Atlanta-based musician and songwriter MatAre is back today with one of his most relevant releases to date, a stunningly haunting album that’s a joy to listen to. ‘matar la luz’ is exactly that, an 11-track offering that sees MatAre layering his own plastic, hypnotic vocals onto sombre and electrifying pieces. Written between Atlanta and South Florida, the record benefits from a number of collaborators including drummers Francesca Pratt and Glenn Wellman, Argentinian vocalist Denisse Ferrara, Italian bassist Roberto Pace, and producer/guitarist Igor A. (Surfgreenvibes).
From a sonic standpoint, ‘matar la luz’ delivers once again the haunting postpunk and darkwave goodness that MatAre is known for. We do feel as if he’s getting better and better at it, too. Tracks like ‘The Variant’ are an absolute standout, taking the classic Motorama sound and stretching it into edgy Mareux territories. Personally, we like the contamination between Depeche Mode-esque guitars and contemporary synthwave electronica. Of course, everything is shrouded in mystery and darkness.
Delving deeper into the lyrical ethos that propels the album, MatAre explains: “The title ‘matar la luz’ means ‘to kill the light,’ and that started to feel like a good way to describe the record. There is darkness in it, but I don’t think it is hopeless. I tend to find beauty and even some kind of hope inside the darker things.” In that sense, it’s interesting to note the tension between the record’s gloomy aural outlook and MatAre’s emotional, nostalgic songwriting.
Recommended! Discover ‘matar la luz’ now: