Platform "Untitled 1"  MRMCDR01

"[This is a] varied and extremely well put together piece of electronic work. Taking cues from a vast range of electronic styles, the overwhelming feel is one of contemporary minimalism. One minute you're admiring sultry, static textures, the next you're nodding along to robotic funk rhythms with clicks, glitches and all manner of clever manipulations. Couple that with some distinctly melodic moments and you've got a classy piece of music. For fans of labels such as 12k and Raster-Noton there's much to admire here and on the strength of this Platform could well go far. Highly recommended." (Smallfish Records) "....It does not take long to realise that Matt Atkins in his Platform guise is onto something big. Nine tracks of electronic delight and it has to be said that they're all exceedingly well produced, and together they stretch over big parts of the vast electronic music spectrum. Simply put it's excellent, minimal, glitch infused high treble sounds through and through. The album comes recommended and the future of MRM will be interesting to follow." (electronic desert) "This is an accomplished work of mostly downtempo electronics. The production has a real crispness to it. The percussion/rhythms are minimal and have an ice cold synthetic techno machine feel but are warmed up with sparse, soulful melodies injecting a human element. 'Dipole' is a top track with it's paranoid claustrophobic machinations. An excellent piece of sound design. This really is high quality minimal electronica extremely well executed. One for those that dig the clean Germanic Raster Noton sound or the very pure machine sounds of Pan Sonic. The debut release for the Platform project. certainly a name to look out for in 2007. This one's coming home with me...." (Norman Records) "Pliapa" - (track from Platform CD) "Matthew Atkins, as Platform, has provided us with a superb piece of experimental electronica here that never become incoherent or obtuse. Rhythmically it's most similar to erly 12k or Raster-Noton and features glitch percussion and minimalist sounds with a subby old bassline. It really comes into it's own when the melodies kick in halfway through. Lovely" (www.musicrecommenders.com) "Mindel" - (Track from Platform CD) "Once again Platform delivers a classy hit of minimalist electronica with crisp sounds and rhythms and an element of funkiness to the mid-tempo rhythms. The melodies cut through again, but this time they'r mor reduced and staccato, giving an overall icy feel to the track. Deep and fresh." (www.musicrecommenders.com)

Seven Hour Germ  "Document 1" MRMCDR02

This offering goes for the more academic approach of some improvised sound experiments of electronica that favours the 'musique concrete' approach-sampling and distorting real (life) sounds- rather than factory preset sounds. On deeper listening a cursory glance towards the outer edges of technoid beats and fx is evident on some outros. (Norman Records) 7HG (or Seven Hour Germ) forms an interesting counterpoint to the more melodic works of Platform on MRM. Taking a more musique concrete approach it's a deconstructivist way of looking at sound that has elements in common with Pan Sonic, certainly, and to a lesser extent Merzbow etc. For me the power lies in the dense, hypnotic quality of the sound processing and tweaking. The sounds are changed to well beyond their orignal feel and then turned into challenging soundscapes of texture. At times it's a brutal style but very satisfying at the same time. For those who like a tad more challenge to their electronic music, this is well worth checking out. Excellent debut. (Smallfish Records) The second release on Minimal Resource Manipulation (MRM) is an in all aspects experimental affair, seeing MRM deviating from the path of the beat onto something altogether different (in all fairness it is not so much as a deviation as it is expanding the horizon given that this is the second release in this young label’s history). Document1 starts off with a collection of incredibly high frequency fragments of sound, displaying the sonic signature of an imaginary ant-farm if magnified into our sonic scale. It’s an abusive, noisy and industrial sound and it’s quite frightening. As the seven-track mini-album progresses the high frequency assault continues with more or less the same intensity. With short stops for the listener to catch the breath and/or mental composure only to come back with even more intensity like the unbearable fourth track Wild Life Howl. However there are moments of suggested rhythmic structure as well. The convincing sixth track Deep Metal Hole still set in UHFD (ultra high frequency domain) is an example. To continue the analogy of the ant-farm the closing track Timbral Dissection would be the working ant’s dream or possibly nightmare if ever recorded. By all means investigate this release made by Seven Hour Germ (7HG) and released on Minimal Resource Manipulation just make sure to check your audio perimeter and maybe more important your treble dials, knobs and volume readings/settings! (Electronic Desert)

Platform "Untitled 2" MRMCDR03

A most excellent follow-up to the debut album on the same label released in 2006. There is a delightful crispiness to both sounds and production, not forgetting the rhythms making it all progressing nicely. That is manifested as the track numbers increase their sequential value. Tiny is one example as good as any other. I strongly suggest that you investigate Platform and his Minimal Resource Manipulation, because if you like your beats complex and crisp you’re in for a treat. It comes highly recommended! (Electronic Desert) Having really enjoyed the first self-titled Platform CD last year, it's with great pleasure that I can offer you the second installment from the excellent MRM label. Forming a natural and really well balanced follow-up, this release surfs a line somewhere between classic electronica and a more minimalist blend of sounds which is somewhat akin to Raster Noton and, maybe, 12k. Deep, rhythmic tracks that don't rely on being deliberately awkward, instead allowing the pieces to flow and work as they should with a deft touch. You'll find melodies and cleverly structured textures playing off against clicks, glitches and, at times, surprisingly fat beats. All of this is tempered by a sense of minimalism that's appealing and not too introspective, rather it involves you as a listener and keeps you hooked. A splendid and varied blend of electronic styles that comes highly recommended. (Smallfish Records) Here is a Self titled 11 track set from Platform which includes: some highly melodious beat led experimental styled electronic that's jamming up hardrives from here to Tokyo and back. If I'd compare them to anyone it would be the outpourings of labels like Neo Ouija and it's ilk. (Norman Records)

