- It's easy to see why James Holden has picked up on this debut release from Clone-affiliated label Nous'Klaer. Rotterdam producer Mattheis has a string of digital releases to his name, exploring a starry-eyed, glittering techno sound that's equal parts mid-period Holden and arp-led kosmische à la Wesley Matsell. Which isn't to lump him in with the host of Border Community imitators who clogged the pores of the late '00s underground; as the Isms EP demonstrates, Mattheis handles the form with rare delicacy, striking a deft balance between propulsion and ethereal drift.
As befits his debut vinyl release, these three slices of luminous trance-techno are Mattheis' best work yet. "Prism1" is gorgeous, crystalline and panoramic in scope—without falling back on the usual cinematic clichés. "Prism2" is a more heads-down affair, though its central jumpy arps are offset by wafting, faintly soured melodies in the latter half. Finally, droning cosmic disco number "Blablavism" chugs along at a 115 BPM, before being steadily overwhelmed by a dense synth weave. It's pretty but not saccharine; transportive, but not heavy-handedly so.
Tracklist A1 Prism1
A2 Prism2
B Blablavism