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Metamatics: EP01 |
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(Clear - Limited run) |
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"Meander" |
While I've enjoyed nearly every release from Clear (now celebrating their second anniversary), when I received the first of four new 12"s from their latest signing, Metamatics, my jaw dropped Tex Avery-style. Hey, it's not often that I notice a 4/4 running through a Clear record! My amazement continued as "Repeater" revealed its quivering, sea-anemone melody, old school Detroit bassline (maybe closer to Psyance on +8?) and a no-frills, house-oriented drum pattern (I can almost hear DJs begging for a mix with the kick more in the forefront). The "aa" side harbors "Meander," showing off more wilting note and kinetic drum patterns. Additional melodies fill out the sparse arrangements, and prime the listener for the dramatic drop of an abnormally deep bassline -- the kind LFO used to warn us about. I've played this one about a dozen times writing this review, and will probably cue up another ten after I'm done ... The cuts on Metamatics' first are as delightfully quirky as the rest of the Clear staples, but are also monster, workhorse tracks that manage to bridge older Detroit material with its current trend towards minimalism. A powerful combination. -DS
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