Platform "Distanced" MRMCDR04

Platform delivers another very fine release on his own MRM imprint. Essentially a CDr to keep you going until the next full length album, this is a focused, varied and engaging series of cuts. Carrying on the experimental tones of the Platform 2, this has moments that get right into the nitty gritty of sound design and construction. Tense textures, static sounds and shifting melodic elements give you a sense of space, whilst during the shorter tracks there's a more abrasive sense of off-kilter percussion. Add to that some rumbling, dron-esque underlying sounds and you've got yourself a great CD. I'm thinking that fans of Sebastien Roux and Room40 as well as Raster Noton are going to love this. Props to label and artist for providing us with more interesting, low-key material. Great stuff. (Smallfish Records) I seem to recall writing about a CD by Platform a bit ago and thinking it was pretty cool. Well Matthew Atkins makes a welcome return with his 5 track CD 'Distanced'. It's kinda weird, mellow electronics with the emphasis on synth sounds and futuristic ones at that. Lots of tones, hisses, blips and metallic sounds create a sense of rhythm without percussion. 'Brittle Boned' has some wicked eerie atmospherics, electronic drips and clicks. I think I've said this before but I can well imagine this guys stuff coming out on Raster Noton. (Norman Records) There's one aspect of electronic music production that has long annoyed me and that is the use of deliberately painful high pitched sounds for prolonged periods of time. Platform (Matthew Atkins) opens his album Distanced with 3 minutes of the most alienating high pitch sitting above the background texture. It's unfortunate because every time I listen to the album it puts me in a negative frame, undermining much of the excellent sounds that follow. I normally end up fast forwarding through the section and then feel I'm not being fully immersed in the work. What follows it is actually quite good. Simple textures and ambient sounds are processed without ending up sounding overly digitised. As the ear tunes in to the various timbres, very recognisable sounds emerge - a flittering typewriter, a modem connection, crinkling paper. A nice balance is developed between expansive backgrounds and intimate foregrounds. As the half hour of music across the disc evolves, a definite arc can be traced as proceedings become quieter and quieter and the listener is drawn in to a more active role. Sounds are stripped to bare particles, gently flowing across the stereo spectrum. I've taken to listening to this disc without its first 3 minutes. While the overall scheme of the recording - a gradual shift from aggressive alienation to intimate caressing - makes sense of the initial piercing, it's hard for all the warmth of the latter half of the disc to coax me out of the bad mood that one sound can put me in. Without it I can enjoy the entire journey much more effectively. (Cyclic Defrost) Despite it's lo-fi colour xerox exterior, Platform capably represent a school of thought that perhaps began with Shuttle 358, deploying an armoury of undisclosed digital techniques, and sampler-play to activate an abstract field of sound that could never conceivably be termed “music”. Platform experiment with a reduced atmosphere, minimal scenery given dramatic light and shade with various events that range from the serene, to gristly an dynamic swirls of sound. The work of Richard Devine springs to mind here, or perhaps early work by Duul_Drv. These 5 pieces, encompass a range of techniques, all predominantly minimal in feel, with plenty of empty spaces and un-announced silences to reduce the pace. Highlights perhaps would be Brittle Boned, and finale, White Space, just for their sheer ambition and dynamics , as well as an oblique choice of sounds. Well worth a listen. BGN (White Line) It's nice when the label's name faithfully describes how the music was made, and it's also great to see that a handmade limited edition hides a talent that deserves acknowledgement, especially in virtue of a well-visible compositional individuality in a field - that of home-produced electronics - which defining “congested” is almost pathetic by now, every computer or keyboard owner on the earth waking up one morning and shouting “I want to be creative” at the sky, fists shaken in the air. Moreover, Matt Atkins - deus ex machina behind the Platform project, this being its third release - wisely keeps things on the short side, the CD clocking at 30 minutes without an ounce of dullness. Five segments that take into account and consideration the sounds of life (and some unreasonable ones too), which get selected, heavily altered and therefore rendered unrecognizable or, in any case, pretty de-contextualized. A magnetic cycle of electronic fragments is heard in the opening “In praise of rust”, followed by the acrid disordered noisescape of “Spectre”. “The drained lake” is built upon striking rumbling frequencies, scarred by recurring synthetic buzzing flies and clanging metals in the faraway lands of hall reverb. The overall best comes with the unbelievably mournful alien lament that follows the initial digital disarray of “Brittle boned”, a terribly forlorn, slanted spiral - which stops me in my tracks whenever it comes - that gets finally buried by irrepressible interferences, while the final “White space” juxtaposes sharp highs and unbalanced waves in a disconcerting soundtrack for a crumbling psyche, voices from unfamiliar galaxies depicting a bleak scenario of miserable beings swallowed by their own ambiguity. I feel somewhat gratified for having been sent one of the 50 copies of this off-line, brilliantly conceived work. (Touching Extremes)

Platform EP1

Its great to have some new material from Matt Atkins' Platform. The first track treats our ears to some proper decent crunchy beats and weeping cinematic synths and then a really sweet melody just melts me into submission. It fits in wonderfully with the mechanical beats and reminds me of Chiastic Slide period Autechre. The second tune has some wicked sounds that morph around a slow heavy beat. Crisp little clicks and bleeps mutate and give of a pure sterile cold electronic futuristic feel. Fans of Alva Noto should dig the rhythms of 'Phial' while closer 'What We Saw' is an ace piece of melancholy electronica really injecting some of his soul into the circuits. EP1 is a quality Ltd CD on Minimal Resource Manipulation.

(Norman Records)

Matt Atkins' Platform project is evolving and developing apace. After two full length albums and one net label EO it's time for a more physical and focused approach to the ide of shorter releases, and I really think it works. The four tracks on offer here are varied, pleasing well produced and cover some really interesting ground. Beginning with a beat-driven cut that's one part classic electronica and another part 90's industrialism. The combination is great and gets things going in a very tangible way. From the things become more minimalistic with tracks that take on sub-bass heavy click styles, a track that could almost be an homage to Muslimgauze with its heavy easter percussion loop and then onto a very, very fine ambient / texture track at the end (my personal favourite, of course!). Altogether a splendid release and one which should prompt you, if you haven't already got them, to check out the Platform and Platform 2 albums as well. Excellent stuff

(smallfish)

As the first track comes in you're presented with what will be the most immediate of all of the tracks on this EP. Dreamy synth lines weave in and out of the the static infused grainy greatness of the drums. Many other sounds pan around within the mix and make for a very accomplished take on IDM.

