Was It Ever Real?

Was It Ever Real? Is a super juicy, super limited CD and cassette-only release from The Soft Pink Truth, otherwise known as Drew Daniel, one-half of the iconic experimental electronic duo Matmos. This limited mini-album (a harbinger of where The Soft Pink Truth is headed) is part of Thrill Jockey's 30th anniversary special limited releases. Four new songs kick off where Shall We Go On Sinning So That Grace May Increase? left us, hitting us with the aching vocals and throbbing beats of the Dark Room Mix of "Is It Going To Get Deeper Than This?", a space age, super sexy, nearly 8 min banger. The EP also features a cover of Coil’s immortal queer classic “The Anal Staircase”, reinterpreted here with slinky hi-hats, a horn section and psychedelic vocal treatments. The closing title track is a slow-burning post-soul instrumental number with twanging lead guitar from Acetone’s Mark Lightcap and harpsichord by Tom Boram. The entire mini-album moves the listener across the genres of disco, minimalism, ambient, and jazz, sliding onto and off of the dancefloor. Crossfading from hedonism to reverie as it remembers past pleasures and imagines a future yet to come, the EP is also a noticeably social affair, with guest contributions from Matmos' M.C. Schmidt, Daniel Clarke, Id M Theft Able, Rose E. Kross, Tripp Trapp Trull, Koye Berry, and Andrew Bernstein (Horse Lords). The resulting music is not retro kitsch but pays homage to highly personal interpretations of disco such as Arthur Russell, Don Ray, Dr. Buzzard’s Original Savannah Band, and Mandré, or the jazz funk of Creed Taylor and CTI Records. The cassette and CD both feature artwork by Robert Beatty (Oneohtrix Point Never, The Weeknd, The Flaming Lips). Released in editions of 500 for the CD. Grab them while you can because these will not be around long!

On his latest EP as the Soft Pink Truth, Drew Daniel of Matmos offers a luxe version of deep house that leans into the carnal qualities of club music.