Chamberlain, Matt

Chamberlain, Matt

S/t

Web Of Mimicry

Prompted to creation, in a way, by the legendary session drummer Hal Blaine’s under-appreciated record Psychedelic Percussion, Matt Chamberlain’s debut solo record conjures up the forgotten possibilities of the good old ‘drummer and studio’ paradigm. The record ends up functioning like a sordid dream intertwined with some haunting movie memories (think Telly Savalas... think Enter the Dragon). It’s easy to picture zombie karate fights taking place in lush overflowing gardens, and out-of-place Italian furniture being cracked over heads. You almost hear the appropriately thrown-together orchestra being directed by a genetically altered Georgio Moroder right there on the set... and that creeps you out during the few genuinely romantic sex scenes. Kind of like Goldfrapp, Chamberlain has ignored the rules of passe and boldly crafted a sleek and palpable form of post-trendy, modern exotica. Utilizing the all-pro string arrangement skills of Eyvind Kang, percussion instruments from far off places and planets, archaic electronics, analog sythesizers, outer space spaghetti western guitar, and sonically mutilated drum-kits of every size and make, Chamberlain’s debut album is a full-bodied record that will sit proudly next to Lalo Shiffrin, Autechre, Martin Denny, Amon Tobin, David Axelrod, Hal Blaine and Critters Buggin records.