Matmos – The Marriage Of True Minds
(Thrill Jockey Records)
CD/LP/DL
Out Now
On this, the ninth album from
Baltimore based Matmos, it would appear that almost every recording effect,
every sound and every idea has been used on The Marriage Of True Minds. If you want originality, then this album is
where to stop the bus.
Aside from their 2010 collaboration
with So Percussion, this is the first new Matmos album for five years, and it
seems is well worth the wait.
A wistful piano and ‘that’ clicky
little beat is the opening to You.
‘That’ clicky little beat almost sounding like a spoon player. An American female voice enters and talks
about telepathy (possibly). ‘That’
clicky little beat then turns into possibly a sampled version of a ‘tut’ with
the occasional water drip, interesting.
We then maybe have the sound of air being released from a balloon or a
kazoo being blown which spirals upward into an orchestral finale in a similar
vein to the ending of The Beatles’ A DayIn The Life. Versions of handclaps and
then a whistling kettle? Ending at
little over seven minutes it’s an interesting start to an album, and, gives an
insight as to how many experimental and unique sounds will appear.
Track two, Very Large Green
Triangles is a bit of a monster. Starting
with groaning male vocals repeating itself before a deep thumping piano and
orchestral sounding strings enter getting louder and fiercer with random
crashes throughout, before some sort of echoing xylophone and tuneless tinkling
piano with an almost clockwork melody.
If you’ve ever heard Pimpf by Depeche Mode, you could liken the vocals
to that. The words then metamorphosise
into something more tuneful, but, still quite indistinguishable – is it words
or just sounds? Who cares? I could sit here all day mentioning all the
differing sounds used on this album, sounds that maybe any other artist would
spread over several albums, but instead, Matmos transfer every weird effect
they could possibly have from their heads to the recording.
You know
when you see someone slap the sides of their face and make different sounds
come out of their mouth? Oh, just me
then. Well, Mental Radio starts with a
sound like that, and, some splashing water too, like kids jumping in
puddles. Like you do. A Cuban percussion and sounds that I really
can’t distinguish. An interlude with a
triangle and a party going on. I’m not
sure my brain will slow down, it’s forever jumping from one thing to
another. Incredibly engaging stuff. Police sirens and a screaming saxophone all
crammed into three and a half minutes.
Please excuse me whilst I go and have a lie down.
I’ll admit,
somewhat reluctantly, that Ross Transcript does little for me. Sounding like a radio being tuned in, the
stop-off points are varied, but, it isn’t cohesive and at two and a half
minutes it’s probably two minutes too long.
Teen Paranormal Response is quite poppy and uplifting after its
predecessor.
Tunnel
reminds me of a cross between Oh Yeah and The Race by Yello in quite a number
of ways. Do I win a prize? I’m convinced there are samples and lines
from the aforementioned tracks here, it’s pacey with a Jewish Harp (of course!)
and is almost like listening to a Yello remix.
Full of energy and one of the most accomplished tracks on the
album. Marvellous stuff complete with
closing cough.
In Search
Of A Lost Faculty is Yoko Ono esque.
Very minimalist with quotes about triangles. At times like Scott Walker’s Bosch for
originality. Aetheric Vehicle although containing some nice dubbed out shimmers
is again slightly too long before album finale, ESP, arrives. More shouty vocals, crashes, guitar feedback
and then, well, a perfect pop melody.
Like two tracks stuck together, ending as a complete opposite to the way
the album begins.
If you like
your music taxing and provoking, then this album is for you. Brimming with originality and a delight to
listen to.
8.5/10
Published on Louder Than War 8/03/13 - http://louderthanwar.com/matmos-the-marriage-of-two-minds-album-review/
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