Plastic Anniversary

Plastic Anniversary is the eleventh studio album by experimental electronic artist Matmos. It was released on March 15, 2019.

Plastic Anniversary
Studio album by
Matmos
ReleasedMarch 15, 2019 (2019-03-15)
Studio
Length40:20
LabelThrill Jockey
Matmos chronology
Ultimate Care II
(2016)		 Plastic Anniversary
(2019)		 The Consuming Flame
(2020)

Production
M. C. Schmidt and Drew Daniel of Matmos, pictured in 2006

All of the album's sounds originate from plastic objects. Matmos intended the album to explore our relationship to plastic and how its qualities of "durability, portability, and longevity" are both useful for humans and harmful to the environment.[1] The album also celebrates the couple's 25th anniversary.[2] It was released through Thrill Jockey on March 15, 2019.[1] The label offered a pink and green recycled vinyl edition available exclusively through mail order.[1] A deluxe box set, signed by the artists, contains a limited edition color vinyl release of the record, a bonus track, a t-shirt, and an unplayable/sculptural record made with plastic bottles (with a display stand). Proceeds from the box set go to The Ocean Cleanup, a Dutch engineering nonprofit that develops technology to remove ocean plastic pollution.[3]

The album's first single, "Silicone Gel Implant", features a silicone breast implant, plastic flutes, and a PVC pan flute. Deerhoof's Greg Saunier plays percussion on plastic objects.[1]

Critical reception
Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic75/100[4]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[5]
Exclaim!8/10[6]
PopMatters[7]

Plastic Anniversary received generally positive reviews from critics. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream publications, the album received an average score of 75, based on 13 reviews.[4] In the review for AllMusic, Heather Phares claimed, "At once vibrantly creative and deeply disturbing, Plastic Anniversary is filled with nearly as many dualities as Matmos themselves. Over the years, they've turned what could be a gimmicky approach into an enduring and frequently profound form of expression, and Plastic Anniversary is both relevant to its time and another well-conceived, thought-provoking chapter in their long-running career."[5]

Reviewing the album for Exclaim, Daniel Sylvester stated "Sometimes it's the pure novelty of a Matmos album that makes it so enjoyable. Sometimes it's that same novelty that makes it hard to separate the medium from the message. On Plastic Anniversary, the Baltimore duo aren't afraid to triumphantly straddle the line between these two truths."[6] Spyros Stasis reviewed the album for PopMatters, concluding that "Plastic Anniversary showcases how it is possible for an artist to find inspiration even in the most mundane. And from those everyday, ordinary (and some not so ordinary) sources, they can elevate their artistic intentions to a higher level."[7]

Track listing
No.TitleLength
1."Breaking Bread"2:28
2."The Crying Pill"4:24
3."Interior with Billiard Balls & Synthetic Fat"4:12
4."Extending the Plastisphere to GJ237b"0:10
5."Silicone Gel Implant"4:31
6."Plastic Anniversary"4:06
7."Thermoplastic Riot Shield"4:05
8."Fanfare for Polyethylene Waste Containers"4:00
9."The Singing Tube"3:00
10."Collapse of the Fourth Kingdom"5:02
11."Plastisphere"4:20
Total length:40:20

Charts
Chart (2019) Peak
position
US Dance/Electronic Album Sales (Billboard)[8] 6

References
  1. Daramola, Israel (December 13, 2018). "Matmos Announce New Album 'Plastic Anniversary'". Spin. Archived from the original on December 14, 2018. Retrieved December 15, 2018.
  2. Otis, Erik (January 18, 2019). "Matmos to Release New Album Crafted Entirely from Sounds Sourced from Plastic Objects". XLR8R. Archived from the original on February 22, 2019. Retrieved February 21, 2019.
  3. Blistein, Jon (January 29, 2019). "Experimental Duo Matmos Detail Plastic Anniversary Deluxe Edition". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on February 3, 2019. Retrieved February 11, 2019.
  4. "Critic Reviews for Plastic Anniversary". Metacritic. Retrieved March 22, 2019.
  5. Phares, Heather (March 15, 2019). "Plastic Anniversary - Matmos". AllMusic. Retrieved March 22, 2019.
  6. Sylvester, Daniel (March 12, 2019). "Matmos Plastic Anniversary". Exclaim!. Retrieved March 16, 2019.
  7. Stasis, Spyros (March 13, 2019). "Matmos Arrive with an Arsenal of Plastic Sources on Their Anniversary". PopMatters. Retrieved March 16, 2019.
  8. Murray, Gordon (March 28, 2019). "Billboard Dance Chart Upstarts: Meduza, Hilary Roberts & Matmos". Billboard. Retrieved March 31, 2019.

Further reading
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