The next track is a little more stripped back and minimal than the first. Not so much synthed out dreaminess, more a textural melting point of sound. And this definitely comes into it's own when listened to on headphones.

The third song is the most off kilter of the bunch. The drums seem to do what they want. Very minimal and obtuse throughout. It's all brought together with the aid of a dubbed out series of beeps and blips. It shines brightest toward the end when all the elements come together and get immersed in a reverb heavy melody.

The last track veers off into a different direction. Atmospheric wandering soundscapes drift in and out of this multi-tonal offering. Definitely a nod towards the Tim Hecker sound. Longest track on the EP but could easily have gone on longer, such is the quality documented here.

Only four tracks here which is a shame considering the standard displayed throughout. But it's certainly a case of quality over quantity. A must for fans of Warp/Skam/Planet Mu styled electronica. Highly recommended.

(Collective-zine)

Document 2 - Seven Hour Germ (MRMCDR06)

A great start to the working day to get an album on Minimal Resource Manipulation from Seven Hour Germ which is Matt Atkins AKA Platform. As soon as I hit play 'ECE Tape 1' is a wicked assault on the senses with a gloriously squelchy synth oscillations filling the room. 'Tone Crunch' is a powerful percussive piece with low bottom end and ear piercing top end. This is a lot harsher than the stuff we're used to from Platform, crossing into power electronics territory giving Whitehouse and Merzbow a run for their money. Fear not though as it's not entirely a brutal brain pummeling experience. There are some nice micro sound experiments on here and some top crunchy, abrasive post industrial machine sounds on 'Bludgeon'. The album ends nicely with some ace field recordings/ samples static sounds and drones. A thoroughly engaging listen from beginning to end. Some of the tunes on 'Document 2' were only previously available on cassette.

(Norman's)

7HG (otherwise known as Platform) delivers a distinctly experimental set of tracks here on the follow up to the excellent Document 1. Where Platform uses elements of melody and minimalism to create a contemporary flow, 7HG has a much more oblique and noise-based style which is absolutely fascinating. With track titles such as Tonecrunch, Drone Catastrophe and Bludgeon, you'll get the idea of where some of these tracks are headed. Indeed, there's a crispy, overdriven sound to most of the work but it takes the form of various styles. One minute there's an almost Aphex-ish (circa Mescalinum United) rhythmic feel, then you're off into the darker outreaches of minimal sound. Ten Years Later gets a special mention as it's a wonderfully atmospheric sound collage using stitled radio snippets and swathes of sound to create a somewhat disturbing work. Brilliant stuff once again from this talented artist.

(Smallfish)

Document 2 by Sevenhourgerm (Matthew Atkins) is a CDR including nine experimental tracks released on the Minimal Resource Manipulation label. Found sounds and noise are crafted into varying degrees of coherency, with rhythm and melody flirting at the edge of perception. Each track is short for music typical of this genre, except for the final track Ten Years Later .

The analogue synth meanderings of the first two tracks give way to drum and bass inspired samples and noise in the third track, Dronal Catastrophe . Feedback is interwoven until a crescendo is reached, at which point the track changes direction and evolves into rapid fire bursts of static.

The pace slows down at track four, Threaded Metals , where lowercase samples with subtle distortion reverberate to give the impression of metallic entities inside a huge hall. The next track, ECE Tape 2 , is similar but more intense as distorted instruments sound like fading memories of music, almost intangible if it were not for the repeated and layered motifs.

Track six, Bludgeon , uses a strong rhythm as the backbone with manipulated samples dancing around the beat. It's more Aphex Twin than twenty first Century experimental glitch, and it serves as a centre piece to the rest of the album when listened in context. Next, Zone 14 switches back to the earlier style of the album. It starts off with a passage that sounds like old analogue synthesizers, bringing to mind abandoned industrial spaces and Wednesday continues this, relying on heavier distortion cookie-cut with rapid tremolo.

Document 2 ends with Ten Years Later , nine minutes of edited radio samples and more analogue synth-inspired passages. It's almost like a combination of all the other techniques and sonic ideas on Document 2, with improvised passages played by tuning a radio. If so, I presume the piece was performed in April 2008 (there's clearly audible fragments of "UK lorry drivers protesting".)

Document 2 is a diverse foray into noise, glitch and found sounds. The samples are often distorted to the edge of perception, which makes listening to the full album like experiencing somebody else's memories. This abandoned industrial feeling works well, making it more of an experience than a set of tracks.

(Furthernoise)

Paul May + Platform - "Broken Hulk Display" (MRMCDR07)

Matthew Atkins, also known as Platform, has released a couple of CDRs in a relatively short time span, teams up here with a drummer, Paul May. May has half of Ladywoodsman, and has played on albums by Alexander Tucker, Duke Garwood, Carolyn Hume and Barkingside. He's an improvisation drummer. They know eachother for fifteen years, but this is the first time they worked together. May has supplied a tape of his percussive work to Atkins who has transformed the material. Atkins stays close to original rhythm tapes, adding sparsely electronics, and occasionally creating loops of the drums. This all makes great sense as the four pieces on this CDR (lasting almost twenty-one minutes) have a great vibrant feeling. Electro-acoustic manipulation meets up with the improvised playing that has a slight jazzy touch to it. From all the discs I received from Platform in the past months, I think this is the best release. Playful, skilled manipulation of the material, reminding me of the Steven 
Hess/Robert Hampson (Main) collaboration. Maybe Platform should seek the collaboration more?

Drummer Paul May and electronic artist Matt Atkins (aka Platform) combine forces here for an utterly compelling journey into the world of experimental sound. Using recordings of Paul's improv percussion skills and then getting to work on processing and treating them, Platform delivers a totally coherent, intriguing and amazingly lovely series of tracks. What I enjoyed the most was the variety with the work - one minute you get freeform, almost jazz-like sections, which then cunningly work their way into a melodic and, it must be said, almost 12k-esque chord-led feel. Coupled with the frankly out-there final track that uses a 4/4 kick to up the tempo somewhat you've got yourself an engaging, beautifully produced work that, in my opinion, is the finest release on the label so far. What a great way to start 2009!

