Albums to watch

Ultimate Care II

Matmos

Ultimate Care II

Latest release from the Baltimore-based experimental duo consists entirely of sounds produced by the musicians' washing machine, recorded in their basement

ADM rating[?]

7.2

Label
Thrill Jockey
UK Release date
19/02/2016
US Release date
19/02/2016
  1. 9.0 |   Tiny Mix Tapes

    As fun as it is, perhaps its greatest value is in how it challenges how much I take my amenities for granted, not only as items that make my life easier, but as items that make my toes tap for joy
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  2. 8.5 |   Paste Magazine

    The music captures the listener’s inner ear in such a way you forget where the sounds are coming from in the first place
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  3. 8.4 |   Resident Advisor

    This is all standard Matmos; nothing here upsets their musical applecart. But the washing machine conceit gives their sample trickery a dramatic edge
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  4. 8.0 |   Beardfood

    Up close and personal, noises strike from nowhere and, eschewing rhythm, deliver lush breaks
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  5. 8.0 |   Spin

    The sort of album you never quite hear in the same way twice
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  6. 8.0 |   The FT

    The mix of quirky and banging beats, offset by ambient swooshes of water, turns the humble washing machine into an authentic sounding-board for quality electronic music
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  7. 8.0 |   musicOMH

    Whether intended to be profound or daft, Ultimate Care II could mean everything and nothing
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  8. 8.0 |   Exclaim

    The Baltimore duo have managed to give Ultimate Care II an aural and melodic depth not always present throughout their catalogue
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  9. 7.8 |   Pitchfork

    Caressing obsolete technology, they've parodied labor's drudgeries as play. Ultimate Care II is a daydream of domesticity, a chore ignored. Call it the revolutions of everyday life
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  10. 7.0 |   PopMatters

    Curiosity alone should be able to carry you through the first half of the track. It’s only towards the end when some honest-to-goodness notes are conjured out of the mix, announcing the Whirlpool as yet another avenue for ambient music
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  11. 7.0 |   Spectrum Culture

    For a duo whose eccentric approach could easily get mired in novelty if they’re not in top form, Matmos’ washing machine album once again finds them coming out crisp and fresh
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  12. 6.0 |   Gig Soup

    The album begins with plenty of promise and ends on a high note, and while there are some fun moments during the mid-section there isn’t much that makes you want to return after the initial curiosity wears off
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  13. 6.0 |   Q

    Ambitious yet oddly affecting, wash day need never sound the same again. Print edition only

  14. 5.8 |   Consequence Of Sound

    It is a beautiful piece of work with some truly mesmerizing moments that is absolutely worth a listen or two, but when placed next to the scope and execution of their output at the turn of the millennium, it just doesn’t compare
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  15. 5.5 |   The Line Of Best Fit

    It’s playful, dark, and produced well enough to settle the most pedantic of audiophiles
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  16. 5.0 |   No Ripcord

    Ultimate Care II doesn’t inspire one to peer closer into the musicality of everyday life; instead, you’ll constantly look at the time, wishing it’d sped up so you can move on with anything else
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