Mute Math were officially formed in 2003, after Paul Meany and Darren King spent two years collaborating and sharing ideas on various pieces they were working on. The pair recruited Greg Hill and Roy Mitchell-Cárdenas to help record a demo in New Orleans, and Meany took the resulting tracks to friend and producer Tedd T. Between the two of them, it was decided to set up an independent label through which Mute Math could release their material, and so Teleprompt Records was born. Mute Math's sound is, in some ways, an extension of that of Earthsuit's, since all the Mute Math members (apart from Greg Hill) were members of that group. Though they only ever released one full-length commercial album, Earthsuit mixed genres such as rock, reggae, funk, jazz and electronica to form a sound that was likened, unfairly some feel, to that of 311. Mute Math take this blend a step further and aim for a more experimental and atmospheric sound, with fans dubbing their style as electro-alt rock, incorporating a strong rhymthic component, as well as featuring Meany's infamous keytar and a home-made theremin-inspired guitar. The band has been quoted as saying that they do not write with any conscious thought of how their music will translate to the stage, however, this hasn't stopped Mute Math's live shows becoming renowned for their energy and live improvisation.
Since Mutemath released its first EP in late 2004 and hit the road in 2005, their inherent nature has challenged limitations and expanded parameters. By the time of the 2006 self-titled debut, their blending of adverse genres into its own innovative sonically adventurous creation earned them a reputation as one of modern music?s most daring young groups. By 2007, they would find themselves Grammy nominated and declared by Alternative Press as ?the #1 band you need to see live before you die.? But in the process of pushing boundaries even further for themselves, they almost pushed themselves out of existence during the making of their sophomore album Armistice. ?It was a risk we had to take,? says King looking back on what they set out to accomplish for Armistice. ?This record was by far the most painful music-making experience I?ve ever had, but also the one I?m most proud of.?
The band is best known for their 2007 single ?Typical?, taken from their 2006 self titled album. The song?s innovative backwards video was nominated for a Grammy in 2008 for Best Short Form Music Video. The song also peaked at #33 on the Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart.
The band has contributed songs to the major motion pictures Twilight, Transformers, Never Back Down, The Stepfather, The Rocker, and Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2. The band has also had their Spotlight and Typical music videos embedded on over 11 million Blackberry smartphones.
Along side contributing songs to major motion pictures and product endorsements, Mutemath has appeared on every major late night television program including: The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, The Late Show with David Letterman, Late Night with Conan O?Brien, Jimmy Kimmel Live!, and The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson.
Currently Mutemath is on tour with 30 Seconds to Mars for the US leg of 30 Seconds to Mars? ?Into the Wild? tour.
From Wikipedia:Mute Math (sometimes typeset as MUTEMATH or MuteMath) is a Grammy Award nominated American rock band from New Orleans that formed in 2003. Their music consists of many elements and has been described as everything from electro-alternative-rock to psychedelic-gospel to experimental-pop to give it a futuristic flair to their music. The group consists of Paul Meany on keyboards & vocals; Darren King on drums, samples, and programming; Greg Hill on guitar; and Roy Mitchell-Cárdenas on bass, but they often perform on any mixture or variation of these instruments.