New Artist Alert: MMMatthias

Everyone's been giving me flak for not living up to the "New" in this segment's title so I've been plumbing the depths of my iPod for the unknown. And in the spirit of obscurity, I present you with MMMatthias, an unsigned German producer who specializes in glitchy remixes. Using repetitive, split-second samples, MMMatthias creates choppy, though strangely melodic mixes that ultimately bear little resemblance to their original versions. He practically eviscerates Royksopp's "Vision One," beginning his version as a quaint little dance number that dies halfway through. Left in its wake are subdued echoes, which quickly build in intensity until bursting like machine-gun fire. From that point on, the song is unrelenting.

MMMatthias isn't confined to hardcore-esq remixes though. His versatility is obvious when comparing his aggressive take on "Vision One" to his much softer approach to Sigur Ros' "Saeglopur." Although finding inspiration where not many tend to search is impressive (Who remixes Sigur Ros? [Before you smart asses get on my case, apparently all these people have, but really, who the fuck has even heard of half those guys?]), MMMatthias does lose the enormous power, drama, and intricacy of the original. Despite not working with a full orchestra, as Sigur Ros practically did in the original, MMMatthias still cultivates a quiet sort of emotion that's usually more associated with those strange electronica artists who work on actual listening music rather than the electro producers who churn out dance floor bangers.

Ultimately, MMMatthias doesn't remix a song simply by adding more bass and a few neat effects; he literally takes it apart and puts the odd pieces back together in a way that's reminiscent enough of the old version for your to see where it came from, but original enough to appreciate how far he's taken it.

Royksopp - Vision One (MMMatthias remix)
Sigur Ros - Saeglopur (MMMatthias remix)