Matte Blvck

When Matte Blvck rolled into Pittsburgh for their show at Mr. Smalls with Haunt Me, fresh off their appearance at Dark Force Fest, we knew their singles. We knew their reputation as an up-and-coming force in dark electronic music. We'd heard the comparisons to massive acts like Depeche Mode and Nine Inch Nails. What we didn't know was just how powerful this band is live.

Matte Blvck doesn't cut corners on production. They travel with a proper crew (lighting, sound, stage hand) and bring their own visual effects and stage adornments. But the formal production is only part of it. Something about the way they translate their material in person captivated this listener in a way the recorded versions hadn't. The presentation is meticulous, but the music itself demands that scale. Maybe it's the iPhone age, where most of us absorb new releases through phone speakers, but hearing Matte Blvck through a real sound system rendered their art and intent with a clarity that simply hadn't landed before. This is a set built for big stages.

What ultimately drives the whole machine is the energy of the artists themselves. They're visibly inside the music, and that conviction pushes their musical assault into genuine audiovisual territory. This listener hadn't realized Matte Blvck had such an aggressive set in them, and the curation of their live show revealed how much I'd been missing. I left with a list of songs to revisit and a new openness to what they've been creating.

Matte Blvck isn't the next Depeche Mode. They're something darker and more aggressive, well poised to carve out a legacy independent of the influences that shaped them. I look forward to seeing ultimately where this project goes, and suggest you also come along for the ride.