Artists
Album Info
Release Date: 2011Label: Songlines Recordings
Smart Matter reveals a talented, big-ears collective who love playing together and are always looking for new ways to reach listeners with music that doesn’t sacrifice smarts to accessibility (and vice versa). They’ve integrated their influences (including Stan Getz and Bill McHenry, Wayne Krantz and Ben Monder, and Radiohead and electronica and for Adam) into an original sound. As their press kit puts it, “Turtleboy blends concepts from free jazz and other parts of the jazz tradition with aspects of indie rock, creating an experience that is ‘steeped in atmospheric space, loose grooves and intelligent improvised interactions.’ More often than not the emphasis is on a group sound and collective improvisation rather than any one person’s solo, and the band has worked tirelessly to create a seamless blend of total music.” The twin poles of ambient soundscaping and prog rock are noticeable here and there, as are grunge and minimalism; throughout there’s an emphasis on melody and concision. The record includes a Radiohead cover (“Pyramid Song”) and a classic of Canadian folk, “Northwest Passage”, in an instrumental/vocal arrangement (wordless vocals are used on some other tunes as texture). All three musicians contribute two or three compositions each.