From multsanta Sent Sun, May 17th 1998, 22:21
a bit more;:: - Vague Terrain Records is pleased to announce its first release, the self-titled 73 minute CD debut by the electronic duo Matmos. Using samplers, analog keyboards, field recordings and guitars, Matmos make atmospheric, idiosyncratic electronica. Need some reference points? Imagine the neo-electro of Autechre, the attention to guitar textures and production detail of Moebius & Plank's "RastaKrautPasta" LP, the clamorous musique concrete of Tod Dockstader, and the dark cinematics of Coil- okay, so now you're stuck in a web of derivative signifiers, but you're getting warm. There's a lot of lip service paid these days to various electronic-based music being "experimental"- but Matmos' musical practice genuinely deserves this much abused term. In addition to incorporating chance operations into their sequencing enviroment, many songs are based upon a working methodology of "conceptual restriction"- songs are built entirely out of samples from a single sound source: field recordings, contact microphones on hair, even the sound of an amplified synapse from crayfish nerve tissue. Sometimes these samples and recordings are built up into elaborate rhythmic sequences verging on (but tweeking) the by-now familiar subgenres of trip hop, drum and bass and electro; sometimes these sound sources are kept beat-free, and sculpted into frighteningly noisy atmospheres, or shot through with eerie silent pauses and gaps. Based in San Francisco, Matmos is Drew Daniel and m. c. Schmidt. The band members biographies reflect their brainy, decentered approach to electronica-- Daniel is currently getting his PhD; Schmidt helps manage the conceptual art department of the San Francisco Art Institute. Daniel is a veteran of the indie rock scene in Louisville, Kentucky, and has collaborated on film soundtracks and, oddly enough, hip hop projects with Jeff Mueller(of June of '44) and Jason Noble (Rachel's band, formerly of Rodan). In addition to radio DJing, Drew has DJed in jungle and trip hop clubs in England (while attending Oxford University) and San Francisco (Klubstitute, Low Rider), and has been making experimental electronic music since high school. m. c. Schmidt has been making experimental electronic music for many years, as the leader of avant garde drone outfit X/I and industrial occultists IAOCore, in which he did time with current members of Amber Asylum and Tipsy. He also curated the legendary San Francisco noise music/performance art space FOURFIVEFIVETENTHSTREET for four years. The WIRE (UK) described the Matmos debut CD as a "must buy containing untold wonders . . . Electronic Valhalla" and listed it as one of the 1997's best electronic albums in their "97 Rewind"; having completed remixes of Japanese noise artist Otomo Yoshihide and US noise/gabber unit *Spacewurm, the band is currently at work on a follow up collaboration with Dave Pajo of Tortoise, as well as an album for SF label Drop Beat. - [btw, the drop beat album was cancelled and 'quasi-objects' was released on vauge terrain, instead] also, check out http://www.slip.net/~mcess/ for an erm... odd IAO Core site that, amongst other things, has an article on the most effective way to rob a bank. later/mlt _____________________________________________________________________ You don't need to buy Internet access to use free Internet e-mail. Get completely free e-mail from Juno at http://www.juno.com Or call Juno at (800) 654-JUNO [654-5866]