Sometimes when looking towards the future, we find elements from the past reemerging through our artistic endeavors as if even though the world is rapidly evolving, we cannot shake away the influences that have left an impact on us. Matt Lasserre is definitely an individual who has a passion for making new music, and his genuine appreciation for the various styles of music that he has been influenced by over the years vibrantly stands out on anything he records.
Matt’s new project called, Nineteenth, is very much an exploration into the heavy synth sounds from 80’s music, as well as post-punk and progressive rock bands. Titled, “The Astrological Path,” the music feels like a reflection and homage to the 80’s, but also dives into some of the current issues our world is facing. Compared to his other projects, I felt as though Matt was really digging deep in terms of lyrical content, and offering some strong messages to very current world topics. Accelerated technological advances and the increase focus on artificial intelligence, almost feels like something out of an 80’s science fiction movie, which I feel Matt addressed at times on this album like on the track, “Dreamworlds II: Liminal Interiors & Neighbors.”
The beginning track, “The Age of Aquarius,” is a celestial sounding intro piece that smoothly transitions into the next song, “Year of the Fire Horse.” I would say that, “Year of the Fire Horse,” is a very strong post-punk driven track and might be the most catchy songs off of the entire album. Also, the way Matt delivered the lyrics over the music had this Ian Curtis sounding feel to them, which made the song very profound and complimented the post-punk atmosphere.
On the third track, “Dreamworlds I: On the Beach,” the music starts to shift towards more dynamic synth wave arrangements that convey a cinematic like vibe. You can even hear seagull noises in the background at the start of the song, which is very appropriate given the title of the track. The song, “Night Wave Detection Agency” is also a very 80’s piece of music and has an audio clip from Miami Vice at the beginning. You could even say that Matt’s music is inspired from synth music that was used in the show Miami Vice as the arrangements he comes up could very well be used in a movie or video game.
There are a couple songs on this release that I find to have so more “heavy" sounding elements, or more strong guitar driven compositions. For example, “Aries,” is one song where the guitar parts really capture your attention, especially the tone of the guitar and how the distortion bleeds over the main rhythm. The most trippy sounding song on the album would definitely be, “Event Horizon - Neptune,” which I do consider to be my favorite song due to the surrealistic sounds that Matt conjures up. Also, I am a huge fan of the movie, Event Horizon, so that might play into why I like the track as well. However, the main rhythm created by the bass riff and the drum beat throughout the track is unbelievably hypnotic and lulls you into this cosmic sounding void that completely overwhelms your mind.
Once again, Matt has proven to be a modern day warrior unfazed by trends, or the latest fads in music. Instead he has allowed his creativity to explore the different interests he has come to enjoy over the years, while crafting a unique sound on this latest release. I would highly recommend, “The Astrological Path,” to anyone who is a fan of 80’s synth wave and post-punk, as well as any person who is a fan of cosmic creativity that moves towards the future with profound touches of the past. Unlike modern electronic music artists who play the same repetitive bass beat in front of brianded crowds waving glow sticks, and who can easily be replaced by AI or replicants, Matt is a strong creative force that no machine can replace given his years of unwavering passion along with his authentic artistic mindset.
Check out the entire album below:
Nineteenth Bandcamp Link:
https://nineteenth.bandcamp.com/album/the-astrological-path
