Though deceptively simple on the surface, these pieces reveal a deep-rooted command of mood and motion, offering a wistful nod to the IDM genre’s emotive past without getting lost in its complexity.
Lean, luminous, and effortlessly cohesive
Five tracks from Wake (aka Matthew M. Hettich) form a vibrant resurgence of IDM’s golden spirit on Viridiflora, where intricate, newly-spun patterns ripple with life. Melodic fragments shimmer like brittle stars, while gravity-laden beats and crisp breakwork anchor each moment with understated finesse. Though deceptively simple on the surface, these pieces reveal a deep-rooted command of mood and motion, offering a wistful nod to the genre’s emotive past without getting lost in its complexity.
Ambient drift and sonic sleight of hand whisper clear reverence for Aphex Twin, threading through each compact composition. Despite their brevity, these tracks pulse with enough momentum to animate a full-length journey—lean, luminous, and effortlessly cohesive.
Rather than veering into the realm of hyper-processed glitch, Viridiflora leans into warm, syncopated grooves—drawing a line back to the tender sophistication of early Kettel, the layered warmth of Plaid, and the melodic analog instincts of artists like Bad Loop, Bauri, Andre Estermann, and Abfahrt Hinwil. It’s a quietly stunning release: a contemporary lens on experimental electronica that still hears IDM’s beating heart. Truly, how can one not be moved to goosebumps by that breathtaking closing title track?
Viridiflora is available on Schematic. [Bandcamp]
