MATTE BLACK emerges from a dark unexplored corner of the San Diego underground to deliver their debut I’M WAVING, NOT DROWNING. Inspired by the elements of the bands they have worked with and moving beyond them, Matte Black delivers a soundtrack of sinister pleasures for an uncertain world as if it was everyone’s last night on Earth. Despite playing together for years, Alex, Bidi and Daniel had never collaborated on their own music. Thus, they made the decision in 2019 to combine years of production and performance experience with their diverse range influences to produce a fresh brand of mechanical tinged dance music. I’M WAVING, NOT DROWNING captures the band’s affinity for dark synthwave while complimenting it with epic, gritty industrial anthems and unabashedly embracing their love of underground techno. Respecting their influences the band have recorded a cover of the Depeche Mode Classic, STRIPPED, which immediately summarizes everything Matte Black stands for musically and personally. The record was mostly written and produced during the global shutdown due to Covid-19, and has spawned an introverted yet relatable sound that captures the feeling not just of the band, but by life in general. The band understood that if they created an album in isolation that touched on topics such as pain, panic and suffering they should also ultimately make it hopeful. To them, the title I’m Waving, Not Drowning isn’t the end, but is in fact, the light at the end of the tunnel.
As Snakes of Russia, Los Angeles based producer Joseph Holiday works hazydark sound design, low end rumble and rolling downtempo beats into tracksthat evoke a dystopian landscape...creating heavy cinematic instrumentalelectronic music that feels as timeless as it does current.
His debut EP “At Home Alone With Lions” came in early 2020, followed byremixes,film work, sound design projects for Ableton Live and Spitfire Audio,and a collaboration with Berlin based artist/composer Robot Koch.
For his upcoming LP release “True Surrender” on Modular Field/Rough Trade, heworked with renowned metal producer Kurt Ballou (Converge, High on Fire,Chelsea Wolfe) at his God City studio in Salem, MA to explore a heavier soundoverall, experimenting with different techniques such as re amping synthsthrough guitar cabinets, drum machines through PA speakers, and live drums...to expand the sonic palette and make his heaviest work to date.