(SmallFish)

Paul May + Platform arrive in my lugholes next, brandishing a bag of tools, an old drum kit made of plumbing & biscuit tins and possibly an eerie glockenspiel /theramin set up. And an echo machine. They then proceed to take all this dubious musical instrumentation into a pitch black dark shed and quietly stagger around in a meditative fashion, brandishing their sticks and bits of sound manipulating trickery like two pissed zen warriors searching for the new sound. As far as de- constructive avant-garde gear goes, I love the dub/echo chamber effects on 'Broken Hulk Display' and have to admit as a display of electro acoustic and experimental percussive sound, this CD is quite the cookie. I'm feeling utterly relaxed considering the jarring unpredictability of it all. If yr a bit of a Wire reading beardy-weirdy you'll love this. Me, I haven't a shelf big enough to hold a dictionary containing all the words that they use, I'm well archaic. This is a very absorbing listening though!

(Norman Records)

This neat little CDR features Platform reconfiguring the percussive subtlety of one Paul May, in a release that, from the outset, grabs the attention, and never lets go until the final flourish. Although essentially minimalist in feel, the sonic pallette here is full of invigorating and exciting gestures, with Platform deforming May’s percussive structures, layering them with slap-echo, or muscular reverb, to form an active fabric of rhythmic elements, fractured and spliced with subtle organic tonalities. At times, there is a loose free-jazz feel to the whole proceedings, a bit like Billy Cobham on a minimalist holiday with Keith Jarrett..this is a nice appetiser for what I would hope would be a more protracted foray with this successful pairing at some point in the future.Clocking in at a mere 20 or so minutes..I would have loved to have heard more.. BGN

(White_Line Editions)


Ecstatic free jazz percussion is the premise here, but with chalky, scraping electronic contrasts and mid-range harmonics. Tapes of Paul May’s percussion work, which accelerate and decelerate with wild abandon, have their malicious residues renewed and reconfigured by Platform’s active and gestural programming.
To May’s passion and high energy, Platform often adds lighter, more edgy textures, creating the sense of high energy contained through concerted self-restraint. “The Last Barber” accomplishes this most plainly: the bristling electricity of May’s looped scrawl and scribble is matched with the feral, almost tidal motion of Platform’s textures and solitary keyboard strokes. It’s far from the only penetrating moment here, however, as each and every one of the discs twenty minutes possesses clarity in its restraint and an astringency and head-rinsing litheness of touch that is almost cleansing

(Cyclic Defrost)

This is some strange electronic peculiarity here, something that we were sent ages ago but I could never find anyone to review it so I thought I'd take it upon myself. The label it is out on is called Minimal Resource Manipulation, and that is about right. This is some very un-settling stuff, strange noises and instrumentation pops and whizzes into earshot over the top of ambient sound. Paul May does some free jazz drumming, or hits random parts of a drum kit at least. Mr. May provided this percussion to Platform who then made noises over it. The second track introduces some warm and gentle droning to spice things up, this goes really well with the fizzing and the abstract drumming. I am pretty sure this kind of thing has a fairly limited audience, so I appreciate that the label sent a copy to us of all places for review. I think if you enjoy improvisation, oddball percussion and curious electronica, then you should investigate this CD as there is likely to be something here for you, even if it is only 20 minutes long.

(Collective Zine)

With a catalogue of substance already behind him Matt Atkins, aka Platform, now delivers an absolutely stunning new 20 minute work. Categories of Dust is, simply, an incredibly detailed and atmospheric drone / soundscape work that for me is up there with the very finest releases in the genre. The balance between the chords that drift into the mix along with the crispy, static-laced noises is tense, fraught with drama and, ultimately, incredibly well put together as well as having a delightful subtlety. The flow is clever and almost makes you believe the piece is ebbing away halfway through, but instead it slowly fades back in after what can only be called a natural intermission. Listening to this on headphones is a real feast for the ears - the noisier tones form a wonderful counterpoint to those resonant textures and the whole thing plays out with the perfect arrangement. This is the highest of quality releases and if you're a fan of the micro-sound work of the likes of Richard Chartier or Fourm this is absolutely a must-listen. Limited edition, as always and one of the best releases of the year so far for me. Awesome.

(SmallFish)


We've had a few CDs in by Platform over the last year or two. And here's a brand new one called Categories Of Dust. These are normally pretty limited to 50 ish copies so they don't usually hang around for too long. It's predominantly sound art I guess. This is one 21 minute long track constructed of samples recorded from around his house using a a well sensitive node microphone. You lost yet? These were then processed into the resulting 21 minute long track which I'm listening to at the mo. I'm pretty sure that's a kettle I can hear. I right fancy a brew. Fans of Machinefabriek will lap this up I think. It's a headphone listen for sure with crackles, static and fizzes popping up filling your ears with the kind of awkward sensory delights usually reserved for 8 o' clock (table for two please). There's some nice ambient moments in here and if you like long pieces of music with not much fluctuation in tone or melody then this is for you!!

(Norman's)

Platform’s Matt Atkins further reduces his sound in this latest release, Categories of Dust. Intrinsically a field recording, this piece takes sounds recorded with an ultra sensitive studio microphone, sourced from within and around the artist’s home. Atkins homes in on sonic particulates, visceral clicks and reverberations, disembodied spectral voices and luminous sine waves, engendering an active fabric that is at once hallucinatory and transcendent. Clocking in at some 21 minutes, the piece shifts parameters, undulating between the intense and the expansive, echoing some of the sentiments of Bachelard’s “The Poetics of Space”, and utilising that most personal and private of spaces..the home.. as both instrument and studio. At times there is a generous use of reverb that acts to smear the sounds, creating washy swirls of activity, approaching near-ambience, only to be brought back into sharp focus once again by the slow introduction of domesticity. A worthy recording for a burgeoning new artist whose work is getting stronger with every release. Recommended. BGN.

