to something using discrete digits, often binary digits. Technology and computing Hardware *Digital electronics, electronic circuits which operate using digital signals **Digital camera, which captures and stores digital i ...

album ''

'', reuniting with guitarists Greg Massi, Josh Seipp-Williams, and drummer Sam Gutterman. The album contained five newly released songs, some of which were composed—partially at least—in the early days of the band (as far back as 1997), with lyrics co-written by Jason Byron and Toby Driver. Maudlin of the Well's style was always described by the band as "astral metal," referencing Driver and Byron's interest in

astral projection Astral projection (also known as astral travel) is a term used in esotericism to describe an intentional out-of-body experience (OBE) that assumes the existence of a subtle body called an " astral body" through which consciousness can functio ...

. Driver has stated that he used astral projection and

lucid dream A lucid dream is a type of dream in which the dreamer becomes aware that they are dreaming while dreaming. During a lucid dream, the dreamer may gain some amount of control over the dream characters, narrative, or environment; however, this is n ...

ing as methods to retrieve music from the subconscious. Maudlin of the Well's lyrics deal with this topic, as well as the subjects of

ghost A ghost is the soul or spirit of a dead person or animal that is believed to be able to appear to the living. In ghostlore, descriptions of ghosts vary widely from an invisible presence to translucent or barely visible wispy shapes, to rea ...

s and the

paranormal Paranormal events are purported phenomena described in popular culture, folk, and other non-scientific bodies of knowledge, whose existence within these contexts is described as being beyond the scope of normal scientific understanding. Nota ...

, the

occult The occult, in the broadest sense, is a category of esoteric supernatural beliefs and practices which generally fall outside the scope of religion and science, encompassing phenomena involving otherworldly agency, such as magic and mysticism a ...

kabbalah Kabbalah ( he, קַבָּלָה ''Qabbālā'', literally "reception, tradition") is an esoteric method, discipline and Jewish theology, school of thought in Jewish mysticism. A traditional Kabbalist is called a Mekubbal ( ''Məqūbbāl'' "rece ...

, nostalgia, and betrayal. The liner notes for their companion albums, ''Bath'' and ''Leaving Your Body Map'' (2001) contain a puzzle that leads to an as-yet-unknown solution.

Kayo Dot

Kayo Dot is Driver's main band, which began in 2003 and remains currently active. They have released eight full-length albums, an EP, a few live recordings, and a handful of remixes and singles. Kayo Dot's musical style shifts constantly, but maintains a ubiquitous aesthetic of darkness,

surrealism Surrealism is a cultural movement that developed in Europe in the aftermath of World War I in which artists depicted unnerving, illogical scenes and developed techniques to allow the unconscious mind to express itself. Its aim was, according to l ...

impressionism Impressionism was a 19th-century art movement characterized by relatively small, thin, yet visible brush strokes, open Composition (visual arts), composition, emphasis on accurate depiction of light in its changing qualities (often accentuating ...

, hallucination,

melodrama A modern melodrama is a dramatic work in which the plot, typically sensationalized and for a strong emotional appeal, takes precedence over detailed characterization. Melodramas typically concentrate on dialogue that is often bombastic or exces ...

, and musical

technicality The term legal technicality is a casual or colloquial phrase referring to a technical aspect of law. The phrase is not a term of art in the law; it has no exact meaning, nor does it have a legal definition. It implies that strict adherence to the ...

. Driver is the only consistent member, although some members who have left the band in the past have returned for recordings or special live performances. Kayo Dot has an active touring schedule, averaging four months on the road per year, and having joined bands such as

Pallbearer A pallbearer is one of several participants who help carry the casket at a funeral. They may wear white gloves in order to prevent damaging the casket and to show respect to the deceased person. Some traditions distinguish between the roles of ...

Earth Earth is the third planet from the Sun and the only astronomical object known to harbor life. While large volumes of water can be found throughout the Solar System, only Earth sustains liquid surface water. About 71% of Earth's surfa ...

