Cold Blow has built a reputation for left-of-center electronic releases, balancing oddball textures with raw, functional rhythm. This new record fromSleep Mathewcontinues in that spirit: lo-fi, hardware-driven tracks that sit somewhere between electro, machine funk and experimental techno. Touchpoints include Terrence Dixon, Jamal Moss, Delroy Edwards, Scan 7 and the rougher edges of Dutch rhythm music.
Sleep Mathew isn't new to the label, having previously appeared on theBraindancingsplit EP (as Larry Neverheard with Forehard) and the 5-year compilation. Here, though, the artist steps out solo. The tracks were recorded largely live — often with a single microphone dangling in a rehearsal space tucked behind a gym — using MPC, Casio RZ-1 and Yamaha TG-33 setups. Some were mixed down to mono with patch notes on paper, others came from DAW experiments that produced unrepeatable versions. It's music made to be raw, imperfect and direct, more suited for adventurous home listeners and DJs than the main room.