Do we continue to sin so that grace may increase? Hypnotic, healing and hopeful

Matmos is an incredibly accomplished duo between their solo records like a masterpiece The chance of cutting is the chance of treatment and producing classic Björk recordings such as In the evening. But Drew Daniel, one half of Matmos, is devilishly prolific. When it isn’t Literally dreaming new diffuse Types of musiche also releases recordings under the banner The Soft Pink Truth.

Where Matmos usually focuses on a specific musical experience – using only samples from medical procedures or building instruments out of PVC pipe – Soft Pink Truth goes wherever Daniel’s whims take him. This might be a house record. It might be a bunch of Black metal covers. Or, in case Do we continue to sin so that grace may increase?It could be a beautiful and shockingly optimistic meditation on the rise of global fascism.

Should we continue? is a more nuanced record than Daniel’s previous solo efforts. It replaces the distortion and house beats of previous material with something hypnotic and healing. While there are plenty of heavily manipulated field recordings and samples, as you find on a Matmos record, they err in the direction of a more organic and ambient texture than Daniel’s other projects.

The first track, “Shall,” sets the stage with some dissonant, unsettling drones, disturbing soundscapes, and a vocal chant that teeters dangerously on the edge of the uncanny valley. It’s an embodiment of what we’re leaving behind as the album kicks off with the minimal new age sounds of “We.” A muted four-on-the-ground kick is due to rattling percussion, sweeping winds, female vocal runs, and peekaboo piano playing. The song gradually gains momentum, as the arrangement becomes busier and reaches for the clouds.

“Go” follows the serene dance journey of “We” with the call to prayer, before leading into the ocean-view setting of “On,” with a ghostly sing-along chorus, pickled piano, and gently plucked instrumentation.

However, these are all an accumulation of what is arguably the centerpiece of the album, “Sin.” Abstract saxophone blasts dance with bells and vibraphones while another simple four-on-the-floor kick pumps the jam with an undeniable groove.

I chose the word “jam” on purpose as well. Whereas Soft Pink Truth’s previous recordings and most of Matmos’ catalog were created primarily from samples, Will we continue… It relies heavily on live instruments and musicians exchange ideas with each other in real time. where Are you a party? Feel precise. Will we continue… Feels spontaneous. He engages in his own celebration of human creativity and the power of art to heal.

“So” is a return after the joyful celebration of “Sinning,” with the saxophones serving as our gateway into the back half of the album, which, like the rest of the album, is a seamless mix. Their simple two-note plane becomes a recurring motif upon which other instruments build, from the piano pedal that anchors the ambient chaos of “That,” to the jazz blast of “Grace,” which goes off from what sounds suspiciously like a car alarm having a nervous breakdown.

“May More” spends its four-minute-plus runtime dismantling everything “This” has built. All the chaos, all the noise, until it finally ends with a deep exhale.

Soft pink truth Do we continue to sin so that grace may abound? Available on bandcamp And most major streaming platforms, incl YouTube Music, Apple music, Spotifyand Deezer.