Pelican Pelicans (genus ''Pelecanus'') are a genus of large water birds that make up the family Pelecanidae. They are characterized by a long beak and a large throat pouch used for catching prey and draining water from the scooped-up contents before s ...

, and

Secret Chiefs 3 Secret Chiefs 3 (or SC3) is an American avant-garde group led by guitarist/composer Trey Spruance (of Mr. Bungle and formerly, Faith No More). Their studio recordings and tours have featured different lineups, as the group performs a wide range ...

on tour. Kayo Dot has worked with several record labels including

John Zorn John Zorn (born September 2, 1953) is an American composer, conductor, saxophonist, arranger and producer who "deliberately resists category". Zorn's avant-garde and experimental approaches to composition and improvisation are inclusive of jaz ...

Tzadik Tzadik ( he, צַדִּיק , "righteous ne, also ''zadik'', ''ṣaddîq'' or ''sadiq''; pl. ''tzadikim'' ''ṣadiqim'') is a title in Judaism given to people considered righteous, such as biblical figures and later spiritual masters. The ...

Robotic Empire Robotic Empire is an American independent record label based out of Richmond, Virginia, specializing in hardcore punk, heavy metal, and alternative rock. Some of the most popular bands signed to the label over the years have been pg.99, City of C ...

, Holy Roar, Aaron Turner's

Hydra Head Records Hydra Head Records was an independent record label that specializes in extreme metal music, founded in New Mexico by Aaron Turner (the frontman of Isis) in 1993. It had another imprint, Hydra Head Noise Industries, which specialized in experiment ...

, Antithetic Records,

The Flenser The Flenser (also known as Flenser Records) is a San Francisco-based record label specializing in experimental music. Notable bands that work with or have worked with The Flenser include: Have a Nice Life, Botanist, Deafheaven, Wreck and Refe ...

, and Driver's own imprint, Ice Level Music.

Piggy Black Cross

Piggy Black Cross is Driver's "Dark Industrial IDM" project with vocalist Bridget Bellavia. Thus far, they have released their music only digitally, first appearing on

SoundCloud SoundCloud is an online audio distribution platform and music sharing website that enables its users to upload, promote, and share audio. Founded in 2007 by Alexander Ljung and Eric Wahlforss, SoundCloud is one of the largest music streaming se ...

in March 2018. SputnikMusic.com has called it "a surreal, engrossing debut."

Tartar Lamb I and II

Driver formed the side project Tartar Lamb with Mia Matsumiya in 2006. Tartar Lamb did a brief US and Canada tour in January of that year, and later recorded their album, ''Sixty Metonymies,'' with

Randall Dunn Randall Dunn is an American record producer, audio engineer, and musician. As a record producer, he has worked with musical acts such as Sunn O))), Six Organs of Admittance, Marissa Nadler, Wolves in the Throne Room, Boris, Anna Von Haussw ...

in Seattle, Washington in December 2006 in the middle of another difficult winter tour. ''Sixty Metonymies'' was self-released on CD by Driver on his label, Ice Level Music. Since then, ''Sixty Metonymies'' has only been performed occasionally at local concerts in New York City when possible. Tartar Lamb II was created in 2009 with other members of Kayo Dot and composer and clarinetist Jeremiah Cymerman. It was named a Tartar Lamb project because the compositional method that Driver invented for ''Sixty Metonymies'' was used again for the new work, which was called ''Polyimage of Known Exits.'' This incarnation of Tartar Lamb did a month-long European winter tour in 2010 opening up for Kayo Dot. A recording from this tour appears on the Kayo Dot/Tartar Lamb II live album, ''Kraków'' (2011). Tartar Lamb II also performed locally in New York City on a couple occasions but the band is currently defunct.