(White_Line)


Matt Atkins' Platform project turns out to be a busy bee, with a number of releases in a relatively short time span. Not everything was great, but his 'Categories Of Dust' belongs certainly to his more interesting works. One piece, twenty-one minutes, of recordings made around the house with a very sensitive microphone, which were then 'processed, re-processed and layered'. Platform enters here the world of microsound and does that with some style. Crackles, deep drone basis and hiss work fine in this piece, which may have a bit too much reverb here and there, but throughout this piece works along the lines of all the other micro-nists, such as Roel Meelkop and Marc Behrens. Not yet entirely their class, but this is his best effort so far. Sounds flow into eachother and have, certainly towards the end, a nice ambient texture to it. Let's hope this new road will be his main one for the future and that he expands further on it. (FdW)

(Vital Weekly)


Interesting and at points darn unsettling what-the-heck-was-that? minimalism here which was apparently recorded mostly using sounds from the artist's home which made me think two things. Firstly, that's kind of cool and very inventive, and secondly if I heard some of these noises around my home I'd probably want to move out sharpish. Ghostly voices and clicks and unidentifiable sounds float in and around proceedings, and being one long 20 minute-plus track it can get a little oppressive and feels a bit the audio equivalent of that brief time before your eyes open in the morning unsure if you're awake or dreaming. Quite different to the other CD of his reviewed here and not for everyone, but worth checking out if this kind of thing is your bag.

(Collective Zine)

Platform - "Untitled 3" (MRMCDR09)

The talented Matt Atkins AKA Platform returns to the Norman update with a new volume of icy cerebral electronics and experimental techno. It's been christened 'Untitled 3" and from the off you've some fantastic electronic manipulation and tight future-beats to contend with. I find his stuff incredibly meditative, his music has a classic isolationist feel, some kinship with noted IDM classicists but he's plowing his own atmospheric furrow here. His sounds conjure up imagery of abandoned warehouses spilling with cyber menace but not in a particularly threatening manner, just deliciously eerie, as you stalk from dripping water tanks, vaulting demolished walls, surveying the wan light for marauding animals, your MP3 quietly spits out the sharp, abstracted yet accessible sounds of Platform. This is pretty futuristic stuff and if yr into more cyber-tastic realms of electronica then this man's refreshing vision may be the soundtrack to future nights of contemplation. For fans of later period Autechre & possibly Bitstream's outer limits?

(Norman Records)

PLATFORM - UNTITLED 3 (CDR by Minimal Resource Manipulation)

If Amaurote is perhaps early Autechre, then the new Platform release is perhaps more mid to later Autechre. Messing around with 808 and 909 drum machines in a minimal style, Atkins adds an interesting blend of electronics that make the whole thing a bit more abstract for dance music. This is not dance music per se, not for the masses at least, but perhaps it could work at some underground tekno party, certainly with pieces like 'Thoracic Drop' or 'Polarity 3'. When the beat is absent, in 'The Eye Of Silence' or 'Prensig' he aims for a more experimental ambient sound, which adds a nice variation to the release. Quite groovy stuff. The dance pieces should be on vinyl, I'd say. (FdW)

(Vital Weekly)

Platform 3
And that brings us neatly on to the man himself – Platform. As I’ve said before I’m a big fan of Matt’s work and he has a knack of providing varied and interesting electronic sounds with every release. I enjoy the fact that all the albums really feel like self contained pieces of work in themselves and each has a somewhat different tone to the previous release – a good case in point is Categories Of Dust which was completely different to this third full length album. So, what’s the vibe here? Well, it’s a slightly more chilled style than previous releases I’d say. Once again the heart of his sound is firmly rooted in the minimal end of the electronic spectrum and his rhythms give you a good idea of the fact that he has a balanced and varied taste in music. What’s noticeable from the off is the added layer of melody that sits beautifully in the mix. Whether it’s a fully melodic electronica workout or a non-repeating motif that crops up occasionally, you really get a lovely sense of space and balance with the subtle tones that he uses. Balancing this melodic edge is a stripped back and incredibly crisp style of programming beats that encompasses flat, almost Pan Sonic style segments as well as a more electro-based vibe which really gives the tracks some oomph. It all comes together beautifully and complements the wonderful textural backgrounds and resonant soundscapes to create a compelling, lightly experimental whole that’s full of flavour and style. Another absolutely top class release from this really excellent label. Get yourself in there and enjoy some quality homegrown sounds that really are first class. Definitely recommended.

(Smallfish)

Matt Atkins is founder of the Minimal Resource Manipulation label and this is his follow up to 2007’s Platform 2, on which he re-fashions the classic sounds of 808 and 909 drum machines into fresh sculptures. There is a feel about these tracks of the juxtaposition of discarded cans and milk bottle tops with the remote immensity of aluminium-plated corridors on deserted, imaginary space stations, especially on “Thoracic Drop”. There are reminders, too, of Autechre, of all the beat generators once used to entertain on dancefloors now operating for their own sake in a space in which humanity has been notionally dispensed with.

(The Wire)

Amaurote - "Binary Code Forbidden" (MRMCDR10)

AMAUROTE - BINARY CODE FORBIDDEN (CDR by Minimal Resource Manipulation)

So far the Minimal Resource Manipulation label released music by Matt Atkins, the label owner who works as Platform. Now he releases music by someone, one Joey Frohikey who lives in the Czech Republic, where he works with a netlabel called Cryoworks and since short with Amaurote as his own musical project. 'Binary Code Forbidden' is his debut release and has four tracks of what can be best classified as IDM music. Minimalist beats, which bend back and forth, pitch up and down in the best Autechre, the early mark thereof. Bits of melody are used, an throughout its not the most complex thing, mainly due to the somewhat minimal rhythms used. Four tracks are perhaps a bit short to form an opinion on this, but its sure nice enough.

(Vital Weekly)

Amaurote – “Binary Code Forbidden”
Binary Code Forbidden is an EP that blends some classic and comfortable electronica vibes with a considerably darker and more stripped back sense of minimalism. I could almost hear echoes of very early Autechre in there (my favourite era – Incunabula) with lovely synths and chord structures along with lightly electro inflected rhythms. The overall feeling is of a relaxed nature but with the occasional foray into slightly more upbeat territory. I think that’s why it works so well for me – that and the fact that it freely references the kind of music that I loved back in the day – and that coupled with the more stark moments is a combination that is going to be very appealing to a lot of you. My advice? Check it out straight away as this will be a limited release as always. Really excellent sounds!

