Native sounds like a machine that is simultaneously coming apart and functioning with terrifying precision. Their music is a masterclass in tension, utilizing clean, interlocking guitar lines that suddenly erupt into walls of dissonant noise and gut-wrenching screams. It is math rock stripped of its polite, academic reputation and replaced with the raw, visceral energy of the Midwestern basement scene.
What truly sets them apart is the sense of 'suffocating darkness' mentioned in their lore. While many of their peers in the Sargent House orbit lean into the whimsical or the technical for technique's sake, Native uses their complex time signatures to create a feeling of being trapped or chased. The rhythm section is particularly distinctive, playing slightly off-kilter patterns that keep the listener in a state of constant, exhilarating instability.
Start with 'Wrestling Moves' to hear the band at their most iconic. It captures the transition from their post-hardcore roots into the sophisticated, apocalyptic math rock that defined their career. It’s the perfect entry point for anyone who wants their technical music to come with a heavy dose of emotional stakes.
Native is a French R&B duo composed of two sisters, Laura Mayne (born 20 January 1968 in Villemomble, Seine-Saint-Denis) and Chris Mayne (born 12 January 1970 in Villemomble). They began their singing career as backup singers with Niagara and Gérald De Palmas. They achieved their first success in 1994 with their single "Si la vie demande ça", a top ten hit in France. In 1994, they won a Victoires de la musique award for most promising group of the year. They featured on the track "Who the F*** Is This" on the Bubba Sparxxx & The Muddkatz album New South: The Album B4 the Album Mixtape (2003). After the group split, in 2002 Laura Mayne released her first solo album under the name Native, entitled Laura Mayne-Kerbrat. In 2003, Chris Mayne formed the band West Isle with Éric Daniel, former member of Sweetness group. They released the album Ailleurs in 2006.
Shares intense, restless, anxious (moods); math rock, post-hardcore, indie rock (subgenres)
Shares math rock, post-hardcore, indie rock (subgenres); intense, restless, anxious (moods)
Shares math rock, post-hardcore, indie rock (subgenres); basement show, urban night, thunderstorm (atmosphere)
Shares math rock, post-hardcore, indie rock (subgenres); basement show, urban night, thunderstorm (atmosphere)
Shares math rock, post-hardcore, indie rock (subgenres); noise textured, dynamic range, live recording (production style)
Shares intense, restless, anxious (moods); math rock, post-hardcore, emo (subgenres)
Shares post-hardcore, math rock, emo (subgenres); intense, restless, anxious (moods)
Shares math rock, post-hardcore, indie rock (subgenres); dynamic range, analog warmth, live recording (production style)
Shares noise textured, dynamic range, live recording (production style); math rock, post-hardcore, indie rock (subgenres)
Shares post-hardcore, math rock, emo (subgenres); intense, restless, anxious (moods)
Shares math rock, emo, explosive bursts, post-hardcore (signature)
Shares math rock, emo, explosive bursts, post-hardcore (signature)
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