Matmos

A duo capable of creating powerful bangers using nothing but the sounds of your wringing washing machine (Ultimate Care II), building entire albums around the sounds of surgery (A Chance To Cut Is A Chance To Cure), from the ubiquitous plastic clutter, in which a riot shield stands out (Plastic Anniversary), or with the assistance of a confused, trapped rat they tried to evict from their apartment (Rat Relocation Program). It would be no exaggeration to say it would be easier to list the objects whose sounds they haven’t recorded or sampled.

One might thus get the impression that they are die-hard conceptualists, but despite their undeniable skill in this field, Matmos are also skilled musicians, and their work is not lacking in playfulness—they are capable of combining playful disco with avant-garde arrangements, being simultaneously groovy, emotional, and inventive. In many ways, they have a lot in common with Matthew Herbert, who, incidentally, was also behind the creation of Drew’s solo project The Soft Pink Truth (after he once teased him that he couldn’t put together a solid house album).

Martin and Drew have been making music together since the early 1990s and have been a couple for just as long. In addition to their residencies, university teaching, and soundtrack composition, they have also collaborated with a vast array of other musicians over the years. Among the most famous, let’s at least mention Björk, whom they helped produce the album *Vespertine* and also performed live with during that period. They’re returning to us with their latest album, *Metallic Life Review*, where they draw on their lifetime catalog of metal recordings, though they’ll also be bringing a large portion of the physical objects with them. Unsurprisingly, they steer clear of classic industrial clichés on this album; you won’t find bombast or darkness here, but you will find, for example, elaborate etudes of creaking doors that rival the solos of jazz greats. Matmos shatters preconceptions about what electronic music is and instead explores what it could be.