damion Posted August 17, 2007 Share Posted August 17, 2007 I always thought Matenda was a great producer on the one hand, and an underrated producer on the other hand. He is one of the few artists whose music I can always go back to, and find I know every single damn note (the other artists who spring to mind are Neil Young, Johnny Marr's guitarwork with The Smiths, and most of The Stone Roses.) From the opener Speculator, with its effortlessly gliding layers and orgasmic breakdown, you know you’re in for a bit of a treat. Plain Vanilla shamelessly resurrects warm Balearic vibes – think Chicane with up-to-date production, all the while sounding as though you’re driving along some beachside highway with an implausibly stunning bird sitting in the passenger seat. The title track is an utter classic – it’s laconic, low-set stuff that coaxes melodies out of nowhere. Perspectives runs deeper, a subtle track that is the sort of thing that we used to say would hold a dancefloor’s attention nicely. Sounds Around is a competent stab at pumping vocal amylectro, and the out-and-out lysergic Loopus funk of Electronegative goes a hell of a long way. Equilibrium and Invisible Garbage are more tribal takes; the latter works better than the busy and cluttered former, though neither are essential. Best bet is to skip on to the blissful jazzy house of Epsilon, or better still the gloriously lamenting closing track Orphean: sounding like everything wrong in the world being put simultaneously right, it’s a gorgeous piece of music your mum will love. What makes Matenda so special, as I have said before, is the apparent ease with which he translates honest, raw emotion into music. Listening here, there’s the full range: wonder, love, amazement, happiness, expansion, and a touch of a reflective, almost folorn sadness. It really is that good. In an age where we’re bombarded with presets, big breakdowns, and festival-live performances with smelly-looking guitarists, it’s about time we heard something that’s just bloody honest with itself. Thank you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Forest Dreams Posted August 26, 2007 Share Posted August 26, 2007 absolutely liked 'mediteran' and chilling matenda... great music for an evening on a beach. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nexus Posted August 26, 2007 Share Posted August 26, 2007 I don't really see what this album has to do with psychedelic but otherwise it's a very light relaxing background music Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
healium Posted August 27, 2007 Share Posted August 27, 2007 Nexus - do you feel the same way about "Mediterran" or have you not heard that one? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RTP Posted August 27, 2007 Share Posted August 27, 2007 Yeaah, that's cool ... back from holiday and a new Matenda is out! "A combination of Matenda's ordinary progressive psy stuff and his chilling tunes", I read somewhere. Judging from the samples it apparently is. I was looking forward to this one already since the beginning of the year! As a potential candidate for this year's top ten! Damn, I'm definitely going to get this one as soon as I have money again... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nexus Posted August 28, 2007 Share Posted August 28, 2007 Nexus - do you feel the same way about "Mediterran" or have you not heard that one? Haven't heard that one, sorry. p.s. is it good? If it's at least as good as this one I'll probably get it, it's just really relaxing Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
healium Posted September 4, 2007 Share Posted September 4, 2007 "Mediterran" is in my top 10 psy-downtempo albums ever I would say - I love most every track... I can't recommend it highly enough... His first chill release "Chilling Matenda" is good too, but I don't like it as much as Mediterran... With Mediterran I read some people saying it wasn't really psychedelic or whatever but I thought it was, just in a different way - hopefully the new one is too... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nexus Posted September 6, 2007 Share Posted September 6, 2007 "Mediterran" is in my top 10 psy-downtempo albums ever I would say - I love most every track... I can't recommend it highly enough... His first chill release "Chilling Matenda" is good too, but I don't like it as much as Mediterran... With Mediterran I read some people saying it wasn't really psychedelic or whatever but I thought it was, just in a different way - hopefully the new one is too... Ok are you sure we are talking about the same Matenda here? I am guessing Chilling Matenda is his ambient project and Matenda is prog. I've never heard the chilling one but have 2 of the prog ones and in my opinion Natural Development is much better than Tunnel Vision. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
