Lauren Matsui Embraces New, Softer Sound as Rhymies
Photo Credit: Jess Lynn Goss
Wherever Lauren Matsui plays music, loud noises tend to follow.
As the guitarist and vocalist for her shoegaze outfit Seablite, Matsui performs amidst a cacophony of swirling, dissonant feedback, a quaking wall of sound that is both viscerally violent and disarmingly beautiful. While helming bass duties for post-punk outfit Neutrals, her steady rhythmic output meshes within the waves of the band’s jagged, explosive guitar moments.
Her latest musical project, however, shies away from the raw instrumentation and outsized clamor that are defining elements of Neutrals and Seablite. Embracing soft, billowing keyboard sounds and sweet, electronica flourishes, Matsui is showing a decidedly different side of herself with Rhymies, her one-woman synth-pop outfit, which is debuting a four-song EP, “I Dream Watching,” today.
“I’ve noodled around with synths in the past, so this project is something I’ve been interested in exploring for a while now,” said Matsui. “I've always included a little bit more noise and my songs were kind of built out of jam sessions. This was an opportunity for me to make music in a more self-contained way.”
Matsui, who previously dabbled in synth-pop with her briefly lived duo, Plastic Pulse, said she was inspired to explore the form once again after being asked to contribute a Cleaners From Venus cover song for a compilation album being organized by Dandy Boy Records founder Bobby Martinez (Dandy Boy is releasing “I Dream Watching” as well.)
“I really wanted to contribute a song, not only since I’m a Cleaners fan, but also as an exercise—to challenge myself,” said Matsui. “I asked Bobby if there was one song on the compilation that he wished he heard, and he responded with ‘Gamma Ray Blue.’ So, I went ahead and recorded a cover of the song—it was something completely different, but it showed I could make a structured pop song out of my synth noodling ”
Armed with an array of analog synths and keyboards collected over her prolific music career, Matsui set about recording a series of pop songs that emulated 80s new wave icons such as Orchestral Maneuvers in the Dark and Depeche Mode while also capturing the radio-friendly classicism of megastars like Madonna.
She immersed herself in the programming intricacies of the vintage machinery, teaching herself new tricks with sequencing, arpeggiators and drum machines. The result is a layered, voluminous sonic landscape, drenched in waves of ebullient, buoyant synth moments that feel big and bright.
EP opener “Bal Masque” opens with a dramatic, world-building synth crescendo, evoking classic 80s movie soundtracks (Vangelis’ Blade Runner score for one), before hastening into a propulsive pop piece. “Crashing Lead” is a skittering, puckish snapshot of electropop bliss, while the title track is awash in atmospherics, containing multitudes of moving parts that make it feel sweeping and vast. It all feels surprisingly vast—belying the homemade creative roots of the EP.
“One of the appeals of this project was that I could do it anytime,” said Matsui. “I would literally just wander from the kitchen to the bedroom, plug in and play.”
The enveloping, soothing vibe of the album is emotionally enhanced by Matsui’s cooing, expressive vocals. Unlike her work with Seablite, when her delivery is typically caught in a whirlpool of guitar pedals and white noise, Matsui’s vocals are elevated and clear, adding depth and profundity to the mix.
“It was a little scary to have the vocals be more centered,” said Matsui. “It’s always a weird thing—you’d think I’d be used to hearing the sound of my own voice after all these years, but I still get caught off-guard sometimes. I do shy away from my voice at times, but I really pushed myself to kind of embrace what I sound like.”
While the “I Dream Watching” EP is arriving today, Matsui will formally celebrate the birth of the Rhymies with a record release show at the Make Out Room on April 26. Despite the intricate nature of the songs—they all feature overdubs and layers and layers of parts—Matsui will play the tracks solo. She said game planning how to perform the songs in a live setting has been one of the challenges she embraced with the material.
“Figuring out ways to play these songs live has been almost equally as fun as making them,” said Matsui. “They’re basically being reinvented. I’m using more samples and gridding things out. I’ll be running everything via MIDI, including a vocal looper. . It’s been daunting, but super fun.”
And despite being in two other bands, Matsui said she’s eager to keep making music under her Rhymies moniker. She has plans to put out more music and continue to play live shows.
“I don’t think I can ever stop now,” said Matsui. “This project has been incredibly rewarding. Plus, after spending I-don’t-even-know how many hours programming these synths, I can’t just quit on this project. I’ve invested way too much time to turn back now.”
Show Details:
Rhymies record release party with Still Ruins and Loner Statue Release
Where: Makeout Room
When: Saturday, April 26, 6:30 p.m.
Tickets: $15, available at the door.