Shall We Continue To Sin So That Mercy May Increase? it is addictive, healing, and hopeful
Matmos is a duo that has accomplished as much in the midst of their solo records as masterpieces A Chance to Cut is a Chance to Heal and producing classic Bjork records like Vespertine. But Drew Daniel, one half of Matmos, is thriving in a strange way. When he’s not literally dreaming up new genres of music, he’s also releasing records under the Soft Pink Truth banner.
Where Matmos tends to focus on a particular musical experiment — using only clinical practice samples or building instruments out of PVC tubes — Soft Pink Truth goes wherever Daniel is wanted. That might be a home record. It would be a bunch of black metal covers. Or, in the case of Shall we continue to sin so that grace may increase?it would be a shockingly beautiful and hopeful meditation on the rise of global fascism.
Let’s continue a more subtle record than Daniel’s solo efforts. It trades in the distortion and house beats of previous material for something soothing and healing. Although there are many field recordings and samples used extensively, as you can find on the Matmos record, he errs towards more live and ambient textures than Daniel’s other projects.
The first track, “Shall,” sets the stage with unsettling drones, unruly noise, and a chorus that hums dangerously at the edge of an uncanny valley. It’s a reflection of what we’re leaving behind as the album kicks into gear with the slow beat of the new era “We.” The four-on-the-floor’s muted kick is accompanied by percussion, sweeping winds, a woman’s vocal run, and a peekaboo piano. The song gradually gathers momentum, as the arrangement gets busy and reaches the clouds.
“Go” follows “We”‘s mellow dance journey with a call to prayer, before leading into the beachy “On,” with its ghostly chorus of vocals, shimmering piano, and finely stripped synths.
All of this adds up, however, to what is undoubtedly the album’s highlight, “Sinning.” Abstract saxophone riffs dance with bells and vibraphones as some simple four-on-the-floor kicks inject the jam with an undeniable groove.
I chose that word “jam,” on purpose, too. Where Soft Pink’s true records and most of Matmos’ catalog are composed primarily of samples, We will continue… they rely heavily on live instruments and musicians exchanging ideas in real time. Where Are you having a party? He listens carefully; We will continue… you feel automatically. It is compelling in its celebration of human creativity and the power of art to heal.
“So” descends after the joyous celebration of “Sinning,” with the saxophones serving as our gateway to the back half of the album, which, like the rest, is a seamless mix. Their simple two-note drone becomes a recurring motif that the other instruments build upon, from the piano pedal that reinforces the chaos of “That,” to the jazzy blast of “Grace,” which sounds suspiciously like a car alarm with a nervous breakdown.
“May Increase” uses its four-plus minute running time to encapsulate everything “That” is built upon. All the chaos, all the noise, until finally a deep breath comes out.
Soft Pink Truth’s Shall Do We Continue to Sin So That Grace May Increase? available at Bandcamp and many major streaming platforms, incl Music on YouTube, Apple Music, Spotifyagain Deezer.
