Michael Patrick Brady

From Supreme Balloon (2008)

I had the privilege of talking with M.C. Schmidt and Drew Daniel of Matmos this weekend, for an upcoming feature in ALARM Magazine. I was not at all surprised to find that they’re very intelligent, thoughtful artists — their work is evidence enough of their depth and creativity — but I was happy to also discover that they’re genuinely nice guys who seem to enjoy talking about what they do. It makes my job a whole lot easier and more pleasant.

We discussed their upcoming albums Treasure State, which they recorded with the Brooklyn-based group So Percussion, and Simultaneous Quodlibet. From what I’ve heard of the new material, they’re a solid addition to an already daring experimental catalog. I’m inspired by Matmos’ ability to find inspiration and new sounds in the most mundane and unlikely objects. I learned a lot from my discussion with Schmidt and Daniel: how to play a cactus as a musical instrument, what it’s like to be publicly dressed down by your experimental music idols, and why an excess of black bile is preventing Daniel from releasing a new Soft Pink Truth record.

Drew Daniel and M.C. Schmidt on The Soft Pink Truth [50s]

On their unrequited desire for high school cheerleaders [57s]

On the Baltimore music scene, of which they are now a part [2m 12s]

I, for one, wouldn’t mind another set of Soft Pink Truth covers in the vein of Do You Want New Wave Or…, but the prospect of fresh, original material from Daniel is also pretty exciting. It’s nice to know, at least, that the side project isn’t defunct; it’s been almost six years since the last release.

So stay tuned to ALARM for what’s sure to be an enthralling feature; my piece on Liars and Sisterworld is still on deck, hopefully out soon. And pick up the new Matmos discs when they come out, support experimental art.