Effective period / Period of releases: 1985 - 2019

Members: Lydia Tomkiw, Don Hedeker

Starting in Chicago, Illinois, Algebra Suicide were active from 1982 to 1994.

The combination of Lydia Tomkiw's poetry — mostly presented with in deadpan voice — and Don Hedeker's minimal post-punk-influenced guitar with added drum machine and keyboard sequencing won them more critical praise than commercial success.

They toured Europe twice with added slide projections on stage, networked with many artists and underground tape labels on through the 80's, achieved some awards, ran a now-defunct home page run by Clive Barker of Hellraiser fame, published poetry, and ran Chicago's Link Hall Club.

After parting, Don started The Polkaholics with a first release in 1998. Lydia released one solo album in 1995 with various collaborators before she began concentrating on writing.