Matthew J. Saunders
- electronica
- film score
- tv
- hauntology
Matthew J. Saunders (born 5 January 1972) is an English composer, mastering engineer, and visual designer. During the first decade of the 21st century he was signed to 4AD Records[1] — a British major independent label home to The Pixies, Cocteau Twins, Scott Walker and many others. He records and performs as Magnétophone,[2] The Assembled Minds,[3] Rapid Eye Electronics Ltd.[4] and also runs the record label Patterned Air Recordings.[5]
On 4AD, as one half of the art-rock electronic band Magnétophone, Saunders released two albums,[6][7] three EPs[8][9][10] and a 7" single.[11] It was an unusual signing for 4AD, Magnétophone's first album being almost all instrumental, and this departure piqued the interest of journalists and fans of the label and band equally.[12] The band were the first signing after the corporate restructuring of 4AD when co-founder Ivo Watts-Russell departed and the album was seen as a signpost of where the newly reinvented label might be heading[13]
Before signing to 4AD, Saunders released records on several influential record labels including Static Caravan Recordings,[14][15] Earworm Records,[16] Spaceage Recordings and Ochre Records. He has recorded two Peel Sessions[17] for BBC Radio One, two sessions for BBC Radio One's Rob da Bank, as well as sessions for BBC Radio 3 and XFM.
Saunders has collaborated on record with significant artists such as rock legends Kim Deal and Kelley Deal,[18] Scottish folk legend and Mercury Music Prize nominee King Creosote,[19] infamous drone rock band Spacemen 3's Peter Kember[20] (who also joined Magnétophone as a performing member and manager in 2006–2008),[21] Scottish folk singer/songwriter James Yorkston and others — all tracks that appeared on Magnétophone's second 4AD album, The Man Who Ate the Man or related 12" releases.[22][23]
He is known for his solo electronic recordings as The Assembled Minds, having released two albums[24] and numerous singles and remixes on a variety of record labels, gaining critical acclaim from magazines such as The Wire[25] and Self-Titled Magazine,[26] from music author and journalist Simon Reynolds,[27] and numerous national radio plays on stations such as BBC Radio 6[28][29][30][31]
Saunders worked on the feature documentary film Valentino: The Last Emperor and is a credited composer on IMDb.[32] He has also had music synced by BBC World News in daily continuity pieces and Sky in cross-network adverts. According to the official website,[33] he is currently composing music for media in addition to running mastering house 808 Hz,[34] where he has mastered albums by artists such as Wire front man Colin Newman, Eva Bowan, Malka Spigel, Anthony Reynolds, and Jon Thorne[35]
In 2007 Saunders contributed a Magnétophone track to a prestigious arts project by New York publishing house Visionaire, a work called Visionaire No. 53: Sound,[36][37] which saw him appear on record alongside artists such as Yoko Ono, Michael Stipe, U2, Liza Minnelli, Lalo Schifrin, David Byrne, Ad-Rock, Courtney Love and others. Each artist was asked to provide a unique piece of music which was then pressed across five pieces of vinyl and a cd, was housed in a large dome receptical and supplied with a record player in the form of a battery powered car.
Discography
- Albums
Magnétophone
- (2000) I Guess Sometimes I Need to Be Reminded of How Much You Love Me (4AD)
- (2005) The Man Who Ate the Man (4AD)
- (2006) Promo Phone 1 (Ensnare)
Assembled Minds
- (2011) Tomorrow Curves, Assembled Minds (Patterned Air Recordings)
- (2015) Creaking Haze and Other Rave Ghosts, Assembled Minds (Patterned Air Recordings)
- Singles, EPs, and various
Magnétophone
- "You Should Write Music" (1998, 7" single, Earworm)
- "Air Methods" (1998, 7" single, Static Caravan)
- "Box Flow" (1999, 'Infrasonic Waves' compilation, 7", Ochre)
- "Lights in the Eye" (1999, 7" single, Active Suspension)
- "Temporary Lid" EP (1999, 12" EP, Static Caravan)
- "The Science Must Continue" (as Tape Recorder, 1999, 12" comp, Earworm)
- "Lubeecha" – Lathe Cut (2000, 7" single, Earworm)
- "Eve Transmission" (2000, 'Interface' compilation, CD, Spaceage Recordings)
- "Little Boy's Acorn" (2000, '4WD Motion' compilation, CD, 4AD)
- "Come on the 'Phone" EP (2000, 12" and CD EP, 4AD)
