Matthewdavid--the moniker of L.A.'s Matthew David McQueen--has been called, depending on where you look, "lo-fi electronic," or "experimental," or (idiotically) "glo-fi," but none such characterization quite fits, partly because what Matthewdavid deals in couldn't really be labeled a "school" of music. More aptly, he plays with the genre of electronic music, and what it means for an artist to be, at once, electronic and intertextual with the world of music beyond his genre. His recent mix for Altered Zones--which runs the gamut from rap, to jazz, to African cassettes, to indie (Puro Instinct's excellent "Stillyagi," specifically)--exhibits a typically modernist approach to music: He finds a way to bring many genres, ideas, and disparate sounds together to create a fresh whole. He follows the old Pound adage: "Make it new."
Given his inclination towards synthesis, it is maybe unsurprising that Matthewdavid's forthcoming LP, Outmind, is dropping April 18 via Brainfeeder, the label headed by resident genius Flying Lotus, the grand master of synthesizing experimental and avant-garde concepts into listenable, lovable art.
Tracklist
1. Los Angeles is Beautiful
2. Noche Y Dia/ San Raphael
3. Prayers at Bedtime
4. International (ft. Doggie)
5. Group Tea (ft. Flying Lotus)
6. Like You Mean It
7. Epic Swan
8. Floor Music (ft. Niki Randa)
9. Cucumber-Lime
10. Today, Same Way
11. Being Without You
12. No Need to Worry/ Mean Too Much
From Outmind: "Like You Mean It," a cut with a gargantuan punch behind it:
The buzz around Matthewdavid is, pretty much without contest, deserved. His International EP from earlier this year is described (accurately) by Ninja Tune thusly:
Tracklist
1. Los Angeles is Beautiful
2. Noche Y Dia/ San Raphael
3. Prayers at Bedtime
4. International (ft. Doggie)
5. Group Tea (ft. Flying Lotus)
6. Like You Mean It
7. Epic Swan
8. Floor Music (ft. Niki Randa)
9. Cucumber-Lime
10. Today, Same Way
11. Being Without You
12. No Need to Worry/ Mean Too Much
From Outmind: "Like You Mean It," a cut with a gargantuan punch behind it:
The buzz around Matthewdavid is, pretty much without contest, deserved. His International EP from earlier this year is described (accurately) by Ninja Tune thusly:
A pleasurable pastiche of hazy beats, spectral synth work and saturating textures, International is a deep and dreamy endeavor. From diaphanous vocal samples to the silken strum of a guitar, soft ocean echoes to a laid-back 808, the EP lures the listener into a plush world that teems with sensory treasures. Drums glimmer like a musical mirage, gossamer melodies mingle with scattering beats while smooth waves wash over shuffles of sound.
The video for "International (ft. Doggie)"--a grainy melding of VHS-quality images--can be viewed below:
Matthewdavid - International (feat. Dogbite) from BRAINFEEDER on Vimeo.
A smattering of Matthewdavid's work will be evidence enough of the gamut he can run--from sunny but intelligent electronic, to Animal Collective-style inventiveness, he's pretty much soaked up the best of the current music scene and found exciting ways to re-imagine it:
Trusss by matthewdavid
outdoor racket by matthewdavid
And...before he had quite the buzz he has today, Matthewdavid did some interesting work with Sun Araw, if they're your thing, that you can buy over at Leaving Records. They've put up the "Third Movement from the A-Side" for free download, if you want to dip a toe in first.
Anyway. Matthewdavid: Monitor his Soundcloud, peruse his Myspace--he's going to be big, so remember: it's not that much money, just buy the album.
