 | This article's lead section may be too short to adequately summarize the key points.(September 2021) |
| Plastic Anniversary | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | March 15, 2019 | |||
| Studio | ||||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 40:20 | |||
| Label | Thrill Jockey | |||
| Matmos chronology | ||||
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Plastic Anniversary is the eleventh studio album by experimental electronic duo Matmos. It was released on March 15, 2019.
All of the album's sounds originate from plastic objects. Matmos intended the album to explore our relationship to plastic and how its qualities of "durability, portability, and longevity" are both useful for humans and harmful to the environment. [1] The album also celebrates the couple's 25th anniversary. [2] It was released through Thrill Jockey on March 15, 2019. [1] The label offered a pink and green recycled vinyl edition available exclusively through mail order. [1] A deluxe box set, signed by the artists, contains a limited edition color vinyl release of the record, a bonus track, a t-shirt, and an unplayable/sculptural record made with plastic bottles (with a display stand). Proceeds from the box set go to The Ocean Cleanup, a Dutch engineering nonprofit that develops technology to remove ocean plastic pollution. [3]
The album's first single, "Silicone Gel Implant", features a silicone breast implant, plastic flutes, and a PVC pan flute. Deerhoof's Greg Saunier plays percussion on plastic objects. [1]
| Aggregate scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Metacritic | 76/100 [4] |
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [5] |
| Exclaim! | 8/10 [6] |
| PopMatters |   [7] |
| Pitchfork | 7.6/10 [8] |
Plastic Anniversary received generally positive reviews from critics. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream publications, the album received an average score of 75, based on 13 reviews. [4] In the review for AllMusic, Heather Phares claimed, "At once vibrantly creative and deeply disturbing, Plastic Anniversary is filled with nearly as many dualities as Matmos themselves. Over the years, they've turned what could be a gimmicky approach into an enduring and frequently profound form of expression, and Plastic Anniversary is both relevant to its time and another well-conceived, thought-provoking chapter in their long-running career." [5]
Reviewing the album for Exclaim , Daniel Sylvester stated "Sometimes it's the pure novelty of a Matmos album that makes it so enjoyable. Sometimes it's that same novelty that makes it hard to separate the medium from the message. On Plastic Anniversary, the Baltimore duo aren't afraid to triumphantly straddle the line between these two truths." [6] Spyros Stasis reviewed the album for PopMatters , concluding that "Plastic Anniversary showcases how it is possible for an artist to find inspiration even in the most mundane. And from those everyday, ordinary (and some not so ordinary) sources, they can elevate their artistic intentions to a higher level." [7]
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Breaking Bread" | 2:28 |
| 2. | "The Crying Pill" | 4:24 |
| 3. | "Interior with Billiard Balls & Synthetic Fat" | 4:12 |
| 4. | "Extending the Plastisphere to GJ237b" | 0:10 |
| 5. | "Silicone Gel Implant" | 4:31 |
| 6. | "Plastic Anniversary" | 4:06 |
| 7. | "Thermoplastic Riot Shield" | 4:05 |
| 8. | "Fanfare for Polyethylene Waste Containers" | 4:00 |
| 9. | "The Singing Tube" | 3:00 |
| 10. | "Collapse of the Fourth Kingdom" | 5:02 |
| 11. | "Plastisphere" | 4:20 |
| Total length: | 40:20 | |
| Chart (2019) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| US Dance/Electronic Album Sales ( Billboard ) [9] | 6 |
Matmos is an experimental electronic music duo formed in San Francisco and currently based in Baltimore. M. C. (Martin) Schmidt and Drew Daniel are the core members, but they frequently include other artists on their records and in their performances, including notably J Lesser. Apart from releasing twelve full-length studio albums and numerous collaborative works, Matmos is also well known for their collaboration with Icelandic singer and musician Björk, both on studio recordings and live tours. After being signed to Matador Records for nine years, Matmos signed with Thrill Jockey in 2012. The name Matmos refers to the seething lake of evil slime beneath the city Sogo in the 1968 film Barbarella.
