Matt John - Hypercube 10a

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  • Dependable Perlon regular Matt John's new record for his own Holographic Island imprint begins with "U and Me," a bubbly minimal concoction with the same sort of wobbly bass effect that Petre Inspirescu spun into gold on "Galantar." The similarities end there, though. Where Inspirescu laid down blissful vocal sheets, John's use of the human voice is more functionally rhythmic, with a persistent sample of a deadpan "This is for you." At intervals—usually just as you begin to worry that the record has become overgenerous—the words "This is for me" cue a transition to a whimsical chorus of sorts. It's a cheeky track, but pretty straightforward and, unfortunately, not particularly memorable. Likewise placing vocal repetition at the forefront, the second track asks "Who is that?" about every four seconds over a patient low groove and a bright twittering beat. It shuffles along respectably, but this probably works best as a tool, nothing much evolving over the track's five minutes. A reworking of "Hypercube 10A" rounds out the package, all stifled hiccups and plinks and clipped tambourine smacks. Following "U and Me"'s formula, this version maintains interest with intermittent melodic oases, here a cool bass pattern that edges the track towards moody synth pop before eventually returning to the more routine minimal program. Myself, I hated to see this bass breakdown fade out each time, and impatiently awaited its return. Which is my main misgiving about the record—the most interesting bits are strong, but well in the minority, while the bulk is a little too thin and colorless to demand attention or assert a mood. A couple months down the line, it's hard to imagine reaching for this over the more commanding idiosyncrasies of something like the formidable artist's own juicy Joker Family Park Two.
  • Tracklist
      A1 U and Me (Emotional Eruptions Mix) A2 Her Strange Dream B1 Hypercube 10A
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