Arcane/The Dillinger Escape Plan In the mid-1990s, Minakakis was invited by guitarist
Ben Weinman, with whom he went to the same school, to form a
hardcore punk group because he "looked like a singer" due to his imposing physique. In 1996, they founded the political-oriented act Arcane along with drummer
Chris Pennie. In 1997, Arcane evolved into The Dillinger Escape Plan with the addition of bassist
Adam Doll. The Dillinger Escape Plan's second EP, 1998's
Under the Running Board, and their 1999 debut album,
Calculating Infinity, developed a much faster and more technical approach to
mathcore and became critically acclaimed landmarks of the genre, and were influential in extreme music circles. Minakakis' lyrics on
Calculating Infinity were based on failing relationships and human insecurity. He has stated that people "always interpret them in weird ways". Its album cover was taken from the inside tubes of an old record player owned by Minakakis' mother. The band's live shows became increasingly aggressive and reckless, with Minakakis starting to
breathe fire.
Calculating Infinity went on to sell over 100,000 copies, making Dillinger the best-selling band signed to
Relapse Records at the time. In 2004, he laid out the cover artwork for the Dillinger album
Miss Machine. He also created the artwork for the 2010 Dillinger Escape Plan album
Option Paralysis. On December 12, 2023, the Dillinger Escape Plan announced their reunion concert with Minakakis.
Collaboration with other artists In 2003, Minakakis founded and performed a yearlong stint with the defunct band Tokyo with former members of Knives Out from
Philadelphia. In 2012, he left the band due to scheduling conflicts. == Musical style and influence ==