Vaura

Driver also currently plays bass in the band

Vaura Vaura is an American experimental band from Brooklyn, New York, United States, formed in 2009 by singer, guitarist and primary songwriter Joshua Strachan and featuring Kevin Hufnagel ( Dysrhythmia, Gorguts) on lead guitar, Toby Driver (Kayo Do ...

, who released their debut album ''Selenelion'', in 2012 through Wierd Records and their second album, ''The Missing,'' in 2013 via

Profound Lore Records Profound Lore Records is a Canadian independent record label founded in May 2004, which "began as the 'hobby-like venture' of a few friends but, over the past six years, the label has evolved into a one-man enterprise, shaped a distinct 'aestheti ...

. The band is fronted by writer, philosopher, Blacklist singer and Azar Swan producer, Joshua Strawn, and also includes guitarist

Kevin Hufnagel Kevin () is the anglicized form of the Irish masculine given name (; mga, Caoimhghín ; sga, Cóemgein ; Latinized as ). It is composed of "dear; noble"; Old Irish and ("birth"; Old Irish ). The variant ''Kevan'' is anglicized from , an ...

of Dysrhythmia and

Gorguts Gorguts is a Canadian death metal band from Sherbrooke, Quebec, formed in 1989. The band has been through many personnel changes since its inception; its only constant member has been guitarist and vocalist Luc Lemay, who remains the primary cr ...

, and drummer Charlie Schmid. The style of Vaura is an amalgam of

gothic rock Gothic rock (also called goth rock or simply goth) is a style of rock music that emerged from post-punk in the United Kingdom in the late 1970s. The first post-punk bands which shifted toward dark music with gothic overtones include Siouxsie a ...

, progressive black-metal, and pop.

Stern

Driver plays guitar in Stern, the experimental alien pop band

auteur An auteur (; , 'author') is an artist with a distinctive approach, usually a film director whose filmmaking control is so unbounded but personal that the director is likened to the "author" of the film, which thus manifests the director's unique ...

ed by the prolific composer, filmmaker, and writer Chuck Stern (formerly of

Time of Orchids Time of Orchids was an American, New York City-based experimental rock band founded in 1999 and disbanded in 2007. Two of the band's albums feature renowned female vocalists. Kate Pierson (of The B-52's) performs on "Much Too Much Fun" while Jul ...

). The band also includes former Time of Orchids and Kayo Dot drummer

Keith Abrams Kim Abrams is a rock drummer (formerly Keith Abrams), known mostly for her work with Time of Orchids and PAK. She was a frequent collaborator both with Ron Anderson and Jesse Krakow. Abrams was recruited, along with Jesse Krakow, into Time of O ...

, and frequent Driver collaborator Tim Byrnes. Stern has released three albums as a solo act, and three more with the full band including Driver: ''Entitlement'' (2012), ''Bone Turquoise'' (2015), and ''Missive: Sister Ships'' (2018). For more information, visit: http://stern.band.

Solo work

Driver has also been prolific as a solo act, releasing his eponymous debut ''In the L..L..Library Loft'' on John Zorn's Tzadik in 2005. ''In the L..L..Library Loft'' features four compositions in a modern classical style including guitars, drumsets, and screaming vocals. Driver composed and recorded ''Ichneumonidae'' to accompany a

butoh is a form of Japanese dance theatre that encompasses a diverse range of activities, techniques and motivations for dance, performance, or movement. Following World War II, butoh arose in 1959 through collaborations between its two key founders ...

dance performance in 2012; this was also released on Ice Level Music. Driver's next eponymous album was 2017's ''Madonnawhore'', which contains six long, spacious, and slow sombre ballads and features drummer Keith Abrams. In the fall of 2017, Driver was commissioned to compose a piece entitled ''Through the Arm to Magma'' for the Kraków-based chamber orchestra Spółdzielnia Muzyczna for the 2017 Sacrum Profanum Festival, which also featured composers

Stephen O'Malley Stephen O'Malley (sometimes referred to as SOMA; born July 15, 1974) is an American guitarist, producer, composer, and visual artist from Seattle, Washington, who has conceptualized and participated in numerous drone doom, death/doom, and exper ...

