“Once upon a time there was a girl called Matilda, she loved to sing and dance and play music. One day she was making her way through the big dark Treptow wood when she came across a magic electronic harp standing in a shaft of sunlight by the lake. She sat down to play and it sounded like summer…”
Despite the far out introduction, I’m not stepping out of reality into fantasia, this quotation is taken directly from the official press description for Matilda’s ‘Protea’ EP. Of course it’s intention is to provoke the mind of this alter ego that is ‘Matilda’. It’s a mystery on who/what ‘Matilda’ is, I have no idea, all I know is that ‘Protea’ serves up 3 rich and rhythmic tracks thanks to Deadbeat and Exercise One.
First up we have the original version of ‘Protea’ by Matilda. The first thing that entered my mind when I began listening was that this track possessed a similar vibe and aura to it that you’d expect to find on a Dial 12″, deep undertones and a warm baseline laid beneath a twinkling harp arrangement allows the track to expand and contract resulting in an exceptionally solid groove. Skip ahead to 4:30 mins and you’ll hear why. This version of ‘Protea’ is essentially deep house, serving as a solid platform for two heavyweight remixes from Deadbeat and Exercise One.
Deadbeat AKA Scott Monteith is a producer who’s been pushing the avenues of dub Techno to new heights recently. His debut album on his self run imprint BLKRTZ ‘Drawn & Quartered‘ has been massaging my ear drums for the past month or so and his remix of ‘Protea’ is no exception. At first you’ll notice the simple arrangement, a punching bass drum, deep analogue wobble and the full harp arrangement. Take a closer listen and you’ll notice how the track develops as it progresses. Like with most dub techno producers, new sounds are introduced throughout the composition to deepen your listening experience and provoke your inner psyche. Listen carefully and you’ll pick up on he develops each element within, creating a rhythmic, intricate and evolving sound.
Exone boss Exercise One provides a tougher extended remix that retains the deep flatness of the original but is more dance floor orientated. It still retains the same elements as the original, but with additional house claps adding swing and a more refined tempo, if the previous two tunes were too slow for you this remix should be the perfect accomplice to any dance floor.
This is the ninth record on the Berlin based Exone imprint, it’s releases like these that prove that these small imprints can come up trumps. This record is well worth adding to your collection.