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LP
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ABST 017LP
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Abstrakce Records present one of the most rare, interesting, and difficult-to-find of Carl Matthews's cassettes. On vinyl for the first time and remastered by Colin Potter. Composed and recorded at his own home studio in 1991 and influenced by Harmonia and Cluster, Matthews develops a really personal project. A very delicate usage of rhythm machines, samplers, sequencers, e-bowed guitars that show up briefly hinting at a lo-fi Innovative Communication feeling... The capricious nature of these experiments opens many different doors of wonder to the curious heads, easing deep listening away from clichéd Berlin School, new age or krautrock -- the most obvious reference points here --, into a forever-land of non-academic modernism, where to take shelter and briefly vanish. Quiet but not static, mellow but not too new age-y and trippin' but not too trancey, this music finds its own space and character in the world of home recorded electronica. A true jewel of the European electronic underground.
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LP
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BB 313LP
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LP version. Bureau B presents a reissue of Carl Matthews' Call For World Saviours, originally issued in 1984. Mesmerizing DIY electronic music from Cumbria, UK, influenced by the Berlin School but even more by Tim Blake, Call For World Saviours was originally released 1984 on cassette only; this is this music's first time on CD and vinyl.
"Carl Matthews is by no means immune to the maelstrom of geocaching notebooks. Krautrock (tick), guerrilla DIY cassette-era artist (tick), under-rated UK electronic composer (tick). Man with a beard, surrounded by synths. Tick. Best of all, he was once described as the Edgar Froese of Cumbria. The Tangerine Dream legend needs no introduction, but the Cumbrian question deserves further scrutiny. In spite of the irresistible urge felt by many to claim Matthews for the Berlin School, this is unquestionably an artist who wrote music far from the madding krautrock crowd. Instead, he worked in isolation, splendid or otherwise. The question remains, is there a suspension bridge which connects Carl Matthews to the mainland European tradition of Harmonia, Cluster, and Tangerine Dream? 'I was at a crossroads in my life aged 28, early influences were krautrock: NEU!, Kraftwerk, Cosmic Jokers, etc. One day, I was listening to Tim Blake, and my inner voice said ''I can do that!'', Carl recalls. Whilst his music clearly bears the hallmarks of superb craftsmanship -- his mesmerizing soundscapes more than a match for any of his contemporaries -- Carl Matthews was, and still is, a truly independent artist, from the means of production to the published recordings. If it is possible to identify a scene along the lines described above, Matthews was not part of it. 'I was totally alone in doing this; no one was interested in my musical taste at that time. As far as I know the electronic/new wave music scene in Carlisle was virtually zero.' Happily for fans of his music, recent years have seen a resurgence in activity. Unwaveringly self-effacing, Carl Matthews continues to make music which is liberated from the constraints of ego, allowing one to wander the magnetic fields of his imagination. Today, in his own words, he is 'an old guy who likes making sounds for library/production companies', which says it all, really. The signs are all there in Call For World Saviours, music which is both timeless and very much of its time, a disappearing act on the part of its creator whose character nevertheless resonates in every note." --Harry Calvino.
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CD
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BB 313CD
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Bureau B presents a reissue of Carl Matthews' Call For World Saviours, originally issued in 1984. Mesmerizing DIY electronic music from Cumbria, UK, influenced by the Berlin School but even more by Tim Blake, Call For World Saviours was originally released 1984 on cassette only; this is this music's first time on CD and vinyl.
"Carl Matthews is by no means immune to the maelstrom of geocaching notebooks. Krautrock (tick), guerrilla DIY cassette-era artist (tick), under-rated UK electronic composer (tick). Man with a beard, surrounded by synths. Tick. Best of all, he was once described as the Edgar Froese of Cumbria. The Tangerine Dream legend needs no introduction, but the Cumbrian question deserves further scrutiny. In spite of the irresistible urge felt by many to claim Matthews for the Berlin School, this is unquestionably an artist who wrote music far from the madding krautrock crowd. Instead, he worked in isolation, splendid or otherwise. The question remains, is there a suspension bridge which connects Carl Matthews to the mainland European tradition of Harmonia, Cluster, and Tangerine Dream? 'I was at a crossroads in my life aged 28, early influences were krautrock: NEU!, Kraftwerk, Cosmic Jokers, etc. One day, I was listening to Tim Blake, and my inner voice said ''I can do that!'', Carl recalls. Whilst his music clearly bears the hallmarks of superb craftsmanship -- his mesmerizing soundscapes more than a match for any of his contemporaries -- Carl Matthews was, and still is, a truly independent artist, from the means of production to the published recordings. If it is possible to identify a scene along the lines described above, Matthews was not part of it. 'I was totally alone in doing this; no one was interested in my musical taste at that time. As far as I know the electronic/new wave music scene in Carlisle was virtually zero.' Happily for fans of his music, recent years have seen a resurgence in activity. Unwaveringly self-effacing, Carl Matthews continues to make music which is liberated from the constraints of ego, allowing one to wander the magnetic fields of his imagination. Today, in his own words, he is 'an old guy who likes making sounds for library/production companies', which says it all, really. The signs are all there in Call For World Saviours, music which is both timeless and very much of its time, a disappearing act on the part of its creator whose character nevertheless resonates in every note." --Harry Calvino.
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LP
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VOD 145CM-LP
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Limited edition of 444. Includes hand-numbered certificate. Mirage-Tape-Years features music from Carl Matthews's early cassette releases. Music has always been important to Carl Matthews. Especially the German music he got into right from the start, buying albums from Virgin Records in London of bands like Cosmic Couriers, Klaus Schulze, Guru Guru and Amon Duul II. Given that his friends found his music taste a bit disturbing, Carl decided to do his own stuff to give him the freedom to do music he really loved i.e., electronic music. He bought a reel-to-reel, a Korg Polyphonic Ensemble, a Korg MS20 synthesizer and a Korg SQ10 Sequencer. All very limited compared to today's technology but good and interesting sounds could still be produced. Carl produced his first tapes and they found release on labels and distribution outlets. Some of the tracks on this album are from the very first releases Intervention 87 (1981) and Freewheel To Freedom (1981), which were more experimental and minimal incorporating guitar sounds. Other tracks off the albums Aksu (1980), East/West (1981) and Iridescence (1983).
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