The Squid's Ear Magazine

Nelson, Matt

Lower Bottoms [VINYL]

Nelson, Matt: Lower Bottoms [VINYL] (Tubapede)

Brooklyn saxophonist Matt Nelson in a solo album of extended saxophone techniques along with a litany of guitar effects pedals, all run through a large 70's era Peavy combo amp with real-time feedback manipulation, a unique album of muscular playing and unusual soundscape.
 

Price: $15.45



Quantity:

In Stock

Quantity in Basket: None

Log In to use our Wish List
Shipping Weight: 23.00 units

Sample The Album:





product information:

Personnel:



Matt Nelson-saxophone, amplifier, pedals


Click an artist name above to see in-stock items for that artist.




Label: Tubapede
Catalog ID: tb03
Squidco Product Code: 19763

Format: LP
Condition: New
Released: 2014
Country: USA
Packaging: LP
Recorded at Cheateau Bernhardt Studios and Ham Radio Hobby Room in Winter 2013 by Eli Crews.

Descriptions, Reviews, &c.

"After several years spent refining his solo repertoire, Brooklyn-based saxophonist Matt Nelson found the inspiration to finally record his work in a likely place for a horn player - his throat. After learning that a tricky surgery to remove a tumor from his salivary gland could potentially leave him unable to perform, Matt quickly set out to begin recording an album that had long been in waiting. Luckily all went well and there has been no hinderance to his playing. But the suffocating sensation and weight of an inevitable drowning to the bottom, and the subsequent ability to let go and embrace the serenity and weightlessness that follow, are central to this music.

On his debut solo record, Lower Bottoms (Tubapede Records), Matt has relinquished varying degrees of control over his instrument and musical process. By separating out components of technical mastery, a musical identity emerges that transitions from a form of aggressive and over-assertive creativity to something more closely resembling a conduit or shaman. To create this effect, Matt employs numerous extended saxophone techniques along with a litany of guitar effects pedals, all run through a large 70's era Peavy combo amp. The sound of real-time feedback manipulation adds to the enveloping nature of the record, and also acts as an element of unpredictability in Matt's improvisations. By incorporating these sometimes uncontrollable electronic components into his solo playing, Matt allows unique soundscapes to develop which can be at once lightly ethereal and utterly brutal. Widely arched and subtly shifting song forms are often marked by abrupt changes in texture brought about by the deft use of his unique setup. This is music to sink in.

Further adding to the album's submerged-but-present sound is the involvement and wizardry of ace engineer Eli Crews (Deerhoof, tUnE-yArDs, Nels Cline), with whom Nelson recorded and mixed the album live to quarter inch tape. It will be released as a digital download and as a vinyl LP with original cover art by Zachary Maricondia and a quote from author Roberto Bolaño.

About Matt: Saxophonist Matt Nelson has spent the past decade honing a distinct musical style in the sometimes disparate worlds of improvised, indie, and jazz music in the Bay Area and New York City. After graduating from the Oberlin Conservatory of Music, he moved to Oakland, CA where he quickly began to perform and collaborate with a wide range of the Bay Area's most forward-thinking musicians. It was also here that he began playing with indie-­rock weirdos tUne-yArDs. His diverse sonic palette and use of effects pedals became a key component of the band's sound on their 2011 album WHOKILL (Village Voice Critics Poll #1 album of 2011), and on subsequent extensive tours in North and South America, Europe, and Australia.

In 2010 Nelson began splitting his time between the Bay Area and Brooklyn, where he now lives full time. Over the past several years, he has been at work cultivating and refining his solo performances on the saxophone. Aside from heavy practice of extended and idiosyncratic saxophone techniques, he has also developed a singular approach utilizing guitar effects pedals and amplifier feedback which largely informs his current solo work. The culmination of these efforts can be heard on his upcoming debut solo LP Lower Bottoms (Tubapede Records).

