WIUS AM 1570 Pick of the Week: Matmos

OK, you put in the Matmos CD. You know that Matmos is on Sheffield, England's Warp Records label, home of such avant-techno mavericks as Aphex Twin, Autechre and Squarepusher, so you're not surprised when the first track starts and you hear the prerequisite beeps-and-clicks of what is known as IDM (that's Intelligent Dance Music -- possibly the stupidest genre label ever). \nBut there's something else in the mix, some more organic sounds. There's kind of a wet squishing noise and a gentle burbling. Curious, you scan the liner notes and read the sounds were obtained during a liposuction procedure. That's right, those noises are the sounds of fat being sucked out of a human being.\nThat's the gimmick of Matmos' new CD, A Chance to Cut is a Chance to Cure. Every cut prominently features sounds sampled from actual medical procedures. There's "l.a.s.i.k." which features the buzz of a high-precision laser operating on an eyeball, and "Memento Mori," which is mostly the sound of human skulls and goat spine being rubbed, banged upon and generally messed about. And don't forget the self-explanatory "California Rhinoplasty," which besides nose job noises also features recordings from a chin implant and an endoscopic forehead lift.\nAnd why not? The jaded might dismiss this album as a gimmick or an empty style exercise, doing something odd for its own sake. There's an element of that here, but the truth is A Chance to Cut is an engaging CD of electronic music that stands on its own merits. The beats are solid, and despite the gruesome samples, the songs are generally more accessible than the drill-and-bass of a Squarepusher or the evil techno of Aphex Twin. \nThere's a proud tradition of artists on the fringe using unconventional samples. The godfathers of it all are the mighty Einsturzende Neubaten, the German band whose name means "collapsing new buildings" and has been sampling power tools and construction equipment for 20 years. And because it's just a hop, skip and a jump from remodeling buildings to remodeling bodies, Matmos is making the next step in a logical progression. \nJust don't play it during lunch.