(Smallfish)

Joey Frohikey comes from the Czech Republic, not hitherto noted as a hotbed of new music, and runs Cryoworks, a net label. This, his debut for the MRM label, shows at once how far electronic music has travelled and impacted internationally. These  four tracks, with their pointillistic, obscure, sampled chatter, needle-thin rhythms, backwashes of echo, metallic birdsong and binary simulations of raindrops on lilyponds, recall anything from Eric Random through to the Finnish Sahko label. However, Binary Code Forbidden, retains a sense of its own small and remote uniqueness in an increasingly vast scheme of things.

(The Wire)

Paul May + Platform - "Flock Of Scissors" (MRMCDR11)

For this second collaborative work from Paul May and Matt Atkins, they once again split the duties into drums and percussion from Paul and processing / programming from Matt. The first release from the pair really paved the way for what is turning into a very fruitful relationship indeed and this EP signals a definite evolution in their sound. From the original recordings Matt has put together a varied and extremely listenable selection of work that has its roots firmly in the abstract side of things. But, the real joy is the way that it’s accompanied by a palpable sense of melody as well – witness the first track with its subtle bass build up and gentle layers of sound. There’s even a nod to a more dancefloor friendly style with what I believe may well be the first pure 4/4 based track on the label. Stripping back the original recordings and using them as an extra layer of percussion gives the track real movement and life. I’d hesitate to actually call it techno, mind you, but it’s certainly in the same ballpark. From there the last track once again blends the obtuse with the beautiful in a composition that I feel is probably my favourite track of their work so far. Clattering sounds and percussion give way to absolutely gorgeous, ethereal chords half way through and then remain until the very end. Well put together, expertly produced, full of fascinating sounds and textures. MRM delivers once again. Superb.

(Smallfish)

Matt Atkins, also known as Platform, continues with his CDR releases, as always around twenty minutes of music. The 'Four Elements' are not earth, water, fire and air, but elements from the table of. Two long tracks and two short tracks. All four are about rhythm, but very minimal, slow ones. Almost like industrial music, but without the connotation of hammering, machine like, or, on the other hand, not being very 'dance' oriented either (think Pan Sonic). The backdrop of these pieces are quite ambient, which add a strange atmosphere to it. Almost spooky in approach. Excellent stuff, moving away from his Autechre inspired previous releases.

(Vital Weekly)

Another month, another Platform review. This time he is accompanied by 'free improv drummer' Paul May as he was with 'Broken Hulk Display'. Like his other music I have reviewed here (especially 'Categories of Dust') this sounds like the soundtrack to some haunted art gallery, and I still would not want to listen to this CD when home alone at night. I was expecting some more natural sounding drumming here, instead we are 'treated' to a whole host of sinister drum effects, a mixture of electronic clicks and creepy wait-is-that-coming-from-my-basement? taps and scratches. The mood is lifted on the third track which is some kind of almost techno thing, but the EP finishes as it started with another seven minutes of menacing minimalism.

(Collective zine)

Platform - "Four Elements" (MRMCDR12)

After a small hiatus the Minimal Resource Manipulation imprint is back with a vengeance. Kicking off 2010 with two releases, this first EP from label boss Matt Atkins is yet another very fine example of why I regard his sound so highly. Electronica forms the basis of the 4 tracks here but, as always, these works don’t pander to any particular style or sound – another reason why I like his sound so much. You can hear hints of minimalism, sculptural texture as well as rhythms and a more melodic feel and the pacing of the pieces gives the whole thing a well-rounded sound. The intro delves into stark field recordings and sets things up for the considerably more beautiful second track with its off-kilter, yet subtle rhythms. Warm chords play against the more abstract background tones and it has a hint of classic ‘90s electronica in there. After a short interlude piece comes the dramatic finale which begins with a synth chord and slowly evolves into morphed, stretched notes and then finishes with an echoing percussive tone. A great release from MRM and another extremely good release from Platform… you know what to do!

(Smallfish)

A touch of complex ambient electronica now with this CD EP from Minimal Resource Manipulation head honcho Matt Atkins. As Platform he works repetitive, sometimes bizarre-sounding synth melodies (giving the impression of forgetful machines stuck in infinite loops), abstract, glitchy percussion that inevitably brings the likes of Autechre to mind as well as subtly industrial hisses and clanks and the occasional booming bass throb, both of which have me thinking of Pan Sonic. Generally though, this is a more immediately palatable listening experience than either of those two vague (and possibly slightly misleading) touchstones.. Uneasy, highly atmospheric listening and definitely very compulsive.

(Norman Records)

With free improv drummer Paul May he has released before 'Broken Hulk Display' (see Vital Weekly 661). Again its the case of May delivering recordings of his drumming to Atkins, who then processed the whole thing. Whereas on the previous I had the impression he was creating loops with the material, it seems here that Atkins just treats the material as a whole, adding all sorts of effects to the various parts - say reverb on the cymbals, delay on the tom etc. In 'Secret Martyrs' however he does something new. Atkins switches on some synthesizers, May drums the 4/4 beats and its almost getting close to techno music. In its dubby effects with echo and reverb, its all a bit too odd to be true dance music, but its certainly also something quite weird for the world of improvised music. Quite a good follow up this one. Varied, funny and serious.

(Vital Weekly)

Imagine the musical molecules of the now-iconic dub techno grooves of Basic Channel being battered about and damaged from within by an influx of free radicals. This is the gruesomely appealing sound of Platform´s Four Elements.  Matt Atkins apparently prefers to release in short form, rarely more than twenty minutes, but he certainly makes optimal use of the time he allots himself.
I am not clear as to why he chose to name his tracks after these four particular elements from the periodic table, though most seem to have a silvery lustre and malleability in common. On the other hand, this reference note makes perfect sense of why the second track is called "Neodymium": "One of the more reactive rare-earth metals [that] quickly tarnishes in air, forming an oxide that spalls off and exposes the metal to further oxidation."
For indeed, this piece does break down rather rapidly, sounding, like mentioned above, as if it is a lost Basic Channel track being disassembled from the inside, with an off-kilter beat acting as a centrifugal force sending bits flying away from the dissolving centre and only being kept part of an intact whole by Atkins´ simple but lush synthetic melody, the skin that gives them shape and full body. And yet perversely, that which began as disconcerting but tactile ends up much more diaphanous and moody.
The third track is a straightforward, if sly, dub techno interlude, while the ten-minute finale is a variation of the same strategy as used on "Neodymium". A nearly-subaquatic rhythm acts to slowly hurtle the single-stringed drone off into a spin, transforming it in a most curious fashion from the sweep of noirish cinema into a melange of retro, analogue sci-fi film cues.

