In psychology, sublimation is the process through which socially unacceptable impulses or idealizations are consciously transformed into socially acceptable actions or behavior, possibly resulting in a long-term conversion of the initial impulse. The music of Matthew Dotson is largely concerned with how this process can play out sonically and creates a logical new form of vaporwave in the process. Like most vaporwave, Dotson’s music is based on samples of leftover musical schmaltz that are then processed and blurred but instead of the simple chopping, screwing, and looping that usually takes place, Dotson goes a step further by collaging and blurring his sound sources into stunning slabs of danceable musique concrète. This process on Sublimation’s is gradual. The record’s first side still retains some referential familiarity with slowed down beats and voices rising out of ambient noise. However, as the album progresses, Dotson begins to further process/stretch his sources until they become almost entirely unrecognizable. The second side of Sublimation in particular is a masterpiece of forward looking sample music that takes the recent work of Wakesleep to the next level by collaging and processing various bits of chopped and screwed cultural ephemera into miniature suites of acousmatic bliss. Throughout, Sublimation uses the process of its title to create a whole new style of process based electronic music that blurs the line between the simplicity of vaporwave and the formal academicism of electroacoustic music.
Sublimation is out now via Already Dead Tapes. You can stream the album in its entirety below:
• Matthew Dotson: http://www.matthewdotson.bandcamp.com
• Already Dead Tapes: http://www.alreadydeadtapes.com
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