MATRIX & FUTUREBOUND – MYSTERY MACHINE
[MTRVPRLP003]
THE ICONIC DUO RELEASE THEIR LONG ANTICIPATED SOPHOMORE ALBUM ON METRO/VIPER
Buy/stream: https://fanlink.to/MTRVPRLP003
From their decorated histories as part of the drum and bass echelon, right through to their commercial success amongst some of pop’s greatest figures, Matrix & Futurebound pride themselves in their versatility. Their style of cross-over, expertly written drum & bass has enabled their longevity as one of the genre’s biggest exports. Matrix & Futurebound’s music can be heard both on daytime radio and rolling through underground club speaker stacks which is why they’re an imperative force; this ascent is about to accelerate through their forthcoming ‘Mystery Machine’ album, scheduled for release on 12th April.
After a host of Top 40 singles, playlisting on Radio 1 and racking up millions of streams across Spotify, their sophomore album ‘Universal Truth’ already marks incredible standards to reach. However, ‘Mystery Machine’ has capitalized on their debut’s achievements whilst still adhering to the same impeccable song-writing. They highlight that ‘a lot of people know us for our vocal records’ but ‘Mystery Machine’ was the other side of what they’re about: ‘It’s always been important to us as producers and as DJ’s to represent a broad spectrum of this music, even more so when we’re making an album, you want to dig a little deeper into our sound, this is a good place to start’.
Particularly, ‘Control’ has marked their biggest moment to date, achieving number 7 in the UK Official Charts. They reiterate how it was ‘just one of those tracks where the stars aligned and the production, the lyrics and the amazing voice of Max Marshall all added up to create something very powerful’. It’s ‘never left’ their DJ sets since, meaning ‘it had to feature on the album’. Hitting these high notes is something Matrix & Futurebound do best, demonstrated through a variety of mainstage festival appearances at the likes of Creamfields, Let it Roll, EDC in Las Vegas, as well as clubbing hotspots across the globe’s capital cities, marking that their mainstream success channels through to every part of their work as DJs and producers.
Released through both Futurebound’s ‘Viper Recordings’ imprint and Matrix’s ‘Metro Recordings’, Matrix & Futurebound is a collaboration which has perfected itself over a decade, alongside the pair’s dedication to their craft. After the unveiling of ‘Got You There’ ft. Zelah earlier this year, a track penned by Becky Hill whilst featuring newcomer Zelah’s stellar vocals, fans were given another insight into the full package which is due for release this coming Spring. As Matrix & Futurebound explained, ‘drum & bass is often very complicated but sometimes it’s best to keep things simple and let the vocal shine’. This was ‘easier to do when you have a singer like Zelah who absolutely smashed it here’ and they ‘wrote it in the studio with Becky Hill’, an artist who they’ve ‘always wanted to work with’.
Each part of the track listing is an astounding feat; Exhilarating slammer ‘Believe’, the winding sounds of ‘Tardis’, the crescendos of ‘Fire’ ft. Max Marshall and the emotive hooks of ‘Human’ ft. Raphaella were all steps towards its eventual release, signposting just how essential this album was beginning to shape
up as. ‘Hindsight’ is the last step towards the album’s release, and it channels a different vibe from the producers, yet the emotion injected through its stark lyricism is reminiscent of their more heartfelt offerings. It gives an overview of just how diverse the album is; Matrix & Futurebound don’t just stick to what they’re known for and instead broaden their horizons by lowering the tempo. On this track, they ‘stepped out of the drum & bass comfort zone’ whilst leaving a sonic finger print to their production. Matrix & Futurebound themselves felt like this was ‘part of the M&F jigsaw puzzle’ whilst ‘It’s got a very cinematic feel about it and a nod to our old school roots with the breakbeat verses, all built around a haunting vocal from Dave Gibson.’ After receiving a plethora of widespread support for ‘Got You There’ ft. Zelah, including on Mistajam’s prime time Dance Anthems slot via BBC Radio 1, the new single is sure to follow in the same footsteps.
Although this isn’t where new material ends. Fresh offerings are delivered through ‘Spellbound’ alongside Polina and ‘Follow Me’ with Ayak. ‘Remember’ ft. Talia, ‘Let it Go’ and ‘This Time’ ft. James Walsh are also stadium led anthems, but each have their own style of versatility, whilst tracks like ‘Ear Drum’ nod to Matrix & Futurebound’s darker underbelly. The much-loved reworks of ‘Happy Alone’ ft. V. Bozeman and ‘Live Another Day’ make an appearance, too. Finishing the LP is their remix of Emile Sande’s ‘Breathing Underwater’, where the duo was handpicked to give their take on a phenomenal pop act, receiving huge support from daytime Radio 1 whilst making its way onto the A list with extensive specialist play from Annie Mac. It was one of the most desired vocal drum & bass anthems of the year and it proved Matrix & Futurebound are on the radar of just about every music subsection the world has to offer. Something ‘Mystery Machine’ clearly proves.
The album encompasses every avenue Matrix & Futurebound have explored to create their innovative song-writing and crossover flavors; it’s why over the last ten years they’ve picked up so much global attention. As well as a headline ‘Matrix & Futurebound’ presents night at seminal spot XOYO and more appearances set to be announced for the pair, ‘Mystery Machine’, alongside its music, has already been provided with a worldwide platform.
Buy/stream: https://fanlink.to/MTRVPRLP003