Aside from his solo work, Nelson currently performs with the saxophone quartet Battle Trance, led by saxophone spirit guide Travis Laplante. Comprised of four tenor saxophones, the group plays meditative wall-of-sound textures. They have rehearsed extensively in preparation for their new album Palace of Wind (New Amsterdam Records) and upcoming international tour in the Fall of 2014. Nelson also currently performs with Brooklyn-based bands Skeletons, Zongo Junction, and has recently collaborated with like- minded musicians such as Peter Evans, Ava Mendoza, Weasel Walter, Tom Rainey, Bill McHenry, Tim Dahl, Ben Goldberg, and many others."-Tubapede


Artist Biographies

"Saxophonist Matt Nelson regularly performs in a far-reaching, motley assortment of musical projects. Described as "one of the more unpredictable virtuosos in New York's underground" by Pitchfork, and "genre-bending" by Tiny Mix Tapes, his output often lies in the gray corners beyond categorization.

Upon graduating from the Oberlin Conservatory, where he studied with Gary Bartz and Paul Cohen, Matt moved back to his native Bay Area where he became an active member of the music community. He performed regularly with several bands, among them experimental pop outfit tUnE-yArDs, with whom he recorded and toured extensively in support of their acclaimed album w h o k i l l.

In 2010 Matt relocated to Brooklyn, New York. During his time there he has performed and toured as a member of Battle Trance, GRID, Elder Ones, Premature Burial, Skeletons, and the Weasel Walter Large Ensemble. He also performs as a solo act, where he often utilizes electronics and amplified feedback along with his saxophone, as heard on his record Lower Bottoms. "

-Matt Nelson Website (https://www.mattnelsonsax.com/bio)
10/2/2024

Have a better biography or biography source? Please Contact Us so that we can update this biography.


Track Listing:



SIDE A



1. Sunk Cost

2. Sworn Enemies

SIDE B



1. Motor Mouth

2. To Believe In What

Related Categories of Interest:



Vinyl Recordings
Improvised Music
Free Improvisation
Electro-Acoustic
Electro-Acoustic Improv
NY Downtown & Metropolitan Jazz/Improv
Recordings by or featuring Reed & Wind Players
Solo Artist Recordings

Search for other titles on the label:
Tubapede.


