HELPMEIDONTKNOWWHATIMDOING - Instrumentals Volume 1
A Very Uncertain Premiere
Written by: Jimmy Wah - Sense Music Media | Friday 10 September 2021
As a result of the inadvertent social experiment of mass isolation, some may say evidence has emerged that creativity cannot be bound. Joseph Matthews is the quintessential product of what happens to a musician when physical boundaries force the creative mind to escape the trappings of everyday life. Like a possum clinging to a high wire, so too do artists find themselves at risk of falling, and it is then that they truly come to life.
Joseph Matthews is a musician and graphic artist from the Blue Mountains west of Sydney. You may know him from his band DEEPSEA LIGHTS with Gemma Lucy Smart, a project which is described as downbeat folk electronica and trip-hop. Otherwise you might have seen him play solo at venues like The Bootlegger Bar in Katoomba or various other venues with bands like FUTURE STATE. He’s always creating music of some sort whether spoken word, hip-hop or electronica; often releasing experimental solo work on social media. His latest project HELPMEIDONTKNOWWHATIMDOING is a sample of his sonic creativity put together into a neat little package.
Pictured: Joseph Matthews - HELPMEIDONTKNOWWHATIMDOING
Photo courtesy of Joseph Matthews
The Review
The dictionary definition of ‘sonder’ says “Relating to other people; the realisation that every passer by is living a life as vivid and complex as your own.”
The first track of the EP titled Sonder.gif opens like splashed water dancing on sunlit glass, immediately evoking the sensation of being immersed in an environment that is alive. As drum and bass enters with a pulled back tempo you can imagine relaxing into a moment where the surrounding world carries on while your own world is paused. The dissonance of the sparkling sound and the rhythm of the drums creates an odd groove that is drawn out by the hypnotic padded drones before cutting off and making way for keys that round out the journey.
It Doesn’t Look Like You Dreamt is a track that follows more of an up-tempo rhythm with synthetic beats that give momentum to the groove. Found sounds in combination with glitched effects and bent rhythms make for a uniquely rounded sound that isn’t too overloaded. Up Before Midday takes a more off-beat approach that reminds me of music that I would expect backing a track by GORILLAZ. The compressed bass combined with the discordant oriental sounding strings, sprinkled with synth effects and a trudging rhythm really do capture the feeling of a drunken hangover, making the title exceedingly appropriate.
Pictured: Joseph Matthews - HELPMEIDONTKNOWWHATIMDOING
Photo courtesy of Joseph Matthews
Smoke and Smirrors takes on that feeling of being in an inner city café with the MINISTRY OF SOUND Chillout Sessions reminding you that you’re not cool enough to be in this place. Jokes aside, I really enjoy the glistening keys and casual percussive knocks along with the drum and bass, not to mention the cycling synth work reminiscent of something from RADIOHEAD or TOOL. The existentialism moves forward with Several (handwritten) Pamphlets on the Basics of Necromancy, a track that’s as ominous as it sounds. Without giving too much away try this; close your eyes and relax, let your body synchronise with the beat, and sink into the soundscape as it lights up every corner of your brain.
Don’t Try and Burn My House Down This Time has a much more harmonised approach, with a bright rhythm bouncing you into your next step. The final track Unaudited Sketches brings back some of that uncomfortable synth work (which I love) that becomes restrained by the unmistakable drum and bass rhythm that allows experimental elements to be thrown from every direction while maintaining its steady course.
The Verdict
This EP reminds me of the kind of music I used to love listening to in my headphones as a teenager while walking anonymously through the busy city of Sydney. It definitely has influences of drum and bass, trip-hop and experimental electronic soundscapes, and if you listen closely it’s very evidently composed by a refined musician. The tracks are a good length to make for easy listening while being as dynamic and clever as the titles. To me, this EP is definitely reflective of my time in lockdown and I love it. Can’t wait to see what comes next!
8/10
Pictured: Joseph Matthews - HELPMEIDONTKNOWWHATIMDOING
Photo courtesy of Joseph Matthews