Matthew J. Saunders Explained

Matthew J. Saunders
Birth Date:5 January 1972
Birth Place:Birmingham, England, United Kingdom
Occupation:Composer, Mastering Engineer
Years Active:1995–present
Module:Magnétophone

Matthew J. Saunders (born 5 January 1972) is an English composer, mastering engineer, and visual designer. During the first decade of the 21st century he was signed to 4AD Records[1] — a British major independent label home to The Pixies, Cocteau Twins, Scott Walker and many others. He records and performs as Magnétophone,[2] The Assembled Minds,[3] Rapid Eye Electronics Ltd.[4] and also runs the record label Patterned Air Recordings.[5]

On 4AD, as one half of the art-rock electronic band Magnétophone, Saunders released two albums,[6] [7] three EPs[8] [9] [10] and a 7" single.[11] It was an unusual signing for 4AD, Magnétophone's first album being almost all instrumental, and this departure piqued the interest of journalists and fans of the label and band equally.[12] The band were the first signing after the corporate restructuring of 4AD when co-founder Ivo Watts-Russell departed and the album was seen as a signpost of where the newly reinvented label might be heading[13]

Before signing to 4AD, Saunders released records on several influential record labels including Static Caravan Recordings,[14] [15] Earworm Records,[16] Spaceage Recordings and Ochre Records. He has recorded two Peel Sessions[17] for BBC Radio One, two sessions for BBC Radio One's Rob da Bank, as well as sessions for BBC Radio 3 and XFM.

Saunders has collaborated on record with significant artists such as rock legends Kim Deal and Kelley Deal,[18] Scottish folk legend and Mercury Music Prize nominee King Creosote,[19] infamous drone rock band Spacemen 3's Peter Kember[20] (who also joined Magnétophone as a performing member and manager in 2006–2008),[21] Scottish folk singer/songwriter James Yorkston and others — all tracks that appeared on Magnétophone's second 4AD album, The Man Who Ate the Man or related 12" releases.[22] [23]

He is known for his solo electronic recordings as The Assembled Minds, having released two albums[24] and numerous singles and remixes on a variety of record labels, gaining critical acclaim from magazines such as The Wire[25] and Self-Titled Magazine,[26] from music author and journalist Simon Reynolds,[27] and numerous national radio plays on stations such as BBC Radio 6[28] [29] [30] [31]

Saunders worked on the feature documentary film and is a credited composer on IMDb.[32] He has also had music synced by BBC World News in daily continuity pieces and Sky in cross-network adverts. According to the official website,[33] he is currently composing music for media in addition to running mastering house 808 Hz,[34] where he has mastered albums by artists such as Wire front man Colin Newman, Eva Bowan, Malka Spigel, Anthony Reynolds, and Jon Thorne[35]

In 2007 Saunders contributed a Magnétophone track to a prestigious arts project by New York publishing house Visionaire, a work called Visionaire No. 53: Sound,[36] [37] which saw him appear on record alongside artists such as Yoko Ono, Michael Stipe, U2, Liza Minnelli, Lalo Schifrin, David Byrne, Ad-Rock, Courtney Love and others. Each artist was asked to provide a unique piece of music which was then pressed across five pieces of vinyl and a cd, was housed in a large dome receptical and supplied with a record player in the form of a battery powered car.

Discography

AlbumsMagnétophone

Assembled Minds

Singles, EPs, and variousMagnétophone
Remixes of Matthew J Saunders / Magnétophone
Remixes by Matthew J Saunders / Magnétophone
DJ mixes of Matthew J Saunders / Magnétophone

Radio sessions

Film

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: The official website for independent record label 4AD — Magnétophone's page.. 4AD.
  2. Web site: Magnétophone at 4AD Records.. 4AD.
  3. Web site: Norman Records.. Norman Records.
  4. Web site: Wyrd Wild West Festival.. Wyrd Wild West Festival.
  5. Web site: Patterned Air Recordings.. Patterned Air Recordings.
  6. Web site: 4AD Album — I Guess Sometimes.. 4AD.
  7. Web site: 4AD Album — The Man Who Ate The Man.. 4AD.
  8. Web site: 4AD EP Benny's Trip.. 4AD.
  9. Web site: 4AD EP Kel's Vintage Thought.. 4AD.
  10. Web site: 4AD EP Come On The 'Phone.. 4AD.
  11. Web site: AD 7" And May Your Last Words.. 4AD.
  12. Web site: Robots and Electronic Brains — Saunders in interview.
  13. Web site: Facing The Future: 4AD's Current Crop. 14 October 2013 .
  14. Web site: Static Caravan's official website Magnétophone 12in .
  15. Web site: Static Caravan's official website Magnétophone 7in .
  16. Web site: Label: Earworm Records Rate Your Music. rateyourmusic.com.
  17. Web site: BBC Radio 1 Keeping It Peel Magnetophone. www.bbc.co.uk.
  18. Web site: Magnetophone The Man Who Ate The Man Albums musicOMH. 24 October 2005.
  19. Web site: King Creosote speaks to Green Man.
  20. Web site: Interview with Sonic Boom (Spacemen 3, Spectrum, EAR, Panda Bear) Keith McMillen Instruments. 27 March 2015.
  21. Web site: Interview: Sonic Boom Prague TV Living Like a Local!. PTV Media. s.r.o.. prague.tv.
  22. Web site: Discogs Sonic Boom Collaboration with Magnétophone 12in. .
  23. Web site: Discogs Kim and Kelley Deal Collaboration with Magnétophone 12in. .
  24. Web site: Assembled Minds Patterned Air Recordings. patternedair.com.
  25. Web site: Listen to an exclusive mix from Patterned Air Recordings. The Wire.
  26. Web site: NE189: An Exclusive Assembled Minds Mix self-titled. 2 March 2016.
  27. Web site: Blissout Assembled Minds album review.
  28. Web site: Tom Ravenscroft sits in, Gideon Coe BBC Radio 6 Music. BBC.
  29. Web site: Tom Ravenscroft sits in, Gideon Coe Music Played BBC Radio 6 Music. BBC.
  30. Web site: The Label of Love is Philles Records, Gideon Coe BBC Radio 6 Music. BBC.
  31. Web site: Green Gartside sits in, Gideon Coe BBC Radio 6 Music. BBC.
  32. Web site: Matthew J. Saunders. IMDb.
  33. Web site: Matthew J Saunders Media Composer & Visual Designer. matthewjsaunders.co.uk.
  34. Web site: 808Hz Mastering—online music mastering studio between Bristol & Exeter. 808Hz Mastering.
  35. Web site: 808Hz Mastering — between Bristol & Exeter.
  36. Web site: Various Visionaire No. 53: Sound. Discogs.
  37. Web site: Visionaire is the highly collectible publication based in New York City.. VisionaireWorld. Publication. www.visionaireworld.com.