Recommended & Related Releases:
Nevai, Nandor (w/ Peter Evans / Tim Dahl / Matt Nelson / Ron Stabinsky)
Classified Maths
(Psykomanteum)
An unusual quintet of prominent New York improvisers--Peter Evans on trumpet, Tim Dahl on bass violin, Matt Nelson on tenor saxophone, and Ron Stabinsky on bass--performing Nandor Nevai's compositions: two Quintets and the two part "Sap Gloves"--Nevai performing on tenor sax, voice and conducting, blurring modern improv, chamber jazz and bizarre spoken word moments; outstanding and unsettling.
Flying Luttenbachers, The (Walter / Dahl / Battistoni / Nelson / Ospovat)
Terror Iridescence
(ugEXPLODE)
Perhaps the darkest and most experimental album from the Flying Luttenbachers, the 4th from the NYC-based version of Weasel Walter on guitars & drums+bagpipe chanter & electronics, Tim Dahl on bass, Katie Battistoni on guitar, Matt Nelson on sax & live electronics and Sam Ospovat on drums, in two extended, terrific collective improvisations.
Elliott, Moppa
Jazz Band / Rock Band / Dance Band [2 CDs]
(Hot Cup Records)
An unusual conglomerate of styles across 2 CDs from bassist Moppa Elliott, featuring three bands: Advancing on a Wild Pitch, his jazz band with Danny Fox, Christian Coleman, Sam Kulik & Charles Evans; Unspeakable Garbage, his rock band with Jon Irabagon and Nick Millevoi; and the 9-piece "dance" band Acceleration Due To Gravity with Nate Wooley, Ava Mendoza, Mike Pride, &c.
Nevai, Nandor (w/ Peter Evans / Tim Dahl / Matt Nelson / Ron Stabinsky)
Classified Maths
(Psykomanteum)
An unusual quintet of prominent New York improvisers--Peter Evans on trumpet, Tim Dahl on bass violin, Matt Nelson on tenor saxophone, and Ron Stabinsky on bass--performing Nandor Nevai's compositions: two Quintets and the two part "Sap Gloves"--Nevai performing on tenor sax, voice and conducting, blurring modern improv, chamber jazz and bizarre spoken word moments; outstanding and unsettling.
Lopez / Nelson / Nicodemou / Cleaver
The Industry Of Entropy
(Relative Pitch)
A great example of Downtown New York modern improvisation that takes unexpected twists and turns, from the collective quartet of bassist Brandon Lopez, a frequent collaborator with Nate Wooley and Ivo Perelman, tenor saxophonist Matt Nelson ( tUnE-yArDs), vibraphonist Andria Nicodemou (Thread Ensemble, Taylor Ho Bynum), and Gerald Cleaver (Veil of Names, Uncle June, &c).
Other Recommended Releases:
Gate, The
Scum [CASSETTE w/ DOWNLOAD]
(Tubapede)
A heavy and wild ride in the 9th album from New York's The Gate of composer and tuba player Dan Peck, bass player Tom Blancarte and percussionist Brian Osborne, concise pieces of heavy melodic elements, dark riffs and an ominous attitude, intersecting with plundered asides and anxious pauses, a strong addition to their discography and an engrossing collection of deep disturbance.
Erica Dicker / Dennis Sullivan
Blood Luxury [CASSETTE w/ DOWNOAD]
(Tubapede)
Delicate abrasions and corruption of their instruments from the NY duo of Erica Dicker (Till by Turning) on violin and Dennis Sullivan (Radical 2), 9 works of improvised soundscape and avant-raw chamber music through prepared strings, tapes, looped feedback, resonant metals, modified snares and liberally bowed surfaces, richly constrained and luxuriously blood-curdling.
Jones, Darius
Raw Demoon Alchemy (A Lone Operation) [PINK VINYL + DOWNLOAD]
(Northern Spy)
Drawing on compositions from black artists who have created something uniquely their own--Sun Ra, Ornette Coleman, Roscoe Mitchell, Georgia Anne Muldrow--alto saxophonist Darius Jones pulls from the depths of emotion and vulnerability in five solo tracks recorded in Portland, deeply felt blues reflecting the black experience in America and the pain of isolation.
Huvudbry
Det ar ingen ordning pa allting [CASSETTE w/ DOWNLOAD]
(Huvudbry Recordings)
Drummer Hampus Ohman-Frolund (Apuh!) leads the Huvudbry septet of structured rock forms, with an intriguing orchestration of trumpet, lap steel, double bass, guitars, keyboard and voice, using intervals of unusual sonic experimentation and field recordings to create a unique album that bassist Mats Dimming refers to as "A mix of Captain Beefheart, Yann Tiersen & Swedish House Mafia".
Rogers, Erin
Dawntreader
(Relative Pitch)
Performing on saxophones and cymbal, the debut album from NY-based Canadian-American composer, saxophonist, and performance artist Erin Rogers uses multiphonics, vocalization, circular breathing, and inciting of outer resonance to add layers of complexity to her gripping improvisations, which she describes as "No electronics, no bandmates, no composers... just me + dark room + 2 saxophones".
Flying Luttenbachers, The
Imminent Death
(ugEXPLODE)
The ever-shifting lineup of jazz/no-wave/avant/aberrant improvisers The Flying Luttenbachers, anchored by drummer Weasel Walters, brings multi-reedist Matt Nelson, two guitarists (Brandon Seabrook & Henry Kaiser), bassist Tim Dahl and Brad Laner on synth for an aggressively informed and excitingly unpredictable album of superb playing and possibly bad intention; recommended!
Judge Schreber's Avian Choir
Bleed [VINYL]
(Cort)
Saxophonist and composer Crowmeat Bob's ensemble, Judge Schreber's Avian Choir, is a project name he's used to present his large ensemble pieces involving composition, improvisation, and conduction, here in a conducted collaboration with 15 bowed string players, a heavy metal rhythm section and Bob's own overdubs on reeds and guitar.
Doneda, Michel
Everybody Digs Michel Doneda
(Relative Pitch)
A collection of solo pieces from forward-thinking French soprano saxophonist Michel Doneda, using extended techniques and utilizing every inch of the horn, creating unconventional and captivating sonic expressions from the instrument.
Blancarte, Tom
The Shortening Of The Way [VINYL]
(Tubapede)
A contrasting album of beauty and sonic exploration from Texas native, NY bassist Tom Blancarte, fueled by quotes from Frank Herbert and Ran Prieur, an unusual and creative album using extended and imaginative techniques from one of NY's finest bassists.
Peck, Dan
Solo [VINYL]
(Tubapede)
Inspired by Nikola Tesla and Karlheinz Stockhausen's collection of text pieces, "From the Seven Days", tuba player Dan Peck's solo album is an intense collection of deep tones in bold minimalism, and in clatteringly frightful tuba interactions.
Parodi, Claudio
Heavy Nichel
(Creative Sources)
Solo improvisations on the Turkish Clarinet from Claudio Parodi, an Italian classically trained pianist who also works with self-built/self-modified electronics, non-western reeds, and selected percussions.



