Matmos
Supreme Balloon

They had managed to play everything: they had managed to draw a sound wave from the movement of snails, from the nerve tissues of squids, from liposuctions, from the vaginas of cows. They had helped to make that sonic masterpiece that was Bjork's "Vespertine" into an album rich in sounds: obtained from the electromagnetic waves of human contact, loving, from snow crashing under shoes... they had released a massive and beautiful album that paid homage to a queer America: "The Rose Has Teeth In The Mouth Of The Beast" and now... now, they're back. Everyone was expecting shocking ventures into the depths of sound, pushing boundaries and making, I don’t know... a ladybug on a flower, a cat crapping, make sound? No. They surprise with a much simpler choice: an album for synthesizers only!

“WHAAAAT?" the critics immediately exclaimed as soon as they knew, and perhaps, without listening to the album, they immediately placed negative reviews in their music magazines. Because, you know, this album is starting to be perversely targeted by critics.

And yet, always with unjustifications.

“They don't surprise,” they write.

And just because they don’t use a sheep's vagina or an elephant's testicles as instruments doesn’t mean the album can’t surprise. In fact, the opening "Rainbow Flag" is enough to be swept away: Caribbean jazzed rhythm, almost cabaret-like, unfolding in 3 minutes of pure madness that leads into "Polychords": Touches of Moog, synth that bring joy to Autechrian IDM.

"THERE’S IMITATION! COMPARISON WITH AUTECHRE, WITH THE MOOG... THERE’S NO MORE PERSONALITY!" a critic would say now, defending his ideas.

But how can one not be excited listening to "Mister Mouth"? Alien regurgitated sounds, spasmodic, electronic screeches, delirious synthetic belches... superb! And "Exciter Lamp"? IDM of the latest Four Tet - antielectroacoustic... hints of "A Joy" among reversed moon sounds and crazy video games...

follows "Les Folies Françaises": a small classical-electronic interlude. Marie Antoinette remixed by Aphex Twin: Wendy Carlos in the post-"Switched On Bach" era echoes in violins victimized by torturer synths deforming the classical structure of the symphony making it almost sound as if video games existed as early as the 1700s. Incredible! And it lasts only 2 minutes! But just an intro to what was to come: a mammoth 24-minute title track that sounds like the apocalypse. Almost ambient intro, sepulchral and nocturnal, evolving into a feverish acute Indian enchanting synth, while the other synthesizers proceed in a tribal march that explodes with a dreamy alien continuation worthy of the aforementioned Wendy Carlos of the "Switched On Bach" era.

We are now at collapse. Hypersonic beauty. Absolute, and while we expect another track of pure madness, the concluding "Cloudstopper," a carousel of glitchy diversion lulls us in a fatal embrace of beauty. No more words are needed to define this album. I can only say that Matmos haven’t lost their talent and that the critics can go fuck themselves.