This quiet and unassuming release is another example of the whisperer proving the most interesting voice in the room.

(Sonomu.net)

More minimalist bleeps and bloops from Mr. Platform, again with that sinister, almost haunting atmosphere throughout. There is a kind of low level dread that accompanies these 4 tracks, and 'Neodymium' especially reminds me of some dark psychological computer game when you're wandering through an unfamiliar grim street at night-time basically waiting for some one or some thing to jump out at you. Whereas the previous CD I reviewed here was based predominantly around 'natural sounds' from his house, this feels very computerised and programmed, and although I did prefer 'Categories of Dust', this EP is pretty good too. It does have 2 very short tracks that feel like appetisers before the main course track that comes next ('Neodymium' being 7 and a half minutes, 'Praseodymium' being over 10 minutes long) but the longer tracks are really something; the sheet that came with this CD calls it 'hypnotic and unsettling' and that's pretty spot on. As you may have guessed the tracks are actually named after 4 different elements, and like knowledge of the ol' periodic table, Platform's music is kind of esoteric and specialised but if you're into it you're really into it.

(Collective zine)

Platform – Lovelorn (MRMCDR13)

As Platform Atkins plays rhythmic music, inspired by house and techno, a bit abstract. Previously inspired by Autechre, but since the last few releases moving away from that and in a more straight forward rhythmic sense, with a few melodic lines. I was thinking that this music isn't entirely up for vinyl release yet, but slowly Atkins is getting there. Some more shaping up, perhaps making things even a bit more accessible, and then move away from CDR releases and see if he could attract a dance label to release it. I am too uninformed about that scene to say which label that should be, but surely some would buy this. After this string of self-releases, its about time to make the next step.

(Vital Weekly)


A number of pale, ghostly children are in the rumpus room. They are quiet, mild-mannered and very well-behaved. One is bouncing a small wooden ball leisurely on a tightly-stretched tambourine skin. A pair are in the corner where the sun shines in, playing air hockey and smiling somewhat wanly as the puck scooooshhhhhes between them. One is humming quietly to itself and clicking slender fingers in time to a tune that only it can hear. The last is sitting glassy-eyed and cross-legged in front of a large colour television, imagining it is one with the Arkanoid paddle and trying desperately to beat a high score that has now stood for some two weeks or so. Things are hushed and calm, but there is nevertheless a subtle sense of industriousness about proceedings that suggests a deeper knowing lingering just beneath the surface. Without a whisper passing between them, each pair of eyes is on you and it's all of a sudden time to leave. Quickly now, and with the door firmly closed behind you.

(Collective Zine)

Matthew Atkins – Hiatus (MRMCDR14)

There is also a CD by Atkins' nome de plume 'Platform out this week on his very own Minimal Resource Manipulation label that is really worth checking but due to time constraints I've opted to just review this one which is a side to his productions that we've really not heard yet. I am writing these words from home at 12:36 at night and am on a one way ticket to snoozeville and this is making me want to reach for my pillow as it is lush ambient/drone gear with gorgeous ebbs and flows. The gentle and emotive tones are very therapeutic and certainly the press release comparisons to William Basinski and Celer are really spot on. I'm floating away to this one with its ultra mellow tones. There are lots of little subtle layers to focus in and out too and as I do it things just get deeper and deeper. Really nice to hear Matthew doing this style and I reckon he can give even the best a good run for their money. If you are into David Tagg's recent Pentacost CD on Install then check this beauty out. Hand packaged limited edition.

(Norman Records)


Matthew Atkins is the man behind Minimal Resource Manipulation and also the man behind the one main act of the label, Platform. Sometimes he plays with other people. Here he moves into something different, a work under his own name, thus setting it apart from his work as Platform. The first difference is that the four pieces on this release are quite long, between eight and thirteen minutes, making this effectively a full length album, other the EPs released as Platform. The music is drone based, highly layered and absent of any rhythm. I suspect this uses a whole bunch digital synthesizers and digital sound effects, with reverb on 'end', but these lengthy sustaining pieces are nice ambient pieces. As such nothing new, but Atkins knows how to play them effectively.

(Vital Weekly)


I reckon people looking into the minimalist / ambient scene tend to observe it with a little bit if distain, an easy way to make music or if you're lacking a bit in talent and given that a lot of the stuff that I come across falls into that category, Matt Atkins is head and shoulders above the rest with his label and well constructed tracks.

Devoid of any constant rhythm these four tracks provide a haunting, uneasy yet interesting listening. Their ghostly sombreness would make a fine addition to a dark Ellis / Cave movie soundtrack. With most tracks coming in over 10min they are given ample opportunity to rise, fall and drift through with layered synth sound panning in an out creating an eerie and dark inner soundscape. Although minimalist in its approach there’s a lot hidden away in the back ground to keep you interested.

Coming soon to a cinema near you.

(Collective zine)


As Platform, he has released a series of concentrated dub techno pieces, rich in rhythmic nuance and atmosphere. Here Matthew Atkins dispenses with the pseudonym and the rhythm and experiments with atmosphere alone.
This is bleak territory, each of the four, ten-minute melodies wafting over bare, windswept landscapes. It's a kind of limbo, a not entirely pleasant place to be, but tantalizing to hear from the safe confines of home.
Titled to indicate a break from routine, it remains to be seen if this mode of expression will be a temporary way station for Atkins or an extended sojourn. Hoping for the latter.