, Aaron Turner,

Jennifer Walshe Jennifer Walshe (born 1 June 1974) is an Irish composer, vocalist and artist. Biography Jennifer Walshe was born in Dublin, Ireland, in 1974. She studied composition with John Maxwell Geddes at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama, ...

, Alvin Lucier,

Iancu Dumitrescu Iancu Dumitrescu (born 15 July 1944) is a Romanian avant-garde composer. Life and works Dumitrescu was born in Sibiu, Romania. He received a master's degree in composition in Bucharest, where his teachers included Alfred Mendelsohn. Later, ...

, Ana-Maria Avram, and many others. In 2018, Driver released a second album of ballads, entitled ''They Are the Shield'', featuring violinists Pauline Kim Harris and Conrad Harris, pianist Kelly Moran, and drummer

Brian Chase Brian Chase (born February 12, 1978) is an American drummer and drone musician who plays in the New York rock band Yeah Yeah Yeahs. He was ranked at #50 in Gigwise's list of ''The Greatest Drummers of All Time''. He plays drums with tradition ...

from the

Yeah Yeah Yeahs The Yeah Yeah Yeahs are an American indie rock band formed in New York City in 2000. The group is composed of vocalist and pianist Karen O (born Karen Lee Orzolek), guitarist and keyboardist Nick Zinner, and drummer Brian Chase. They are complem ...

, on Blood Music. Driver has also done a small amount of soundtrack work, including for Eric Pennycoff's short film ''The Pod'' and Kevin Endres' short film, ''Lazaretto.'' Driver’s composition, ''Stained Glass'', was used in an installation film piece of the same title by artist Peter Hopkins Miller. ''Stained Glass'' was a featured exhibition in the 2017

Biennale di Venezia The Venice Biennale (; it, La Biennale di Venezia) is an international cultural exhibition hosted annually in Venice, Italy by the Biennale Foundation. The biennale has been organised every year since 1895, which makes it the oldest of ...

Bloodmist

Driver plays bass in the free-improvised trio Bloodmist, which is led by composer, clarinetist, and producer Jeremiah Cymerman and also features composer, guitarist, synthesist, and producer Mario Diaz de Leon. Bloodmist performs occasionally around New York City, and has released one album entitled ''Sheen'' on Cymerman's imprint 5049 Records, with another forthcoming in 2019.

Sideman work and small collaborations

Driver has also toured as the bassist of

Trey Spruance Preston Lea "Trey" Spruance III (born August 14, 1969) is an American composer, producer, and musician who co-founded the experimental rock band Mr. Bungle. He is also leader of the multi-genre outfit Secret Chiefs 3. Originally a guitarist an ...

's Secret Chiefs 3 for many years, has recorded vocals with Asva, Tusk, played vibraphone and clarinet for Gregor Samsa, has toured as bassist for

Myrkur Myrkur is a Danish black metal band led by singer Amalie Bruun. Myrkur is a solo project within the genre of second-wave black metal. Initially, the real-life identity of the person behind the project was kept unknown. Her identity has since be ...

, has remixed for Pyramids, Candiria, and Bloody Panda, has formed more casual bands such as Clefter with

Gyan Riley Gyan Riley (born 1977) is an American guitarist and composer. He is a son of minimalist composer Terry Riley. They frequently collaborate, including a tour in Europe in September 2016. Gyan Riley studied at San Francisco Conservatory of Music. He ...

and

Timba Harris Timba Harris (born September 21, 1977) is a violinist, violist, trumpet player, and composer. He is an active touring and recording member of Trey Spruance's Secret Chiefs 3, a founding member of the band Estradasphere, and one half of the elec ...