healium Posted September 8, 2007 Share Posted September 8, 2007 Oh ok, I've only heard Matenda's chill stuff - I figured this album was his chill project no? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nexus Posted September 8, 2007 Share Posted September 8, 2007 Oh ok, I've only heard Matenda's chill stuff - I figured this album was his chill project no? Nope, it's progressive. Now I am curious about the chill project Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IAMbenjy Posted September 9, 2007 Share Posted September 9, 2007 if i am informed correctly i think its 2 different bands and or persons. could be wrong do ... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nexus Posted September 9, 2007 Share Posted September 9, 2007 It is two different bands but the same person with last name Matenda Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RTP Posted October 3, 2007 Share Posted October 3, 2007 Oh yesss... I got it now, today, finally (first salary ) ... and it's totally awesome! I'm tucking fired but can not go to sleep until I had at least put it in the CD player and listened a bit ... Matenda, MATENDA, man, awesome Perspectives is a totally awesome song! So far I think it's even the best one of the album, but I'm not fully through it yet... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
buzzman Posted October 9, 2007 Share Posted October 9, 2007 I sort of see this as an uncut diamont... Not many details produced around the breaks ore build ups, and i don't feel the percussion like in most other proggy trance... But still this is a BEAUTIFUL album... soft, dreamy melodies building up from everywhere, the flow is just so catchy in this album, everything fits together SOO nicely... Its just so easy to listen to, you gotta love this! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nexus Posted October 9, 2007 Share Posted October 9, 2007 Tracks 5 and 7 Matenda co-wrote with Alex Joon, he should really dump that guy. Imho terrible beats and track 7 is unlistenable. Other than that the album is great, so I am eager to see what Matenda comes up with next (on his own please ). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
healium Posted October 10, 2007 Share Posted October 10, 2007 I'm still on the fence about whether to buy this one - I loved the sample I heard of Perspectives but the others sounded so-so - I loved his last album though and that had to grow on me... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
global phonehead records Posted October 12, 2007 Share Posted October 12, 2007 Hi to all, Some answers to all. Denis Matenda has two projects, the first one is "Matenda" wich is more up-tempo and Chilling Matenda wich is more down-tempo. Chilling Matenda have released two albums, "Chilling Matenda and Mediteran", and Matenda have released three albums "Energy Loader, Tunnel Vision and the latest Natural Development". Every artist have to develop, and with the album "Natural development" Denis shows another side of his music. Alex Joon has been a co-producer from beginning and involved in several track´s with "Matenda" such as "Split Personality, You can run but not hide" etc. To have a co-producer is a good way to make diffrent productions, and also a way to develop your own way to make music. Regards Global Phonehead Records Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RTP Posted October 24, 2007 Share Posted October 24, 2007 Hi to all, Some answers to all. Denis Matenda has two projects, the first one is "Matenda" wich is more up-tempo and Chilling Matenda wich is more down-tempo. Chilling Matenda have released two albums, "Chilling Matenda and Mediteran", and Matenda have released three albums "Energy Loader, Tunnel Vision and the latest Natural Development". Every artist have to develop, and with the album "Natural development" Denis shows another side of his music. Alex Joon has been a co-producer from beginning and involved in several track´s with "Matenda" such as "Split Personality, You can run but not hide" etc. To have a co-producer is a good way to make diffrent productions, and also a way to develop your own way to make music. Regards Global Phonehead Records Ah, I see ... Alex Joon = Alex Jave, huh? Because on Energy loader it says for some tracks "produced by Matenda and Alex Jave"... And you, global phonehead ... aren't you Matenda himself? It's his own label as far as I know or isn't it? Gosh, this Natural Development is a totally beautiful album! I've listened to it maybe four times now ... it's for the first time ever that I listen to an album more than four times in one month. I really, really like it! Many beautiful sounds on it, hardly any moments that I don't like - except track 7, that one doesn't really belong on the album somehow I think. Still, my favourite album of 2007 so far, I doubt that I'll come across anything better this year Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
