MATMOS CONSIDERED (2014): The art of understatement and the unusual

 |   |  1 min read

Matmos: For the Trees
MATMOS CONSIDERED (2014): The art of understatement and the unusual

In the secretive world of code-breakers and cypher-deciphering the Enigma machine is legendary. It is one of that family of highly complex machines designed by mathematicians and boffins used to crack the codes of Nazi comunications during the Second World War.

But for the Baltimore electronica duo Matmos -- Martin Schmidt and Drew Daniel -- it became another tool for creating and encrypting notes for their music.

Something of boffins themselves -- Daniel is an assistant professor in the English department at John Hopkins University, Schmidt his partner has also been a teacher -- Matmos have used some odd source material and scientific processes to create their distinctive sounds on more than a dozen albms and EPs since the late Nineties.

They also spend as much time creating distinctive visual presentations to accompany their live shows where electronica meets psychedelia and dance lives hand-in-hand with provocative samples.

Using found sounds, voice samples from experiments they set up, cutups, sounds from the world of science and medicine (both members had parents who were doctors) and even Americana folk (on their 2003 album The Civil War), Matmos have defined genre-bending.

They have worked with Bjork for her albums Vespertine and Medulla, delivered lectures for the Red Bull Academy on production and creativity (see here where they used the sound of liposuction), and their album The Rose has Teeth in the Mouth of a Beast from 2006 had tracks inspired by and dedicated to William Burroughs, Joe Meek, Warhol would-be assassin Valerie Solanas, mad King Ludwig of Bavaria and linguistic philosopher Ludwig Wittgenstein among others.

Daniel says they are conceptual artists -- they come up with the concept and then find the sounds to realise the idea -- but there is also humour in their work. Check out the clip below which refers to the late, great Canadian animator Norman McLaren.

The good news then is Matmos are on a brief New Zealand tour this month bringing their innovative audio-visual show which, we might expect, will defy preconceptions.

Worth seeing, no doubt. 

MatmosPosterwebMATMOS TOUR DATES 

Dunedin – Tuesday 21 Jan, 8 pm Dunedin Public Art Gallery, w/ The Ladder Is Part Of The Pit

Christchurch - Wednesday 22 Jan, 9 pm Third Door Down, 7 Lincoln Lane, Addington w/ Sam Hamilton and Misfit Mod

Wellington – Thursday 23 Jan, 9 pm Mighty Mighty, with Ducklingmonster & Koi

Auckland – Friday 24 Jan, 9 pm Cassette Number Nine, w/ Race Banyon, Team Catfood and DJ Power Nap

Share It

Your Comments

post a comment

More from this section   Absolute Elsewhere articles index

COLD CHISEL INTERVIEWED (2011): Forever now, and again

COLD CHISEL INTERVIEWED (2011): Forever now, and again

When the Australian rock band Cold Chisel arranged a press conference in Sydney in July 2011, they had something to announce and much to celebrate. But the gathering of media, management and... > Read more

BERNIE GRIFFEN INTERVIEWED (2014): Tales of a survivor

BERNIE GRIFFEN INTERVIEWED (2014): Tales of a survivor

Bernie Griffen lets out a wheezing laugh when I ask him if he's in decent health these days. He's 63, has lived hard and by his own admission not spared himself sometimes through drugs,... > Read more

Elsewhere at Elsewhere

THE BARGAIN BUY: Nirvana; In Utero

THE BARGAIN BUY: Nirvana; In Utero

Has it been almost 25 years since this, Nirvana's final studio In Utero? After the unexpected success of Nevermind, Kurt Cobain wanted to re-establish their outsider and gritty position and so... > Read more

The Beatnix: Stairway to Heaven (date unknown)

The Beatnix: Stairway to Heaven (date unknown)

There are any number of bands who can convincingly replicate the look, sound and songs of Beatles (our money always goes to excellent Bootleg Beatles). But Australia's Beatnix took a different... > Read more