Matmos: The Sounds of Science

Matmos: The Sounds of Science

Human fat and rat cages never sounded so good: Aidin Vaziri | The inventory for this particular show is tame when compared with some objects the musical and life partners have used in the past: They've found sonic inspiration in everything from rabbit pelts and rat cages to the pages of bibles turning and on-set dialogue from gay porn films. After a decade of doing this, they feel like they're just getting warmed up. The group's breakthrough 2001 album, "A Chance To Cut Is A Chance To Heal, " is made entirely of the noises of plastic surgery, setting real-life rhinoplasty cracks and liposuction whooshes to a captivating techno groove. In lesser hands, it could rankle. Daniel and Schmidt, however, are dedicated to constructing songs that are not only fun but equally intellectual and beautiful. "I think of what we do as collaborations with objects in the world, and it's their sounds, that's why people find it compelling," Daniel says over a cup of tea at the kitchen table. "Human fat sounds compelling going through a tube in the same way that when you're a kid, playing with your pudding sounds great. You don't have to be a maestro of chocolate pudding or human fat to get off on these sounds. They're exciting unto themselves."