global phonehead records Posted November 5, 2007 Share Posted November 5, 2007 Hi RTP, Yes, It´s me Denis Matenda who is running Global Phonehead Records. I am use to write Global Phonhead becouse I get confused in the role of running the label and being the producer at the same time. I can see in this forum that you are a real fan of my music, wich I really appreciate, and great that you like the new album. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yohankiwi Posted April 18, 2008 Share Posted April 18, 2008 Best morning trance album of last year IMO, surpasses even Vibrasphere´s latest effort (which I also liked a lot). Beautiful, emotional, relaxing melodies that you can just float away to.... Gorgeous. Some more upbeat, slightly funkier stuff with a nice housey/loungey feel to it on here as well which I also like, although the album is at its best when those morning melodies are shining through. Favourites: 1, 2 (!), 4, 9 (!!!), 10 8/10 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
longloststar Posted June 18, 2008 Share Posted June 18, 2008 This is beautiful and special stuff. The artist has a great sense of easing, slightly nostalgic and often optimistic melodies. I hope to hear more from him in this vein of music. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LLB Posted April 5, 2009 Share Posted April 5, 2009 If we count all the album released by Denis Matenda under his projects Matenda & Chilling Matenda, Natural Development is his fifth album. This new opus keeps going with the summer sunny sounds & cloudy, floating harmonies which were the trademarks of previous album Mediteran. Nevertheless inside Natural Development, the production doesn't only focus on dowmtempo lounge sounds, actually Matenda has built a cross over album which gathers his two musical sides : Morning progressive & Chill/Down-Tempo. There's another specificity with this new album, Matenda took also the opportunity to bring us a new facet of his musical personality with the extension to new musical influences such as Club-House (through Sounds Around), Dream music (considering Orphan as a wink to Robert Miles), Tribal (Equilibrium), Electro or Club ( both in Electronegative). Equilibrium is another track which is noticeable; effectively, it brings more rhythmical energy. So, in a way it could be the tune's structure that reminds the most the ambience from the "Chilling Matenda" album. Plain Vanilla has drew my attention thanks to its 'overwhelming rain' melody style, there's something fascinating here. It's like after a long period of heatwave, when the storm , at least, occurs; you enjoy so much listening to water drops smashing on the ground. With Plain Vanilla, it's the same : it's raining but you were expecting it & are happy with it. Within Perspectives, you're immersed into a marathoner's groove, the feeling which outcomes is special like a meticulous & unlimited escape straight forward. Like i explain previously, it's not an act made in a hurry, it seems the regularity of this escape is the key for not being located & caught. Let's say Perspectives is the escape of your life... Invisible Garbage ranges through its rhythmic made of claps, in the clubby tracks influenced on the cd. More exactly, i should talk about Club-Housey orientation. Nevertheless i prefer Sounds Around in this category, due to the heavy funky bassline integration mixed with nevrotic, robotic bleeps or synths. Indeed, this one is musically much more complex incorporating also a disco-electro touch. Epsilon drives into the lounge Balearic area , with the acoustic guitar & piano melodies which seems to be in a game where they must answer each other. The tune gets very floating for the break , & then let's reveal the unexpected more dancefloor side of the tune with a jazzy feeling via the piano's theme . While listening to some tunes from this album (Speculator, Natural Developement for example), not to say all , you'll be gained by the strange impress of being lost : i mean a deep production sweat as silk & groovy catchy as a whirlwind. Matenda has succeeded here, in breaking the dividing wall for establishing his sounsdacpe in a new territory, surfing on the border-lines of Morning Progressive & Sunny Down-Tempo. climaxes:2,9 Favorites:1,3,4,7,8 Recommended Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
murphythecat Posted May 14, 2009 Share Posted May 14, 2009 amazing album! ayayayaayyayeeeeeeeee Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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