Matmos- Ultimate Care II (2016)

 I will probably end up writing about every Matmos record at some point, all of them have such unique concepts that each one deserves a separate recommendation. I guess Ultimate Care II is a good place to start as it’s the album that got me into Matmos in the first place.

First thing everyone should now is that this is a 40 minute remix of a washing machine cycle. It might sound like a elaborate joke that doesn’t get more interesting than the idea itself but in reality it’s a solid, well-paced electronic piece. It’s consistently entertaining, maybe except for couple of minutes of uninterrupted washing machine noises. Still it’s not really an issue, it has a purpose in the context of the record, I guess to show what the machine sounded like before they started banging on it with various objects. Matmos absolutely explored the concept they chose to its full potential, over the course of its nine parts it never feels repetitive, some excerpts have more of an industrial feel, some are more ambient. Excerpt nine is a satisfying conclusion, it’s loud and aggressive, really making those lasts minutes of a washing machine cycle more exciting than they seem.
Ultimate Care II is a consistently engaging electronic record and the concept accompanying it makes it all the more memorable and unique. And it’s just a tip of the iceberg when it comes to Matmos records based around a really out-there idea.

Rating: 7.5/10