(Sonomu net)

Lipsis - 'Simple Pleasures' (MRMCDR15)

Lipsis is the pseudonym of Matt Allcock a South East London based electronic artist working strictly in the digital domain. 'Simple Pleasures' is Allcock's third full length following two releases on Enpeg (n5MD) entitled 'Myths' (November 2006) and 'Community' (February 2008). I'm not all that familiar with Lipsis' work but from what I can gather from 'Simple Pleasures' Allcock concentrates on the abstract realm of electronica spitting forth random tones, digital squiggles and loosely cohesive rhythm tracks in a very studious manner. The construction of this music is incredibly well thought out. At first the music seems totally random but form and meaning occasionally rears it's head, assisting the listeners ears to adjust to the abstract nature of the music. Allcock's choice of sounds is probably the most interesting aspect of 'Simple Pleasures' with warm synth tones, fuzzy melodies, ambient drones and prickly beats dominating throughout but on repeat listen it's the warmth and space created in these compositions that leave a lasting impression. Bizarre yet beautiful sounding electronic music.

(Norman Records)

Next album comes from another British composer. London-based Matt Allcock has released two earlier albums under the project name Lipsis, this being the third shot and the first out on Minimal Resource Manipulation. The two first were recorded on En:Peg Digital, the mp3-exlusive sub-label to idm-label n5MD. Not such a big surprise as you listen to this album titled “Simple pleasures”. The nine intersections on this album point towards the IDM-scene thanks to complex rhythm textures moving underneath semi-melodic electronic sound drones. Sometimes the style reminds of early Warp-acts such as Autechre, however “Simple pleasures” certainly lives its very own life thanks to the clever works of Matt Allcock. His ability of controlling rhythmic complexity - at first listen the
structures seems random - is absolutely outstanding. Beautiful in a very complex manner.

(Vital Weekly)

When I put this CD into the computer, a little box appeared with the following words inside, “the songs on this CD could not be found online, would you still like to import it ?”

Obviously I clicked on the “yes” button, as any CD which contains music which hasn't been leaked all over the internet and put on Facebook and Myspace clearly has an air of individuality about it which from my point of vantage, is somewhat lacking in 99% of modern music. And this is certainly modern music.

I looked on the Minimal Resource Manipulation website and it talked about making music from “found sounds,” an idea I like very much and which immediately brought to mind the portrayal of Martin Hannett in the film about Factory Records. When we are first introduced to him, he's just walking about in the hills with the cans on his head, recording silence, just to see what it sounded like I presume. If Hannet was still alive today and took a trip to Tokyo to just walk around recording the noises he found there, this CD is probably what he would come back with.

There are certain elements of the Drukqs album here I think, the seemingly, at times, arbitrary construction of assorted whizz bangs which only coalesce into a discernible whole given a second or third listen. Sometimes the sound is rather heavier on the bangs than the whizzes, but it's in the quieter moments that the album really came to life for me, those songs wherein you get the feeling of eavesdropping on a series of intimate exchanges between two lovelorn computer hard drives.

Hypnotic stuff.

(Collective zine)

Teruo + Platform - 'I Used To Be Scared Of the Sky' (MMCDR16)

Got a couple of things in this week on the MRM label. Here's one of 'em! Not sure if it's limited to 50 or 100 but it's gonna be one of 'em as they don't make too many of these things. 'I Used To Be Scared Of The Sky' is a collaborative effort between Matt Atkins (Platform) and Simon Kobayashi (Teruo). Here the pair have teamed up to give us 4 tracks totaling 20 mins of electroacoustic sound art business. It's not a million miles away from the CD on 12K I've just been listening to.... rich dense layers piled upon each other like a musical lasagne to ram into you ears. Lots of micro sounds, strummy guitars and rich, warm atmospherics creating a really enjoyable 4 track EP. Good work chaps!

(Norman Records)

When I was in the fifth year at high school a group of deluded idiots representing the UK Dragonboat association did an assembly for us one Tuesday afternoon in which they told us all about Dragonboat racing and showed us the special costumes you have to wear when you go Dragonboat racing and how it's really good to go Dragonboat racing because you make new friends and learn a new sport and also it's fun and they showed us an official UK Dragonboat racing video of people competing in some Dragonboat racing and talking about why they liked Dragonboat racing so much.

At the end of the assembly, the representatives of the UK Dragonboat association stood at the door holding some leaflets and looking eagerly, but with a definite sense of longing into the eyes of every single member of the fifth year as we all filed past them without so much as a glance in their direction. Fuck Dragonboat racing I thought, it's stupid, it's a stupid waste of time.

Approximately ten years earlier, for some indiscernible reason now lost to the past, a crazy old woman from a local orchestra brought a concert harp into the middle school and played it for ages whilst two hundred and forty children sat and watched in absolute awe. I can still remember how spellbound I was with every single aspect of the day; the mad old woman who clearly didn't give a fuck, this massive instrument which looked like something out of Jason and the Argonauts, the incredible sound the thing made when the old woman played it, the graceful movement of her arms as she lost herself in the music and the way we all applauded like idiots when she had finished.

So that's it.

That's the secret.

When something doesn't care whether you like it or not, when it doesn't try to make you like it or make any direct form of appeal to you and just allows you to come to it on your own terms, the entire emphasis is placed upon you and if you're listening with the right kind of ears, you can make something of it.

That's what this does and it does it well.

(Collective Zine)

I had never heard of this label before present two discs approached my mailbox. Minimal Resource Manipulation is a British label who has now existed half a decade with the aim of releasing experimental electronic music in CDR formats. I must say that the two albums reviewed here are some inspiring releases that makes me want to hear more from the label. First album is a short one, only running approx. 20 minutes. Never the less this is true gem of trippy electronics. The album carrying the odd title “I used to be scared of the sky” is a collaboration between British composer and label owner Matt Atkins alias Platform and Simon Kobayashi a.k.a.Teruo. The result of the joint venture circulates somewhere in-between ambient, postrock and glitch. The works on the album very much focuses on strummy guitars creating some tense layers of sounds. Trippy atmospheres derived from the manipulated guitar sounds are combined with rich pallets of micro sounds and clicking pulses adding some nice depth to the electronic ambience. Four pieces of sheer beauty!

(Vital Weekly)