Matthew J. Saunders

Matthew J. Saunders
Matthew J. Saunders, 2006
Background information
Born	(1972-01-05) 5 January 1972 (age 52) Birmingham, England, United Kingdom
Genres	electronica film score tv hauntology
Occupation(s)	Composer, Mastering Engineer
Years active	1995–present
Website	matthewjsaunders.co.uk
Magnétophone

Matthew J. Saunders (born 5 January 1972) is an English composer, mastering engineer, and visual designer. During the first decade of the 21st century he was signed to 4AD Records^[1] — a British major independent label home to The Pixies, Cocteau Twins, Scott Walker and many others. He records and performs as Magnétophone,^[2] The Assembled Minds,^[3] Rapid Eye Electronics Ltd.^[4] and also runs the record label Patterned Air Recordings.^[5]

On 4AD, as one half of the art-rock electronic band Magnétophone, Saunders released two albums,^[6][7] three EPs^[8][9][10] and a 7" single.^[11] It was an unusual signing for 4AD, Magnétophone's first album being almost all instrumental, and this departure piqued the interest of journalists and fans of the label and band equally.^[12] The band were the first signing after the corporate restructuring of 4AD when co-founder Ivo Watts-Russell departed and the album was seen as a signpost of where the newly reinvented label might be heading^[13]

Before signing to 4AD, Saunders released records on several influential record labels including Static Caravan Recordings,^[14][15] Earworm Records,^[16] Spaceage Recordings and Ochre Records. He has recorded two Peel Sessions^[17] for BBC Radio One, two sessions for BBC Radio One's Rob da Bank, as well as sessions for BBC Radio 3 and XFM.

Saunders has collaborated on record with significant artists such as rock legends Kim Deal and Kelley Deal,^[18] Scottish folk legend and Mercury Music Prize nominee King Creosote,^[19] infamous drone rock band Spacemen 3's Peter Kember^[20] (who also joined Magnétophone as a performing member and manager in 2006–2008),^[21] Scottish folk singer/songwriter James Yorkston and others — all tracks that appeared on Magnétophone's second 4AD album, The Man Who Ate the Man or related 12" releases.^[22][23]

He is known for his solo electronic recordings as The Assembled Minds, having released two albums^[24] and numerous singles and remixes on a variety of record labels, gaining critical acclaim from magazines such as The Wire^[25] and Self-Titled Magazine,^[26] from music author and journalist Simon Reynolds,^[27] and numerous national radio plays on stations such as BBC Radio 6^{[28][29][30][31]}

Saunders worked on the feature documentary film Valentino: The Last Emperor and is a credited composer on IMDb.^[32] He has also had music synced by BBC World News in daily continuity pieces and Sky in cross-network adverts. According to the official website,^[33] he is currently composing music for media in addition to running mastering house 808 Hz,^[34] where he has mastered albums by artists such as Wire front man Colin Newman, Eva Bowan, Malka Spigel, Anthony Reynolds, and Jon Thorne^[35]

In 2007 Saunders contributed a Magnétophone track to a prestigious arts project by New York publishing house Visionaire, a work called Visionaire No. 53: Sound,^[36][37] which saw him appear on record alongside artists such as Yoko Ono, Michael Stipe, U2, Liza Minnelli, Lalo Schifrin, David Byrne, Ad-Rock, Courtney Love and others. Each artist was asked to provide a unique piece of music which was then pressed across five pieces of vinyl and a cd, was housed in a large dome receptical and supplied with a record player in the form of a battery powered car.

Albums

Magnétophone

• (2000) I Guess Sometimes I Need to Be Reminded of How Much You Love Me (4AD)
• (2005) The Man Who Ate the Man (4AD)
• (2006) Promo Phone 1 (Ensnare)

Assembled Minds

• (2011) Tomorrow Curves, Assembled Minds (Patterned Air Recordings)
• (2015) Creaking Haze and Other Rave Ghosts, Assembled Minds (Patterned Air Recordings)

Singles, EPs, and various

Magnétophone

• "You Should Write Music" (1998, 7" single, Earworm)
• "Air Methods" (1998, 7" single, Static Caravan)
• "Box Flow" (1999, 'Infrasonic Waves' compilation, 7", Ochre)
• "Lights in the Eye" (1999, 7" single, Active Suspension)
• "Temporary Lid" EP (1999, 12" EP, Static Caravan)
• "The Science Must Continue" (as Tape Recorder, 1999, 12" comp, Earworm)
• "Lubeecha" – Lathe Cut (2000, 7" single, Earworm)
• "Eve Transmission" (2000, 'Interface' compilation, CD, Spaceage Recordings)
• "Little Boy's Acorn" (2000, '4WD Motion' compilation, CD, 4AD)
• "Come on the 'Phone" EP (2000, 12" and CD EP, 4AD)
• "Relax, It's the End of Electronica" (2002, 7" single, Static Caravan)
• "I Hear Blonde Falcons" (2002, '10p 1 Play' compilation CD, Robots and Electronic Brains Magazine)
• "Kel's Vintage Thought" (2004, 12" EP, 4AD)
• "...And May Your Last Words Be a Chance to Make Things Better" (2005, 7" single, 4AD)
• "...And May Your Last Words Be a Chance to Make Things Better" (2006, CD compilation, Sunday Best)
• "Systems Thinking Business Modelling Consultant" (2006 compilation, Magazine/CD, Esopus Magazine (Spring))
• "22 Calibre Family" (2006 compilation, 'A Mind Expansion Compilation', CD, Mind Expansion)
• "Much Less Than A Day" (2007, 'Binary Oppositions' CD compilation, Static Caravan)
• "Much Less Than A Day: Edit" (2008, 'Visionaire 53' 12" and CD compilation, Visionaire)
• "The Old Silver In and Out" (2008, 'György Ligeti Tribute', online compilation, Topher)

Remixes of Matthew J Saunders / Magnétophone

• "Kel's Vintage Thought – Outhud Remix" (2004, 4AD)
• "MNPLIE4AD – Lost in Edit by JM Lapham" (The Earlies) Remix (2005, 4AD)
• "Benny's Trip – Sonic Boom Remix" (2006, 4AD)

Remixes by Matthew J Saunders / Magnétophone

• "Run From Safety" (2007 Octoberman – Run From Safety LP, White Whale)
• "Antiphon" (2004, Charles Atlas Remix compilation, Audraglint)

DJ mixes of Matthew J Saunders / Magnétophone

• "Kel's Vintage Thought – Outhud Remix" (2005 Glimmers – DJ Kicks, !K7)

• BBC Radio 1 John Peel Session, Maida Vale Studio (2000)
• BBC Radio 1 John Peel Session, Live in Birmingham (2000)
• XFM John Kennedy Session, Live in London (2001)
• BBC Radio 3 Mixing It Session, Live in London (2001)
• BBC Radio 1 Rob da Bank Session, Maida Vale Studio (2005)
• BBC Radio 1 Blue Room Session, The Earlies' Studio / Echo Gate Studio (2005)

• Valentino: The Last Emperor — Acolyte Films/StudioCanal (2008)

• 4ad.com/magntophone – Magnétophone at 4AD
• Official website
• Matthew J. Saunders at IMDb