, or Tanks with

Ches Smith Gordon McChesney "Ches" Smith is an American musician, whose primary instruments are drums, percussion, and vibraphone. He recorded and performed an album of his own solo percussion pieces entitled ''Congs for Brums'' (2006). In 2010 he release ...

and Brandon Seabrook, and regularly performs around New York City with local musicians.

Ice Level Music

Driver owns and operates the record label Ice Level Music, which was initially created to release Tartar Lamb's 2007 debut, ''Sixty Metonymies'', but continues to be an outlet for Driver to self-release some of his own material. Ice Level Music's discography includes Tartar Lamb - ''Sixty Metonymies'' and ''Polyimage of Known Exits'', maudlin of the Well - ''Part the Second'', Kayo Dot - ''Gamma Knife'', ''Hubardo,'' and the vinyl edition of ''Choirs of the Eye'', Ichneumonidae, and others.

Discography

As Spoonion 1

* ''Community of Sinners'' * ''Chiffon Gob'' * ''Acoustic Sex'' * ''Clone'' * ''According to the Law'' * ''Dreaming Winter Awake''

As Spoonion 2

* ''On the Thoughts and Principles of Dragons'' * ''A Tree and Its Fruit'' * ''Space Music'' * ''How to Find God'' * ''Opposition Day'' * ''The Secret Violence of Poison''

Maudlin of the Well

* ''Through Languid Veins'' (demo, 1996) * ''Begat of the Haunted Oak: An Acorn'' (demo, 1997) * ''Odes to Darksome Spring'' (demo, 1997) * ''For My Wife'' (demo, 1998) * '' My Fruit Psychobells...A Seed Combustible'' (1999) * '' Bath'' (2001) * ''

Leaving Your Body Map ''Leaving Your Body Map'' is maudlin of the Well's third album, and was released alongside its companion album ''Bath'' on the Dark Symphonies record label in 2001, shortly before their break-up. Background ''Leaving Your Body Map'' and its sist ...

'' (2001) * ''The Secret Song'' (single, 2001) * ''

'' (2009)

Kayo Dot

* ''

'' (2003) * '' Dowsing Anemone with Copper Tongue'' (2006) * ''Don't Touch Dead Animals'' (2006) (

split Split(s) or The Split may refer to: Places * Split, Croatia, the largest coastal city in Croatia * Split Island, Canada, an island in the Hudson Bay * Split Island, Falkland Islands * Split Island, Fiji, better known as Hạfliua Arts, enterta ...

LP with

Bloody Panda Bloody Panda is a doom metal Band (music), band based in New York City. History Formation (2003-2004) The band was formed in 2003 by Yoshiko Ohara, an established visual artist based in Osaka, Japan, who "decided to spend her savings on a trip t ...

) * '' Blue Lambency Downward'' (2008) * ''Champions of Sound 2008'' (2009) (split double 7" with

, Stove Bredsky, and

Zozobra The Zozobra (also known as "Old Man Gloom") is a giant marionette effigy constructed of wood, wire and cotton cloth that is built and burned prior to the annual Fiestas de Santa Fe in Santa Fe, New Mexico, United States. It stands high. As it ...

) * ''Toying with the Insanities Vol. 1'' (2009) (

Candiria Candiria are an American progressive metal band from Brooklyn, New York. Formed in 1992, the band was part of the second wave of New York hardcore, but subsequently expanded its performance to also play jazz, hip hop and progressive rock. The ...

Remix album) * ''

Coyote The coyote (''Canis latrans'') is a species of canis, canine native to North America. It is smaller than its close relative, the wolf, and slightly smaller than the closely related eastern wolf and red wolf. It fills much of the same ecologica ...

'' (2010) * ''Stained Glass'' EP (2010) * ''

Gamma Knife Radiosurgery is surgery using radiation, that is, the destruction of precisely selected areas of tissue using ionizing radiation rather than excision with a blade. Like other forms of radiation therapy (also called radiotherapy), it is usually u ...