- "Relax, It's the End of Electronica" (2002, 7" single, Static Caravan)
- "I Hear Blonde Falcons" (2002, '10p 1 Play' compilation CD, Robots and Electronic Brains Magazine)
- "Kel's Vintage Thought" (2004, 12" EP, 4AD)
- "...And May Your Last Words Be a Chance to Make Things Better" (2005, 7" single, 4AD)
- "...And May Your Last Words Be a Chance to Make Things Better" (2006, CD compilation, Sunday Best)
- "Systems Thinking Business Modelling Consultant" (2006 compilation, Magazine/CD, Esopus Magazine (Spring))
- "22 Calibre Family" (2006 compilation, 'A Mind Expansion Compilation', CD, Mind Expansion)
- "Much Less Than A Day" (2007, 'Binary Oppositions' CD compilation, Static Caravan)
- "Much Less Than A Day: Edit" (2008, 'Visionaire 53' 12" and CD compilation, Visionaire)
- "The Old Silver In and Out" (2008, 'György Ligeti Tribute', online compilation, Topher)
- Remixes of Matthew J Saunders / Magnétophone
- "Kel's Vintage Thought – Outhud Remix" (2004, 4AD)
- "MNPLIE4AD – Lost in Edit by JM Lapham" (The Earlies) Remix (2005, 4AD)
- "Benny's Trip – Sonic Boom Remix" (2006, 4AD)
- Remixes by Matthew J Saunders / Magnétophone
- "Run From Safety" (2007 Octoberman – Run From Safety LP, White Whale)
- "Antiphon" (2004, Charles Atlas Remix compilation, Audraglint)
- DJ mixes of Matthew J Saunders / Magnétophone
- "Kel's Vintage Thought – Outhud Remix" (2005 Glimmers – DJ Kicks, !K7)
Radio sessions
- BBC Radio 1 John Peel Session, Maida Vale Studio (2000)
- BBC Radio 1 John Peel Session, Live in Birmingham (2000)
- XFM John Kennedy Session, Live in London (2001)
- BBC Radio 3 Mixing It Session, Live in London (2001)
- BBC Radio 1 Rob da Bank Session, Maida Vale Studio (2005)
- BBC Radio 1 Blue Room Session, The Earlies' Studio / Echo Gate Studio (2005)
Film
- Valentino: The Last Emperor — Acolyte Films/StudioCanal (2008)
References
- ^ "The official website for independent record label 4AD — Magnétophone's page". 4AD.
- ^ "Magnétophone at 4AD Records". 4AD.
- ^ "Norman Records". Norman Records.
- ^ "Wyrd Wild West Festival". Wyrd Wild West Festival.
- ^ "Patterned Air Recordings". Patterned Air Recordings.
- ^ "4AD Album — I Guess Sometimes". 4AD.
- ^ "4AD Album — The Man Who Ate The Man". 4AD.
- ^ "4AD EP – Benny's Trip". 4AD.
- ^ "4AD EP – Kel's Vintage Thought". 4AD.
- ^ "4AD EP – Come On The 'Phone". 4AD.
- ^ "AD 7" – And May Your Last Words". 4AD.
- ^ "Robots and Electronic Brains — Saunders in interview".
- ^ "Facing The Future: 4AD's Current Crop". 14 October 2013.
- ^ "Static Caravan's official website – Magnétophone 12in".
- ^ "Static Caravan's official website – Magnétophone 7in".
- ^ "Label: Earworm Records – Rate Your Music". rateyourmusic.com.
- ^ "BBC – Radio 1 – Keeping It Peel – Magnetophone". www.bbc.co.uk.
- ^ "Magnetophone – The Man Who Ate The Man – Albums – musicOMH". 24 October 2005.
- ^ "King Creosote speaks to Green Man".
- ^ "Interview with Sonic Boom (Spacemen 3, Spectrum, EAR, Panda Bear) – Keith McMillen Instruments". 27 March 2015.
- ^ s.r.o., PTV Media. "Interview: Sonic Boom – Prague TV – Living Like a Local!". prague.tv.
- ^ "Discogs – Sonic Boom Collaboration with Magnétophone 12in". Discogs.
- ^ "Discogs – Kim and Kelley Deal Collaboration with Magnétophone 12in". Discogs.
- ^ "Assembled Minds – Patterned Air Recordings". patternedair.com.
- ^ "Listen to an exclusive mix from Patterned Air Recordings". The Wire.
- ^ "NE189: An Exclusive Assembled Minds Mix – self-titled". 2 March 2016.
- ^ "Blissout – Assembled Minds album review".
- ^ "Tom Ravenscroft sits in, Gideon Coe – BBC Radio 6 Music". BBC.
- ^ "Tom Ravenscroft sits in, Gideon Coe – Music Played – BBC Radio 6 Music". BBC.
- ^ "The Label of Love is Philles Records, Gideon Coe – BBC Radio 6 Music". BBC.
- ^ "Green Gartside sits in, Gideon Coe – BBC Radio 6 Music". BBC.
- ^ "Matthew J. Saunders". IMDb.
- ^ "Matthew J Saunders – Media Composer & Visual Designer". matthewjsaunders.co.uk.
- ^ "808Hz Mastering—online music mastering studio between Bristol & Exeter". 808Hz Mastering.
- ^ "808Hz Mastering — between Bristol & Exeter".
- ^ "Various – Visionaire No. 53: Sound". Discogs.
- ^ Publication, VisionaireWorld. "Visionaire is the highly collectible publication based in New York City". www.visionaireworld.com.
External links
- 4ad.com/magntophone – Magnétophone at 4AD
- Official website
- Matthew J. Saunders at IMDb