Plastic Anniversary

Last updated

Plastic Anniversary
Plastic Anniversary.jpg
Studio album by
ReleasedMarch 15, 2019 (2019-03-15)
Studio
Genre
Length40:20
Label Thrill Jockey
Matmos chronology
Ultimate Care II
(2016)
Plastic Anniversary
(2019)
The Consuming Flame
(2020)

Plastic Anniversary is the eleventh studio album by experimental electronic duo Matmos. It was released on March 15, 2019.

Contents

Production

M. C. Schmidt and Drew Daniel of Matmos, pictured in 2006 Matmos.jpg
M. C. Schmidt and Drew Daniel of Matmos, pictured in 2006

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]

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic 76/100 [4]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svg [5]
Exclaim! 8/10 [6]
The Line of Best Fit 6/10 [7]
musicOMH Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svg [8]
Pitchfork 7.6/10 [9]
PopMatters 8/10 [10]
Q Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [11]
Resident Advisor 3.6/5 [12]
Tiny Mix Tapes Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [13]
Under the Radar 8/10 [14]

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 76, based on 16 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." [10]

Track listing

No.TitleLength
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

Charts

Chart (2019)Peak
position
US Dance/Electronic Album Sales ( Billboard ) [15] 6

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Daramola, Israel (December 13, 2018). "Matmos Announce New Album 'Plastic Anniversary'". Spin . Archived from the original on December 14, 2018. Retrieved December 15, 2018.
  2. Otis, Erik (January 18, 2019). "Matmos to Release New Album Crafted Entirely from Sounds Sourced from Plastic Objects". XLR8R . Archived from the original on February 22, 2019. Retrieved February 21, 2019.
  3. Blistein, Jon (January 29, 2019). "Experimental Duo Matmos Detail Plastic Anniversary Deluxe Edition". Rolling Stone . Archived from the original on February 3, 2019. Retrieved February 11, 2019.
  4. 1 2 "Critic Reviews for Plastic Anniversary". Metacritic . Retrieved March 22, 2019.
  5. 1 2 Phares, Heather (March 15, 2019). "Plastic Anniversary - Matmos". AllMusic . Retrieved March 22, 2019.
  6. 1 2 Sylvester, Daniel (March 12, 2019). "Matmos Plastic Anniversary". Exclaim! . Retrieved March 16, 2019.
  7. Chapman, Tom (March 14, 2019). "Matmos' Plastic Anniversary is a fascinating if imperfect return". The Line of Best Fit . Retrieved August 15, 2025.
  8. Devlin, Ben (March 17, 2019). "Matmos – Plastic Anniversary". musicOMH . Retrieved August 15, 2025.
  9. Richardson, Mark (March 19, 2019). "Matmos: Plastic Anniversary Album Review". Pitchfork . Retrieved May 15, 2022.
  10. 1 2 Stasis, Spyros (March 13, 2019). "Matmos Arrive with an Arsenal of Plastic Sources on Their Anniversary". PopMatters . Retrieved March 16, 2019.
  11. Plastic Anniversary is flexible, addictive and, ultimately, deeply disturbing. [May 2019, p.115]
  12. Lynch, Will (March 18, 2019). "Matmos - Plastic Anniversary". Resident Advisor . Retrieved August 15, 2025.
  13. Plume, Nom de. "Matmos - Plastic Anniversary". Tiny Mix Tapes . Retrieved August 15, 2025.
  14. Dransfield, Scott (May 17, 2019). "Matmos - Plastic Anniversary". Under the Radar . Retrieved August 15, 2025.
  15. Murray, Gordon (March 28, 2019). "Billboard Dance Chart Upstarts: Meduza, Hilary Roberts & Matmos". Billboard . Retrieved March 31, 2019.

Further reading