ben parris - from rave to the grave (matmos rmxs)

June 5, 2008

12” vinyl and digital release courtesy of foundsound records...

foundsound-18

artist: ben parris

title: from rave to the grave

remixes by: matmos

release date: june 23, 2008

foundsound returns with another brain-blurring gem courtesy of baltimore’s ben parris, shrewdly titled from rave to the grave – featuring remixes by matmos (real names drew daniel and martin schmidt). and for those of you oddly unfamiliar with matmos, shame on you! maybe you know the duo for playing alongside björk, or for their countless albums on matador and other labels. or maybe you know drew daniel as the soft pink truth on herbert’s soundslike label. their list of accomplishments goes on and on. and on from rave to the grave, you get four tracks on vinyl, plus a fifth digital bonus remix. and this time around, ben parris delves deeper into his own trademark off-kilter sequencing and subtle dexterity – fed by quirky samples, trip-trailing delays, wavering textures, organic drums, subtle climaxes, and a keen focus on abstract structure with a calculated groove that djs can appreciate. furthermore, reviving an old tradition from the '80s, the tracks “wellsmellingyesterday” and “schmurtisstrasse” are offered in two different versions each, the ‘12” edits’ on the vinyl, and the longer digital versions that will better fit the needs of today's digital dj. so what you get is super-druggy, bubbly, bouncy minimal house that gurgles, a funky-ass safari ride that’ll make you bust out dance moves that you never knew you had before, and a deep, stompy, slightly tribal, pleasantly haunting house number driven by conga drums, airy samples and dusty organ stabs. as for the two remixes by matmos, you can clunk your way through a stripped-down minimal house groove and witty sound-play reminiscent of herbert, meanwhile the digital bonus remix offers electronic music-ish broken beats, chaotic percussion mayhem, and brilliantly funny disfigurations of the original sounds. and lastly, as a ghost once said...boo!