Chicago’s Volta Do Mar was one of the first mathy instrumental bands I truly fell for. Full of jazz and prog elements, VDM worked a healthy amount of melody into their intelligent compositions. While the band was clearly influenced by genre icons like Don Caballero and Tortoise, Volta Do Mar quickly made a name for themselves with their own striking personality and willingness to think outside the box instrumentally. I would suggest starting with Volta Do Mar’s fine full-length debut, At The Speed of Light or Day. Members of Volta do Mar now play in Oso and American Draft.
7/1000
I saw these guys live once, they were insanely technical and energetic. I seemed to remember they even looked like college math nerds. It was great.