Video: Matmos: "Exciter Lamp"
The notes on YouTube for this new Matmos video say that it a "sort of an homage to Norman McLaren, the Canadian animation/direct sound magus." McLaren apparently made a number of shorts for the National Film Board of Canada in the middle of the 20th century. The most well know of these is his 1952 film "Neighbours", which I hadn't seen before but is worth checking out. Actually, the (pretty amazing) electronic sound design in "Neighbours" isn't a bad reference point for what Matmos are doing here musicially. As with every track from their forthcoming album Supreme Balloon, it was created solely through the use of synths. Like Herbert and Thomas Brinkmann, Matmos have such a distinctive sense of rhythm that track still sounds like them no matter what their sources. And the wonderfully disorienting video has the look of vintage psychedelia. (Full disclosure: Drew Daniel of Matmos is a Pitchfork contributor).
[from Supreme Balloon; due 05/06/08 on Matador]