Ramuntcho Matta - Écoute... (2016)

Following the recent reissue of Vox Populi!’s Aither album, Emotional Rescue further explores the more discerning, esoteric sounds of the French 80’s avant-garde scene in Écoute…

Visual artist, sound designer, musician, label founder and emotional tree consultant Ramuntcho Matta is a man of shifting, relentless talents. Diagnosed with autism at a young age. Therapy based on yoga and music set him on a path, leading to learn from the likes of composter Cuarteto Cedrón.

Discovering avant-music at an early age, he moved to New York to study in the "Third Street School of Music", meeting John Cage and going on to work on projects with Laurie Anderson, Brion Gysin and Don Cherry.

His architectural concepts applied to composition were explored on his 3 solo LPs from the 1980s. The middle of these, Écoute, is possibly his most cohesive, exploring the use of “extra-European musicians”, especially African and Brazilian percussion, jazz horn playing, as well as Uruguayan singer Elie Meideros.

Mexico’s Cacau de Queiroz’s performance on saxophone and flute is stunning, former Gipsy Kings member, Jorge “Negrito” Trasante attributes much of the LP’s Brazilian percussive flavour, while Magma’s bassist Jannick Top brings gravitas, including performing a water claps duet alongside Matta on the exquisite O Clapo.

As one piece, Écoute endlessly avoids standard musical formulas, seeking textures of far-flung elements; alchemy against a background of freedom to experiment that would be the theme throughout Matta’s career, whether setting up SSR records under the alias Michael Pope or in his more recent output, teaching methodology of doubt.