Toe

An instrumental rock band celebrated for its heady, progressive sound, Toe formed in 2000 in Tokyo, Japan. Drummer Kashikura Takashi, guitarist Mino Takaaki, bassist Yamane Satoshi, and guitarist Yamazaki Hirokazu began performing live in July 2001, then released the debut EP Songs, Ideas We Forgot two years later. The full-length record The Book About My Idle Plot on a Vague Anxiety followed in 2005, earning acclaim for its mix of complex math-rock and cerebral post-rock influences. Toe's sound expanded with the release of 2009's For Long Tomorrow, which introduced new textures like Rhodes piano and human vocals to the band's sound. For Long Tomorrow also became the band's first full-length album to reach the Top 40 in Japan, where it peaked at number 23. Vocals took on even an even bigger role with 2015's Hear You, which charted even higher, reaching number 20 on the Oricon Albums chart. Releases like the 2018 compilation album That's Another Story and the 2021 concert album 独演会 "DOKU-EN-KAI followed, with the latter album highlighting the band's ability to meticulously recreate its studio recordings in a live venue. Continuing to embrace the unexpected, Toe released a fourth album, Now I See the Light, in 2024.