Icelandic based musician Matthew Collings has been described as ‘if Kevin Shields was a one-man band playing Steve Reich’. Ranging from tiny delicate moments of intimacy to all consuming noise, his music is textural, melodic and often sonically overwhealming. Previously known for his work as Sketches for Albinos, under which guise he released two albums of lo-fi, homemade warmth: ´Like a fine piece of literature, ´´…that city is a liar´´ should be shared and passed onto as many people as possible. It´s sheer warmth and beauty will move anyone who has ever had a flicker of emotion´(Hecklerspray.com).
For his latest projects, under his own name, he is now associated with respected Icelandic label Bedroom Community, and is currently working on an as-unfinshed album of solo material produced by Ben Frost. This material has been debuted at solo live shows to a warm response both in the UK and Iceland.
´…he works his magic; tuning and manipulating the sound and folding it back on itself to fill the air around him with glacially mangificent sonic sculpture. There are two or three such pieces in his set; each building like some submerged orchestra. Ambient but definitely not background, when he draws it to a close it’s like being snapped out of hypnosis. Amazing stuff.’ – Manchester Music -
Further praise for Sketches for Albinos:
´… on a par with anything that the mighty Sigur Ros have released´(Rawkstar.net)
´Songs like pale deep-sea creatures, float through an embryonic soup. Muffled, they bend into bulbous shapes. We’re stunned´ (Brighton Source Magazine).
´Utterly unique, Sketches has all the musical adventure of John Mcentire, Tortoise or Kevin Shields without sounding a bit like any of them´ (Imoto Records Press Blog).
‘…Not since listening to Godspeed You Black Emperor have we heard spoken word used so perfectly underneath a gentle bed of acoustic music. ´(Hecklerspray.com)
‘These are fleeting moments, unrefined and emotive — leftover breeze at the end of a storm…with his balance of the sweet against the discordant, the mood is simply more primordial than primal…(Jambands.com)
