Experimental post-rockers Mattox is an audial/visual project that has been steadily crafting music for over 14 years, incorporating cynical social/political lyrics over dark electronic tones. Miguel Valdez is the founder and consistent member of the band, as line-up changes and instrument swapping have kept the music fresh and interesting.
Valdez has been able to always come back to his main project and produce new avenues of sound, amid also being a visual artist (his paintings have been displayed at venues like The Living Room and Joe Vinny & Bronson’s Bohemian Café) and having bass duties touring with local punk heroes Nalgadas. Their new EP Corporate Forest dives deeper into despairing views on the current social climate, isolation, and uncertainty—overall aspects of the reality of the world we live in, right now.
Mattox perfectly balances rock and electronica, as heard on the song “Endless Scroll.” Channeling a bit of the Byrds’ “Eight Miles High,” the song takes a dark detour with its somber guitar chords and creepy organ but keeping the psychedelia with its slow-moving beat.
“Suspicion” sees the band travel again into psychedelic roads, kind of reminds me of David Candy with its warbly spoken word vocals and mellow free form vibe. Simple yet warm, this slow burner and less abrasive approach sees Mattox sounding like I’ve never heard them before. I dig it, man!
The song “Anything” features the vocal presence of long-time collaborator to the band Moji Abiola, who adds another layer of somber and beautiful melody to the dreary ethereal tones. Realistic themes append in the uncertainty of a relationship as the duo vocals of Valdez and Abiola asks, “Is there anything holding us together, or will we float apart?”
On “Burn It All Down” Mattox bring back that experimental-rock sound they are known for, complimented with dreary synths and vocals. One of the darker songs on the album, this one reminds of the early sounds of Mattox with its slow tempo and emotional textures, binding together old sounds with the new.
Reminiscing of the past in the borderland and looking across at the changes takes the song “The Other Side” into familiar territory if you are one like many of us who grew up in El Paso and Juarez simultaneously experiencing the dual nature. The cynical point of view is shared, as the apathetic words expressed by Valdez dig deep and are understood.
The song “Snake Eyes” features another vocal collaboration, this time with Tooths who adds to the cinematic sound of the music. Mattox hits you with dabs of shoegaze with the icy and celestial reverb-soaked vocals of the merging voices.
Mattox has always been a highly conceptual, artistic expression that is a product of the border environment, and the duality identification that comes along with it, always exposing corruption and deceit. Corporate Forest came out on May 15.