Montana is known as the Treasure State. Does it make sense to you?

This should really get people's sex drives goin'. Especially if you're into that electro-acoustic stuff... Recently, we saw Matmos & So Percussion perform at the Cedar Cultural Center. It'd been about 4 years since they last played Minnesota at the Walker, and all I can say is that it was definitely worth the wait. As compared to last outings, So Percussion add the needed umph (if ya know what I mean) to Matmos's live set, lending their expert rhythm to such objects as beer cans, chains, and a cactus (see above) to name just a few of the less obvious rhythm makers... Playing for over an hour and a half, the group began with a long improvisation that ended in Steve Reich's music for woodblocks piece (So Percussion are particularly known for their renditions of these...). They then entered into the hysterically epic territory that is, The Treasure State. Each song, accompanied by a video, gave the feeling of a road trip, a concept I feel they captured rather professionally on their latest outing here --buy it on 7/13!!! or if you see them, grab a copy.

The new material is quite possibly the most beautiful I've heard Matmos do since some of the Civil War tracks and disposes of the sinister feeling I hear in a lot of their darker, more industrial tracks (such as: most of Chance to Cut, Tract for Valerie, and so on). It still has a keen sense of humor, and is very fun, but greatly contrasts Supreme Balloon (which is probably due mostly to So Percussion, and the fact that a lot of Matmos's previous albums contrast Supreme Balloon - that was the point, right?). On an aside, the only tracks I recognized other than new material were Rainbow Flag and Polychords (yes, the whole thing!!!) and they were fantastic! I'd normally have reservations about hearing Supreme Balloon songs live (at least over other favorites I have), but they completely melted my face off. ANYWAY- Unfortunately, the recorded version is toned down and less improvised (like always...) as compared to the epic proportions they conquer, or set free, live, but still, they captured their concept well here. As stated before, every track feels like another landscape in a road trip and DON'T FORGET ABOUT THAT CACTUS with a microphone inside... Jawesome tunage.

--M--