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Matte Henderson: The Veneer of Logic CD/DVD
Matte Henderson The Veneer of Logic CD/DVD Album Review

Matte Henderson: The Veneer of Logic CD/DVD

Avant Garde/Art/Progressive Rock
4.0/5.0

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7D Media
by Craig Hartranft,  12.12.2013

Probably the best place to start when discussing guitarist, composer, guitar designer Matte Henderson's first album The Veneer of Logic would be to let you read the promotional one-sheet supplied by the label's PR agency. It can explain much more about his background, collaborations, and this music than I possibly could. But that's likely to easy an out. Think link to the PDF follows my vapid attempt to speak about The Veneer of Logic.

A student of Robert Fripp (which alone can tell you where this music is going), and also influenced by Bad Brains, David Torn, and Mick Karn, Matte Henderson's music has generated a new genre, at least according to Bad Brains's guitarist Dr. Know (who performs on the album, along mucho dudes from 7D Media label). He calls Henderson's tunes 'muttcore' because, I suppose, like a 'mutt' dog is a mix of many breeds, his music is mix of various genres. Using his gifted guitar skills, electronica, bits of sampling, and the quirky and creative drumming of Marco Minnermann (Joe Satriani, Steven Wilson, et al), Henderson has created a strange brew avant garde post progressive rock. And it gets even weirder.

The 'veneer' in The Veneer of Logic is apropos as it applies to the superficiality of that layer of logic. Yea, the music to some ears my defy, or transcend (?), certainty and sensibility, to a maddening conclusion. But that's not all. While mostly instrumental, there are vocals, and Henderson really wants mess with your head. Quoting the one-sheet: "... those vocals were almost entirely derived from voicemails, surreptitiously recorded conversations, and prison parole hearings." Creepy. But let's bump up weirdosity level a few more notches.

You may want to skip listening to the CD first and go straight to the DVD. Now Henderson throws his love for experimentation with visual arts. The music is the same as on the CD, but here he adds these visual images and film clips mostly, it appears, from Fifties to early Seventies B-movies, infommercials, and other oddities. The impressions range from hilarious, two cartoon scientists pulling objects out of oil barrels to display the products created from oil (Tomatte) to disturbing, a little girl being offered a doll to get into a molester's car (Bible Camp). You can explore the former in the video below.

Obviously this work is not for everybody as it is quite odd, different, and challenging and so, an interesting listen. However, you may want to pull out the DVD simply to freak out those scarf wearing, latte sipping, skinny jean dweebs who are waiting with baited breath for the next big alt rock or hardcore thing. It would be funny to watch their heads explode in cognitive and audio dissonance.

More information: Matte Henderson promotional one-sheet.


Matte Henderson - Tomatte





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In Short

Matte Henderson's The Veneer of Logic is different and odd, quirky and creative, avant garde and eclectic and, therefore, wildly challenging and curiously entertaining.

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