Matt Boroff’s Digital Dystopia– Out Jan. 15th.
by Kahlil Crawford
Industry veteran Matt Boroff conjures new rhythmic spells with Future Crimes from the oncoming Beautiful Machine collection – a musical narration on human fate.
Its atmospheric orchestration hearkens early Portishead – a dubbed infusion of trudging rhythm, sparse syncopation, jogging riffs and wailing feedback. His gapped, metric chants sculpt meditative space for our dystopian meanderings:
In a courtroom drama of 1’s and 0’s
Our humanity is on triiiiaaall…
Boroff then choruses shrill, end-time prophecies proclaiming:
We’re all guilty of Future Crimes…
…And now we’re gonna pay for our Digital Sins.
Halfway through the track, Boroff pivots into electronic abstraction with low, gurgling basslines echoing our “digital sins.” Our meditation descends into a state of purgatory revealing the immeasurable gravity of our malintent. His digital gavel thrashes down harder and harder upon our seemingly unforgivable transgressions.
With its chaotic movements and apocalyptic oratory, Future Crimes, indeed, provides a stark and timely perusal of our failing mortality before the Beautiful Machine rains down upon us.
