Caruan’s Deset imprint has always looked to do things slightly differently. Not one to release music for the sake of it, the output from this label is always well measured. With a flurry of activity back in 2018 and 2019 with the now classic “Mandela Move” album from Ricardo Villaobos as well as System of Survivals deep jazzy goodies and Caruan’s collab with Oskar Szafreinic really struck the right chord. With renewed vigor, Caruan reboots Deset with a serious shot to the arm with brand new music from one our scenes heroes – Mathew Jonson. The result is an all encompassing demonstration of the Canadian’s mastery of his machines on his “SOS” EP.
Our pick of the release is the fantastical “That Bass” and the mysterious scales that the bassline treads could easily soundtrack a cloak and dagger spy movie but tumbled in acid. As well as Jonson’s trademark scything snare hits, he also manages to sprinkle over a smattering of jazz tinged synth genius. There is also a hint of Oriental in this and a lot of Jonson’s other work, but I guess there needs to be something else to make his work even more complex and impressive. With this EP utilising new sounds for contexts this track is somewhat different to that of his other work, but it does of course that unmistakable Mathew Jonson feel to it. In reverse mode, completing side B is another hook up with fellow Canadian, Modern Deep Left Quartet member and all round studio legend The Mole and the uplifting nature of “Feels So Good”. The crisp kicks and wandering hi hats circle the arpeggiated bassline nicely forming the basis of another Jonson work of art.
Flipping over side A and you have the perfect cosmic opening to any EP. With “Dawn” the hidden depths of Jonson’s Freedom Engine studio begin to be revealed as if stepping through a stargate to another world. A2 “Artificial Intelligence” could be the biggest hint yet that Mathew Jonson is not even human at all and is in fact a new breed of Roland synth bot. We jest of course but some of the sounds and rhythms that Jonson concocts are more often than not out of this world. He also again utilises what appears to be a semblance of an Oriental scale, sliding semi tones together to form new sonic pathways very few are capable of. A3 is stunning jam that would not be out of place in a Cobblestone Jazz set and “SOS” is as off kilter as it gets, with snare hits fall in all manner of time signatures
You can pre-order the Mathew Jonson “SOS” EP from Deset’s distributor Lirica Archives now.
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