IdleRich reviews Matt B

OK, well the other reviewers have done something more interesting than merely listing the songs and saying what they like about each but, in the absence of any clever ideas I’m going to do it the old fashioned and simple way. Got the cd through the door already knowing it was from Matt but not really sure what to expect except for a vague idea that he was a contributor to Woofer and therefore likely to be into reggae and other related music…. to my surprise however, after a spoken sample the tape kicks off with a couple of hard rocking tunes from Bitch Magnet and Fury. I really struggle with this kind of stuff I have to be honest and I don’t think either of these is going to be the one to reel me in. Of the two I much prefer the second, which is far more aggressive and raw with a desperate and on edge sounding vocal ramping up the excitement levels and competing with the pummelling drums to force its way into your head. It does what it wants to quickly and effectively making its predecessor seem bloated in comparison.
After these things take an immediate turn for the better; I’ve always enjoyed Captain Beefheart without feeling the need to track down all his stuff and the next track – Here I Am I Always Am – is new to me and also rather good. It’s catchy and filled with tempo changes and sticks in your head to the extent that I’ve often found myself humming it at random points of the day. The next track is an uncharacteristically (from what I’ve heard) hooky number from Albert Ayler – it’s quite similar to Beefheart but also somewhat odder with the way that bits unexpectedly drop out and the vocal is stuttered or just stops at one point. Love the all over the place drumming later on that sounds like some nutter whacking fuck out of some pots and pans…. but I think I’m noticing a pattern of sorts here now with tunes coming in pairs that are arguably similar. This continues with Patches by Clarence Carter and a disco tune from Barry White. I did some research here (did I cheat?) and apparently Patches was a big and “sentimental” hit for CC in the seventies but it’s new one to me. Well, it certainly is sentimental, it’s also fucking brilliant with a massive chorus and a great cheesy story of battles against poverty and adversity that has me almost in tears when I listen to it drunk and which I listen to many times when I’m drunk. I love this kind of stuff and this is great. Also enjoy the next one, a relatively restrained vocal performance from White over a slinky, multicoloured slice of disco. Not quite as good as its predecessor but a worthy follower I think.
OK, after the last pair we get a couple of more electronic things. The first – Cathart by Isan – sounds like it would fit easily on to a seventies electronic library (kind of reminded me of the Klaus Weiss one I put on the tape I made for Matt in fact, in feel and sound if not really in song structure) except rounded out to give you a full experience - instead of frustratingly finishing after 38 seconds and leaving you with the dawning realisation that the rest of the album is total bobbins which is the listening experience I associate with the average library track. It feels cold and sounds like a signal from outer space though probably not one to us, just something we might catch part of by accident as it passes through our galaxy and that we will never be able to understand. Yeah, I like it a lot.
Some of this feel is preserved for the next track - Shackleton remixed by Pole – except the sounds this is created from seem to be more earth bound, sonic detritus in fact, unwanted noises from machines that are designed for other purposes – which is a round about way of saying that the I’m pretty sure that the main instrument here is a photocopier fleshed out with a few more exotic bendy sounds as it nears the end. It’s got a kind of funky little groove to it with Pole’s trademark warm glitches on top, another very nice track.
And now some of the predicted reggae starts to show up beginning with LV feat Dandelion and a track called CCTV – an inspired follow up to the previous track as it keeps the same kind of low key groove going and uses a related sound palette, becoming more cinematic and slinky in feel as it continues until finally it’s replaced with another cinematic and ghostly (and wicked I should say) reggae tune from The Shanti-ites. Next more reggae and I don’t really need to say much about this track having already asked what it was on dissensus (it’s listed as “?” on the listing as it’s an uncredited b-side) and bought it – I will say that everyone who has been round my house when I’ve played it has asked what it was so it should be clear that it’s really good. Then some Lee Perry with a track that reminds me in a weird kind of way of Double Heart by Robert Rental, one of my all time favs – although it doesn’t really sound anything like it, must be something similar in the lyrics I suppose although it’s called Nuh Fe Run Down which doesn’t tie in too well either.
Then our selector obviously decided it was time for a change in pace, DJ Vadim feat Demolition Man with a hectic (or at least hectic compared to the last few tunes) slice of reggae hip-hop, good fun and with one really cool noise that keeps cropping up when you least expect it. The next track raises the energy levels higher still, K-Rock/Linda Lovelace “Brock Up, Mash Up” consists entirely of those lyrics in a brilliant/annoying high pitched voice over huge electronic bass and beats. It’s effervescent and another I find myself humming after just one listen. The next track I can’t quite read the title of but it could be Cancer Queen which would be good because it’s the name of a book I just read. Either way it’s made from a vocal loop and sirens and a wired bassline which crashes in every now and again for that added danceability factor, after a few listens it struck me what a funky track this is. Saying this is strikes me that one thing I ought to make clear in general about this tape is that I’d definitely like to hear a few of these tunes out – although probably not the next one, a reworking of the Penis Song from Monty Python over some breakbeat drumming with the odd bit of computerised stretching thrown in every now and again.
Two hip-hop tracks next – Murs first up and I’m not really feeling it that much I’m afraid. A powerful lyric is backed with a beat that’s not really interesting enough to engage you for the whole thing and the hodge-podge of samples doesn’t really grab me either. The next track from Mr Lif starts more interestingly but again doesn’t really keep that interest until the end.
Then Fairport Convention, a band I’ve never quite been able to make my mind up about. My friend played me some of their stuff that was nice but some of it is just plain annoying. This one – Angel Delight – is somewhere in the middle for my money. It certainly has an annoying edge to it but somehow survives that to make it a kind of marmite type pleasure. I need to listen to the lyrics more carefully to figure out even roughly what is going on in what appears to be a narrative but it seems to be something a little strange to say the least.
Then finally a track called Fucked Up, an appropriate ending to a great mix. An irreverent bit of exuberant punk swearing that sounds as though the band are enjoying it and you can’t be going too far wrong if you’ve got that coming through in your tunes. So overall, a really good mixture of styles with some killer selections (Isan, Clarence Carter, ? etc) and, inevitably, a few I wasn’t quite so keen on and which never takes itself too seriously – which is exactly what you’re hoping for when you sign up here, to find out about someone else’s tastes and what makes them click musically. I think I’ve had a good whistle-stop tour round part of Matt’s collection and I like it – sounds like it would be a good place to go and visit properly and spend more time in the bits I liked the best. Thanks a lot for this Matt and same to Dan for organising.