Customers Who Bought This Item Also Bought:
Morris, Joe
Shock Axis
(Relative Pitch)
A limited edition release of guitarist Joe Morri's new NY-area aggressive improvising trio with younger players Dave Parmelle on drums and Chris Cretella on electric bass, shredding with awesome technical skill and intense harmonic and melodic force, really powerful stuff!
Fujiwara, Tomas / Ben Goldberg / Mary Halvorson
The Out Louds
(Relative Pitch)
The first release from the NY/West Coast trio of Tomas Fujiwara on drums, Ben Goldberg on clarinet, and Mary Halvorson on guitar, a collaborative improv of lyrical and nuanced improv, using great skill and sophistication in dialog that takes unexpected twists and turns.
Mattin
Songbook #5 [VINYL]
(Disembraining Machine )
Mattin takes 5 spontaneous 5-minute songs from 5 musicians, and a 25 minute concert structured by 5 instructions based on those song titles, then records vocals for the 5 songs as a singing lecture, then superimposes all 3 to create the five 5-minutes songs on this album.
Rasmussen, Mette / Chris Corsano Duo
All The Ghosts At Once
(Relative Pitch)
The enduring sax and drum duo format is invigorated with US drummer Chris Corsano and Danish saxophonist Mette Rasmussen, who push each other in free improvisation that uses insanely great technique while delivering a passionate and ecstatic dialog.
Roberts, Matana
Always
(Relative Pitch)
Two passionate studio improvisations from saxophonist Matana Roberts, who lovingly dedicates the album to "those bard(s) of summer...the ideas herein of which I gleaned/interrogated/investigated/celebrated with you..."; subtle, rich, and inspiring.
Dunmall, Paul Sextet
Life in Four Parts
(FMR)
Recorded for his 60th birthday celebrations, this all star recording includes Mike Fletcher (sax, bagpipes), Percy Pursglove (trumpet), Mike Hurley (piano/organ), Chris Mapp (bass) and Mark Sanders (drums) plus special quests Simon hall (bass trombone) and Bethan Jones (bass drum).
Parker, Evan ElectroAcoustic Septet
Seven
(Les Disques Victo)
UK multi-reed master Evan Parker brings an all-star electroacoustic septet to the 2014 Victoriaville Festival for the massive and wonderfully detailed two part composition "Seven", performed with Peter Evans, Okkyung Lee, George Lewis, Ikue Mori, Sam Pluta, and Ned Rothenberg.
Ammann, Dieter
The Freedom of Speech
(Hat [now] ART)
The Ensemble fur Neue Musik Zurich plays seven pieces by Swiss composer Dieter Ammann, each made through a very slow creative process that contrasts the very lively and gestural music.
Moondoc, Jemeel / Connie Crothers
Two
(Relative Pitch)
Two New York jazz originals, pianist Connie Crothers and alto saxophonist Jemeel Moondoc, performing 6 improvisations and one original compositions from each artist; melodic and deeply sensitive playing.
Bisio, Michael / Matt Shipp Duo
Floating Ice
(Relative Pitch)
NY bassist Michael Bisio and pianist Matthew Shipp continue their collaborations from their trio work with Whit Dickey in this duo release recorded in the studio, beautiful and amazing telepathic communication.



The Squid's Ear Magazine

The Squid's Ear Magazine

© 2002-, Squidco LLC