Saturday: Matmos @ Velvet Lounge

"This is the one where they play the electrified cow uterus!"

Immediately, I woke from my work-induced, waking slumber and turned to see my friend, Mark, grinning at me like a psycho, impatiently waiting for my reaction. The album was The Rose Has Teeth in the Mouth of a Beast by Matmos, a queer, Baltimore-based, electronica duo. Now I don't know about you, but when I hear the words, "they play an electrified cow uterus," my mind goes back to my undergraduate years in NY and every horrible, inexplicable, d-baggy "performance art" piece I was somehow convinced to sit through. Needless to say, I was skeptical, but I was quickly proven wrong. It was totally weird, and off-kilter, and unlike anything I'd ever heard before. But in the most interesting way.

Upon further listening, I started to realize that their music is about more than gimmickry or provocation. Each strange sound and unconventional instrument (e.g. bowed rat cages, five-gallon buckets of oatmeal, and, most famously, the amplified synapses of a crayfish) serves as an integral part of the larger story they're trying to tell. For example, each of the ten tracks on 2006's The Rose Has Teeth... is a "sound portrait" of a famous queer historical figure. To represent author Patricia Highsmith and her well-documented obsession with snails, they let a bunch of snails loose within the range of a light-sensitive theremin. The result sounds like the score of a sexy film noir set in space. On their latest release, Supreme Balloon, the goal was to not use a single acoustic instrument on the entire album. It's definitely more danceable and, surprisingly, a little lighter and less esoteric than their previous work. You can discover them for yourself when they're in town this Saturday for DC Sonic Circuits at Velvet Lounge. Chances are they won't be pulling any cow parts out on stage this go around, but you never know. If you're a die-hard audiophile or just into stepping out of your comfort zone and checking out something you've probably never experienced before, I highly recommend it. Have fun! Details are below:

Saturday, October 4, 2008; Music: 2:30 p.m. – 2:00 a.m.
Tickets: $10 at the door (doors open 2:00 p.m.)
Matmos are schedule to perform around 10:30 p.m.


Velvet Lounge - 915 U Street NW, Washington DC 20001