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CD
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FLAT 005CD
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"Is nuclear power a pollution-free solution to the world's energy needs? Or is it a dangerous ticking time bomb? The answers, of course, are contained in his latest release, New Clear Days. Unlike most people (who have already made up their minds) Matt Haines is not quite sure what to think about all those little subatomic particles zooming around. But rather than lose sleep over it, he's decided to work through these issues on his latest album. This is the tenth full-length album for Haines, but the first to be released on his own label, In Flatabl Labl. From the beginning the label has had a loser-focused strategy: to release music that is structurally and rhythmically interesting, and that has a high ideas-per-minute ratio. In other words, it thumbs its nose at DJ-oriented music and its so-called experimental offspring. The label's motto is 'Say it fast, say it well, and move on'."
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CD
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VFORM 030CD
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"Yes, he's aware that title might just have been used before and, yes, that's (partly at least,) why the man known to his mates as Matt Haines, has adopted the Rip Off Artist monicker... (previous ROA albums include Electric Ladyland, Pump and Brian Salad Surgery... you get the picture...). Top drawer, esoteric techno house with a melodic undertow (often just plain old fashioned 'catchy'), Pet Sounds blends acrobatic digital workouts with occasional droll lyrics and never-less-than-propulsive neo-funk grooves. The Rip Off Artist is the alias of Los Angeles resident Matt Haines who runs his own inflatable label and is infamous for re-inventing his personal history on a regular basis. Whether or not he's really a Mexican émigré, part-time country session musician or an off-duty oil rig operative, Haines has recorded for the likes of Mille Plateaux, Bottrop-Boy and Massive Advance and has worked with Atom Heart's Uwe Schmidt, amongst others."
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12"
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VFORM 029EP
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"A stonking double-header, this latest release comprises two compelling sides of utilitarian digi-funk from the techno house top drawer. Ornamented with shards of electronic glitz and a beguiling (and, dammit, dead catchy!) vocal chorus hymning the diminutive 1/8 jack socket of the title, the a side is propulsive, mesmeric dance floor fare with the ROA's trademark wit at full throttle. AA-side double diamond also hammers along like a demented heartbeat machine, while all manner of digital scree erupts, making woofers woof like big old hounds and tweeters shriek for joy."
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CD
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HOT AIR004
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"A very fine 14 track CD by Mr. Matt Haines, this is nothing like the 7" release Why Do Birds Sing? also out on Hot Air, it contains NO whistling and instead sways back and forth between highly electrical surge spike rhythms and perfect serene electro-dub, quite often within the same track. If sometimes the more abstract noises in this release sound vaguely familiar that's because Matt is also responsible for much of Atom's (Rather Interesting) Kyma patch programming, ie; he made a lot of those weird digital sounds for him... Not to worry the rest of the CD has a catchiness all its own, sound so clean you can eat off it and more rhythmic twists, morphs and mutations per track than the wildlife surrounding Sellafield. Definitely a Brain of two halves."
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CD
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QS 105CD
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"Matt Haines, a.k.a. The Rip-Off Artist, went over to the dark side a couple of years ago. Before that, he was happy making little dinky dance tunes, mostly in the electro and drum-n-bass genres. Using names like Mental Blox, Control-X and Front BC, he released four albums and seventeen singles, and even ran an electro label called Spinyl for a few years. But then everything grew dim. Unbeknownst to Mr. Haines, the local electricity company, in an effort to save costs and increase profits, had gradually been reducing the voltage they delivered. While they claimed it was US standard 117 volts, it had dipped to just over 90 volts before their plot was discovered. Meanwhile, their customers' lights grew dimmer, which had a subtle but undeniable effect: paranoia and other mental problems. There were thirty-seven reported cases of psychological stress directly connected with this incident. Mr. Haines was one poor victim, but fortunately his was a mild case. Mr. Haines has for the most part recovered, and is living in seclusion in the Los Angeles area. Perhaps fortunately for us, there have been lasting effects however. When he had recovered enough to attempt production again, he found that his music had changed. No longer was it the happy, carefree, mindless dance music of before. Instead, it had mutated into something bizarre, like oversized fluorescent mushrooms in some dark radioactive closet. The beats remain, but fall apart almost as soon as they materialize. Voices enter at random, sounds that shouldn't be used together are used together. What were once friendly little synthesizer melodies are now dark, or crazed, but mostly nonsense. Quatermass has seen fit to release some of this nonsense on the album The Kids Are Alright."
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