釣哲生 (TETSUO TSURI)
A quiet architect of submerged, dub-techno of uncompromising cold-machinery balanced with delicate, introspective beauty.
Friends.
It’s Friday.
We’re relaying the Foundations.
Here’s a few words from Stef.
I should begin by explaining my workflow, since many of the artists involved have considerably longer and more complex histories than others, who are smaller in scale; all of whom are incredibly important, and it is for time constraints that my posts will not follow a strict decade-by-decade timeline. I am going to move between artists from the beginning, the pioneers and those that followed; beginning in the late nineties, and later, generally referred to as ‘second wave’ artists, which in my humble opinion is an ineptly named term, artists that came later creating quality are indisputably critical to the development and progression of something that is our heritage and are not less important; the same applies to new and upcoming artists.
I appreciate your understanding, and now on to this week’s post.
釣哲生 (TETSUO TSURI)
From Japan, I turn your attention to Matrix, the alias of Japanese producer Tetsuo Tsuri, without a doubt a highly competent and incredibly forward-thinking artist, who, in comparison to Steve Paton, had a considerably shorter music time span: Less than 17 months, somewhere in 1999 to May 2000 and then no more.
Matrix is one of the quietest corners of late‑90s electronic music; however, it is one of the most compelling. Leaving behind only a small number of quality electronic music productions. A total of 17 tracks over four releases: 3 EPs, ‘Isthmus #Fast’, ‘Isolated Dot’ and ‘See Off’; with all tracks from these releases appearing on the final production, a compilation titled ‘Various Films’. In this release, the first three tracks (0.1 - ‘Isolation’, 0.2 - ‘Blue Film #A’, and 0.3 - ‘Equator Music’ - also found on the EP Isolated Dot) are hidden in the pre-gap track, with a duration of 12:25. Rewinding the CD, back from the first track gives access to these tracks.
I have the utmost respect for this artist and his productions. The discography is small but incredibly precise. Each production is captivating and invites you into its atmosphere: short, mid, and long length, self‐contained studies in texture, mood, and intensity.
VARIOUS FILMS
‘Various Films’ is electronic music at its brilliant best, and it is dub-techno of the highest order, sitting and belonging alongside other grand productions from pioneers of this style. It also encompasses minimal and ambient styles. Cold-machine quality balanced with delicate, introspective beauty, uncompromising in places, with a slight grainy feel, and finely placed subtle hiss adding further depth. Percussion is overall distinct, yet subtle, as displayed in Nimbus. Tempo range 120 to 150. Varied pitch between low, mid, and high melody lines; however, it is mainly and equally balanced in the low and mid key domains.
The high-pitched melody line of ‘Red Film #2’ features sudden increases and decreases in volume throughout, dropping out when Tetsuo places what seem like sudden jumps, making it seem like the track is restarting. The melody line volume previously dropped, re-climbs. It is a fascinating listen, and it throws you out. These sections change the original structure, and it seems out of sequence; it would certainly seem complex if you were thinking of mixing at this section. However, these changes do not throw the timing out; it certainly sounds odd to the middle ear, but it is possible to keep everything matched. Absolutely intriguing.
‘Blue Film #4+’, ‘Blue Film #2+’, ‘Red Film #1’, ‘Isolated Dot’, and ‘Zkj’ take the listener to the darker edges of emotions: ‘Blue Film #2+’, ‘Blue Film #4+’ with its lurking, move-with-stealth overtones; ‘Red film #1’ brings uncertainty to the fore; ‘Isolated Dot’ with its distinct desolate, despairing melody. ‘Zkj’ with its repetitive, dystopian industrial-machine feel, then at 2,35 you experience the beautiful chord line to accompany the track out. These are the tracks that bring forth dark undercurrents.
At either end of ‘Various Films’, you are greeted with pieces that are connected with good emotions, instantly connecting to the heart; at the beginning, ‘Isolation’, ‘Equator Music’, and ‘Blue Film #A’, at the other end it is ‘Flora’, ‘See Off’, ‘Nimbus’ and the 137 BPM masterpiece of ‘Isthmus #Fast’.
These pieces are like vignettes; however, not all are brief, rather varied lengths of evocative descriptions of what I tend to think of as scenes from an experimental film or dream with no narrative, only feeling; each one a moment suspended in time: simply existing. And yet, within their minimalism, there is a profound sense of humanity; this is the hand of someone who absolutely understood that music, with the smallest gestures, can produce incredibly powerful emotion.
The following tracks are a few that resonate deeply with me:
‘Isolation’
‘Milieux’
‘Isthmus #Fast’
What makes Matrix so absorbing is the way his work bridges two sensibilities: the submerged, grainy aesthetic of Berlin’s dub‑techno pioneers and the delicate, introspective minimalism often found in Japanese electronic music. Where Berlin feels industrial, architectural, and cold, respectively, Matrix’s culture is organic, botanical, and warm. It is the direct combination of these two distinct areas explored by Tetsuo that comes into full effect in his 17 pieces and in his rather unique production style.
Even though dub‑techno emerged in the 1990s, its core aesthetics echo ideas pioneered at the Westdeutscher Rundfunk (WDR) Studio for Electronic Music in Cologne in 1955. WDR established the idea of music built from pure tones and controlled repetition, normalising the studio as an instrument, and their focus on space, resonance, and tone purity shaped later ambient and minimal aesthetics.
Matrix’s productions are acknowledgment and a distinct nod to WDR’s Innovations. We can push this further and think about the lineage of his music to 1940s Pierre Schaeffer’s musique concrète, and tape manipulation, 1950s, early computer music, and pure electronic synthesis; pure tone synthesis, and pure synthesis, and 1970s dub-style tape delay: It is, minimal, evolving structures; pure, rounded synth tones; loop‑based rhythmic logic; and fundamentally using space as a compositional element, and studio‑as‑instrument philosophy.
In a scene dominated by prominent producers, Matrix represents something essential: the value of smallness, of subtlety, of music made without expectation, with quality as the backbone of every piece. His work reminds us that the most affecting music is the one that sits quietly yet can provoke a vast array of emotions. It is anticipation, uncertainty, emptiness, but it is personal, quiet and deeply sincere.
However, what makes this artist demand attention is that, after listening to the ‘Various Films’ compilation as a whole, it is what is left. For me, it takes me on an intense emotional journey through numerous emotional states and varying lengths, coupled with tracks of varying speeds and intensity, which adds a fascinating dimension to the listening experience. Fundamentally, it is not only the music; it is the placement of the pieces and how that comes together. When it concludes with ‘Isthmus #Fast’, the state leaves me with that awe-inspiring moment, deep in thought for days to come. But it is a state that also feels as if a personal encounter has just occurred, or more so, a deep connection into Tetsuo’s world, and that may be the essence of why, in the same vein as Steve Paton, nothing is found archived about this producer. Here, though, I am drawn deeper in and have a better understanding of Tetsuo. I can not explain why, so I will not attempt this. If this is telling a story about him, then it’s genius. Unbelievably talented; I only wish there were more of his productions.
His productions leave me with the overriding reality of being remarkably free.
Until the next one, I will leave you with this timeless beauty, ‘See Off’.
Peace and Love
Stef