'' (2012) * ''

'' (2013) * ''

Coffins on Io ''Coffins on Io'' is the seventh studio album by American avant-garde metal band Kayo Dot, released in the UK on August 14, 2014 and in the US on October 13 through experimental metal label The Flenser. It is a follow up to 2013's Hubardo. It's ...

'' (2014) * ''

Plastic House on Base of Sky ''Plastic House on Base of Sky'' is the eighth studio album by avant-garde band Kayo Dot. It was released on June 24, 2016 via The Flenser. Critical reception ''Tiny Mix Tapes'' called ''Plastic House on Base of Sky'' a "fundamentally disorien ...

'' (2016) * ''

Blasphemy Blasphemy is a speech crime and religious crime usually defined as an utterance that shows contempt, disrespects or insults a deity, an object considered sacred or something considered inviolable. Some religions regard blasphemy as a religiou ...

'' (2019) * '' Moss Grew on the Swords and Plowshares Alike'' (2021)

Solo work

* ''In the L..L..Library Loft'' (2005) * ''The Pod OST'' (2013) * ''Ichneumonidae'' (2014) * ''Madonnawhore'' (2017) * ''Live at Roulette, March 2017'' (2017, digital only) * ''They Are the Shield'' (2018)

Tartar Lamb I

* ''60 Metonymies'' (2007)

Tartar Lamb II

* ''Polyimage of Known Exits'' (2011) * ''Krakow'' (2011)

Piggy Black Cross

* ''Always Just Out Of R.E.A.C.H. (Robotic Eclosion After Coming Hylozoic)'' (2018)

Bloodmist

* ''Sheen'' (2016) * ''Phos'' (2020)

Alora Crucible

* ''Thymiamatascension'' (2021)

Other appearances

* Tusk – ''The Resisting Dreamer'' (2007) (vocals) *

Gregor Samsa ''Metamorphosis'' (german: Die Verwandlung) is a novella written by Franz Kafka which was first published in 1915. One of Kafka's best-known works, ''Metamorphosis'' tells the story of salesman Gregor Samsa, who wakes one morning to find himsel ...

– ''

Rest Rest or REST may refer to: Relief from activity * Sleep ** Bed rest * Kneeling * Lying (position) * Sitting * Squatting position Structural support * Structural support ** Rest (cue sports) ** Armrest ** Headrest ** Footrest Arts and entert ...

'' (2007) (clarinet, guitar) * Pyramids – ''Pyramids'' (2008) (remix of "The Echo of Something Lovely") *

– ''Over Air'' (2009) (clarinet, vibraphone) * Asva – ''Presence of Absences'' (2011) (vocals) *

– ''Summon: Invocation'' (2011) (remix of "Hashira") * Vaura - ''Selenelion'' (2012) * Stern - ''Entitlement'' EP (2012) * Vaura - ''The Missing'' (2013) *

- ''Book of Souls: Folio A'' (2013) * ''Ichneumonidae'' with

& Russell Greenberg (2014, digital only) * David T. Little & Third Coast Percussion – ''Haunt Of Last Nightfall'' (2014) (bass) * Stern - ''Bone Turquoise'' (2015) * Jeremiah Cymerman's Bloodmist - ''Sheen'' (2016) * Jeremiah Cymerman's Bloodmist - ''Chaos of Memory'' (2017, digital only) * Stern - ''Missive: Sister Ships'' (2018) *

Extra Life In video games, a life is a play-turn that a player character has, defined as the period between start and end of play. Lives refer to a finite number of tries before the game ends with a game over. It is sometimes called a chance, a try, rest ...

- Secular Works, Vol. 2 (2022)

References

External links

Official Kayo Dot website.Toby Driver's solo worksLabel page of Ice Level Music
{{DEFAULTSORT:Driver, Toby Living people 1978 births American multi-instrumentalists Tzadik Records artists Hampshire College alumni Musicians from New York City Place of birth missing (living people) American vibraphonists