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Song of the Day: Norway Doorway by Matmos

Song of the Day: Norway Doorway by Matmos

It’s very hard to recommend and describe this kind of music and this duo. It’s polarizing, not because they sound bad. It’s because they push the envelope so far, it may not be anyone’s wheelhouse. But what is Matmo’s wheelhouse?

You can describe them as musique concrète composers that would make Foley artists blush, but they’re more than that. They’ve sampled pieces of plastic, Smithsonian displays, and a freaking washing machine. And here, in their latest album, pieces of metal. It’s not a gimmick or an afterthought, they make complex sound structures and amplify the qualities of what makes said object sound so ubiquitous to us.

In Norway Doorway, they used a door to be the main feature in this hall of gongs and bells. Feels like I’m in a temple occupied of monks. The titular door just has these elongated creaks with its unhinged hinges. It emulates a haunting trumpet for most of the time. You can hear more of this kind of alchemy and sorcery with other metallic objects on their latest album, Metallic Life Review.

For any electronic enthusiasts, dive into Matmos. Here. There. Anywhere. Because with this experimental group from Baltimore, you’ll have no idea where you might end up.

You can purchase their latest album on Bandcamp and their discography is available on streaming services.

https://matmos.bandcamp.com/album/metallic-life-review

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3 responses to “Song of the Day: Norway Doorway by Matmos”

  1. ajinak Avatar
    ajinak

    David, that was a very perceptive evaluation of Matmos. I’m not very familiar with the experimental electronic music genre and certainly hadn’t heard of this duo until recently.

    To elaborate and build on your discussion, their music sounds like acoustic cinema to my ears as if it’s taking you on a tour around a different world. If sounds could provoke visuals, that would be Matmos, in my opinion.

    The manipulation of ordinary sounds into something more complex and transformative is playful, imaginative, and gently tugs at the creative mind.

    For Norway Doorway and a few other pieces I listened to, I found myself taking an unintended meditative dive into subconscious thoughts. Thanks for sharing this one!

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    1. dmzhan2 Avatar
      dmzhan2

      They are very eccentric and diverse in their sound. I’ve always wanted to know what gear they use to implement these soundscapes from ordinary objects. Even though the medium they use is mundane, their statement is not. Sometimes they do political commentary from their music (ex. Plastic Anniversary and how plastics are detrimental to this Earth). Playful is a great descriptor of them. You can tell they’re having fun with producing these tracks.

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      1. ajinak Avatar
        ajinak

        ”medium is mundane but statement is not” — totally agreed. Everyday “noises” are transduced into purposeful sounds!

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