100 Unheralded Albums from 2010

So PercussionMatmosTreasure State (Cantaloupe, 7/13/10)

So Percussion & Matmos: “Needles”

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Experimental electronic duo Matmos is a noted contemporary practitioner of musique concrète, a cut-and-paste art form that channels existing sounds into new and surprising pieces. And despite delving into what seems like a juxtaposition to electronic music, Matmos uses Treasure State to team with So Percussion, a Brooklyn quartet that brings to life the works of contemporary composers like David Lang, Iannis Xenakis, and John Cage.

On Treasure State, physical objects — ceramics and metal — are explored, and acoustic instruments play a substantial role on a number of tracks. The pairing sounds natural, and it’s surprising that it didn’t happen sooner.

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