Matmos

Interview: Dan Deacon on the importance (or lack thereof) of formal music education

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Dan Deacon: AmericaDan Deacon: America (Domino, 8/27/12)

“Lots”

Dan Deacon: “Lots”

In a police lineup of today’s most unique young composers, Dan Deacon would be easy to spot: big, red hipster glasses and a big, red half-moon beard. But despite the “charming doofus” look, Deacon’s blend of synthesizers, vocal effects, and acoustic percussion is some of the smartest electronic music around, and he owes its complexity at least in part to his time studying composition at the Conservatory of Music at SUNY Purchase. Here he discusses what his education meant to him, the enormity of student debt, and forcing musicians to study math.

Matmos

Review: Matmos’s The Ganzfeld EP

Matmos: The Ganzfeld EPMatmos: The Ganzfeld EP (Thrill Jockey, 10/16/12)

“Very Large Green Triangles”

Matmos: “Very Large Green Triangles”

You’re in a chair, wearing headphones, with white noise hissing fuzzily at you from either side. Ping-pong balls have been scissored in half and set over your eyes, with a purplish light beaming at you from just inches away. You can’t see. You are told that the experiment will last 30 minutes. It may not work.

100 Unheralded Albums from 2010

Among the thousands of under-appreciated or under-publicized albums that were released in 2010, hundreds became our favorites and were presented in ALARM and on AlarmPress.com. Of those, we pared down to 100 outstanding releases, leaving no genre unexplored in our list of this year’s overlooked gems.

MoogFest 2010

MoogFest 2010: A look at the electronic festival’s move to Asheville

Despite its history and charm, Asheville, North Carolina isn’t widely known as a destination for music and culture.  Many associate the town with the Blue Ridge Parkway, hippie drumming, and maybe Black Mountain College, a progressive institution that closed in 1957 but once was a center for artists like Merce Cunningham and John Cage.  But look deeper and you’ll also find a contemporary music scene, classy bars, and a population of locals that are culturally aware and proud of their town.

And they’re nice — like deep-South nice.  Maybe that’s why Robert Moog decided to spend the last 25 years of his life there.

Jónsi

Contest: Win passes to Moogfest 2010 in Asheville, NC

Another week, another contest from ALARM. This time, we’re giving one reader a chance to win a pair of weekend passes to Moogfest, a major three-day electronic festival that has moved from New York to Asheville, North Carolina. Total retail value of these babies is $369. Moogfest 2010 is taking place in venues all over Asheville during Halloween weekend, Oct. 29, 30, and 31.

Matmos

Matmos: Experimental IDM Wizards Coax Notes From a Cactus

Matmos members M.C. Schmidt and Drew Daniel succeed avant-garde composers David Lang, Iannis Xenakis, and John Cage, creating musique concrète with electronics, tin foil, synths, cacti, boardgames, and whatever else happens to strike an interesting chord.

Moogfest 2010 unveils big names and hidden gems

The beloved, yearly music festival known as Moogfest is back. Usually held in New York City, Moogfest 2010 will be in Asheville, North Carolina, Robert Moog’s former home, to honor the late legend’s contributions to modern music. AC Entertainment has released its ever-expanding lineup, featuring artists carving out their own places in history as creative pioneers.

Taking place over Halloween weekend, from October 29-31, Moogfest 2010 will host performances in venues all over the historical city. Our favorites include El-P, Matmos, Jon Hopkins, Dan Deacon, DJ Spooky, Massive Attack, Four Tet, Jónsi, and RJD2.