have i missed any news?

[vesper]

or is matmos just quiet now that dr. daniel teaches at the johns hopkins university? (i kinda feel like i creep saying that, like i'm the moon pix of matmos or something...).

[earl grey]

don't worry man, i share the obsession...

do you check their official site (http://brainwashed.com/matmos/)? it has updates from time to time that don't make it to the matador pages. nothing major at the moment though...

[Fiona]

I think that makes three of us. Could have sworn I read something recently about a new track somewhere but I guess turning 33 wiped more brain cells than anticipated.

[vesper]

on january 12, you guys promised a soon-to-follow and very thrilling update about the next matmos album. inquiring minds, etc, etc!!!!

[Fiona]

Yes! SPILL! Please.

[johansen smith]

Hey guys I've got the scoop: look up

[vesper]

okay, i guess this means that a more in-depth announcement will follow soon. breath: bated.

[vesper]

in other news, i'm totally trying to make it to all these:

FEBRUARY 21, 22, 23

THE STONE
AVENUE C at 2nd STREET
NEW YORK CITY, N.Y.
TEN DOLLARS
ALL AGES

A seriously righteous cluster of events will take place in Manhattan over this weekend at The Stone, courtesy of the curatorial intervention of Zeena Parkins and the overarching hospitality of Stone director John Zorn. It's an overlapping series of shows that brings together East and West Coast friends and co-conspirators from the incestuously extended Matmos family and beyond. We want you to come to all of these if you possibly can (get in). As ever with the Stone, no advance tickets so it's first come, first served. These will be intimate concerts and you should expect people to be trying stuff they wouldn't normally attempt to pull off. Here's the full run down:

2/21 Thursday

10 pm
Bevin Blectum Solo—Gular Flutter
Bevin Blectum (laptop, assorted electronics)
Costumed and with video, all new audio/video from the new album Gular Flutter. Audio by Blevin Blectum. Video by Ryan Junell. The live performance is a study in slo-mo sunspots, high contrast hydraulics, Cascaded Integrator-Combing, and negative acceleration. Epic sound for distressed ifrit. Peculiar winds during the eclipse allow for the rapid cooling of the organism via evaporative water loss and convection from the mucous- covered surfaces. The metal-helmeted cascade-familiar performs maintenance. Shot hot in the hills of Oakland, Ca.

2/22 Friday

8 pm
Phase Chancellor
Martin Schmidt (synth) Jay Lesser (synth) Nate Boyce (synth)
An improvisational 3 synthesizer trio: Ecumenically straddling the modular and digital divide and avoiding any straight answer to the question "to drone or not to drone?". Phase Chancellor skip the presets in favor of intuitive long form progression through a smoky vortex of signal chains.

10 pm
Wobbly and Jay Lesser—solos and a possible duo
Wobbly (dual CDJ, samplers keyboards) Jay Lesser (electronics, laptop, synth)

2/23 Saturday (RK)

8 and 10 pm
MATMOS
Dr. Drew Daniel (laptop, objects) Martin Schmidt (synth, objects)
Matmos are a duo that recently relocated from San Francisco to Baltimore. Their work is all over the place: musique concrete, pop music, rhythmic patterns, free improv, video, sound, actions. For this concert they will present their "cover" of "The Backyard", the final act of the Robert Ashley tele-opera "Perfect Lives" and some newer pieces that focus on pure electronic music. Expect some improvisation and some guest shenanigans.

[Fiona]

So is Matmos going to be the next Matador band to feature in The Wire?

Vesper, if you go to these shows I will expect a detailed account, for real. UGH, I'm green with envy.

[vesper]

yes or no: should i bring my parents to these shows? they will be in town from the 21st to the 24th which means that i (probably) will not be able to make all these shows after all. but maybe i can convince them to come see bevin blectum and/or matmos?

[Fiona]

Well you brought them to see A History of Violence so it couldn't be any more excruciating an experience than that.

[vesper]

that is true. but i also seem to have become wiser in my ways, because i flat out refused to take them to no country for old men. but old habits are hard to kick. besides, they are always asking me about queer theory, so i'll tell them that this is the chance to see it in action.

[vesper]

holy shit, this album is gonna be awesome. "rainbow flag" rules.

[Fiona]

I saw it posted on the blog this afternoon and was sitting at work pining to hear it, knowing it was going to be at least 8 o'clock 'til I got away from my desk.
First thing I did on arriving home: make a cup of tea
Second thing: d/l and listen to mp3.

The artwork's nice alright, though that's not entirely surprising. Any special plans with the packaging? The last album's in particular was beautifully put together.