A Chance to Cut Is a Chance to Cure is the fourth studio album by American electronic music duo Matmos, released in 2001. The album consists primarily of samples of medical procedures, including plastic surgeries, liposuctions, hearing tests and bonesaws. The album maintains a sense of humour in contrast with the serious nature of the audio being sampled. The exception to the medical samples is the song "For Felix ", a piece dedicated to their deceased pet rat Felix, performed entirely on his cage.
The Civil War is the fifth studio album by experimental duo Matmos, released via Matador Records. It explores the boundaries between Americana, Medieval folk music and electronica. It features many live instruments such as drums, brass and guitars. A hurdy-gurdy is also sampled. There is also a satirical take on "Stars and Stripes Forever".
"California Rhinoplasty" is a song and an EP by Matmos. The song is originally found on their 2001 album A Chance to Cut Is a Chance to Cure. The recording is composed entirely from samples of plastic surgery performed in California, augmented by a nose flute.
The Rose Has Teeth in the Mouth of a Beast is the sixth studio album by Matmos. Each of the album's songs is dedicated to a notable gay or lesbian person who has influenced the duo, and this influence is reflected in the songs themselves. For examples, "Rag for William S. Burroughs" features the clatter of a type writer and a gunshot, representing the William Tell incident, and "Tract for Valerie Solanas" contains excerpts from the SCUM Manifesto.
Supreme Balloon is a 2008 studio album by American electronic music duo Matmos, released via Matador Records.
Ambivalence Avenue is a studio album by English folk/electronica musician Bibio, released in 2009. It is his first album on Warp.
Dear is the twenty-fourth studio album by Japanese experimental band Boris. Released on 14 July 2017 through Sargent House record label, it marks the band's 25th anniversary. The music video for the track "Absolutego", which shares its title with the band's 1996 debut, was also released in May 2017.
Love in Shadow is the third studio album by American post-metal band Sumac. It was released on September 21, 2018 through Thrill Jockey. Like the band's experimental collaboration with Keiji Haino earlier in 2018, much of the album was recorded improvisationally. Love in Shadow was followed by a tour of the United States in early 2019.
Ultraviolet is a 2018 album by Kelly Moran, released on Warp. The album has received positive reviews.
20 Years in a Montana Missile Solo is the sixteenth studio album by American band Pere Ubu. It was released on September 29, 2017, through Cherry Red Records. The album was dedicated to Paul Hamann, the engineer owner of Suma Recording Studio, who died on September 14, 2017.
The Centre Cannot Hold is the fifth studio album by Australian musician Ben Frost. It was released on 29 September 2017 through Mute Records.
Mechanics of Dominion is the sixth studio album by Canadian band Esmerine. It was released on October 20, 2017 through Constellation Records.
Soil is the debut studio album by American singer and songwriter Serpentwithfeet. It was released on June 8, 2018, by Secretly Canadian and Tri Angle.
The Fun Ones is the seventh studio album by American musician RJD2. It was released on April 17, 2020, through RJ's Electrical Connections, with distribution via The Orchard. It features guest appearances from Aceyalone, Homeboy Sandman, Jordan Brown, Khari Mateen and STS.
Shall We Go on Sinning So That Grace May Increase? is a studio album by American musician Drew Daniel, under his experimental side project The Soft Pink Truth. It was released on May 1, 2020 under Thrill Jockey.
Another Life is the debut studio album by Finnish electronic music duo Amnesia Scanner. It was released on September 7, 2018, by PAN.
The Consuming Flame: Open Exercises in Group Form is the twelfth studio album by experimental electronic music duo Matmos, released on August 21, 2020 through Thrill Jockey.
Something Shines is the third studio album from the French singer Lætitia Sadier, was released on 23 September, 2014, under Drag City records.
Return to Archive is the fourteenth studio album by electronic duo Matmos, released on November 3, 2023. It uses non-music material sourced from the Smithsonian Folkways collection in its composition; the album itself was commissioned to commemorate Folkways' 75th anniversary.
