As we are now celebrating the 20th anniversary of the release of The Third Eye Foundation’s Semtex, one of the most influential drum & bass albums of its time, it is worthwhile revisiting the career of Matt Elliott, its composer. Matt was not even 16 while he decided to stop his studies to devote himself to his passion for music, getting a job at the famous Revolver records shop, and deejaying in Bristol clubs he wasn’t legally allowed to enter at this age.
Then, and before this press release becomes too boring, we can mention that he’s been a professional artist for 20 years now, being requested by John Peel for a BBC session calling him at his own place, was signed on Domino Records in 1997, was asked for official remixes for Tarwater, Blonde Redhead, Mogwai, Ulver or Thurston Moore, who later invited him to play under the NYC Brooklyn Bridge, he was one of the few artists involved in the reunion of Silver Apples and then touring with them in the US, toured as a choir singer aside Yann Tiersen around the year 2010, and played hundred of shows as Matt Elliott over UK, Germany, France, Japan, Greece, Italy and Spain/Portugal for years. To finish this name dropping part, let’s notice that he played the greatest festivals such as Primavera and Tanned Tin in Spain, Incubate & Le Guess Who in the Netherlands, and the infamous All Tomorrow’s Party in the UK.

Last Matt Elliott album ‘The Calm Before’, its seventh under his own name, has been released in March 2016. Matt has once again requested producer David Chalmin and the musicians appearing on his previous record, the more optimistic Only Myocardial Infarction Can Break Your Heart (2013), to deliver six masterpiece songs following the “A Beginning” intro.
While one could consider these songs are a logical continuum to his previous records, a deeper listen reveals a strong work of both the musical and lyrical content, showing once and for all what Matt Elliott’s art is about. Folk guitar virtuosity playing influenced by mediterranean countries as well as eastern Europe countries, songs starting from whispered melodies to full noisy storms, his deep and strong voice reaching another singing level, and his tendency to avoid any well known way of making the music, writing epic anthems.

Four years after ‘The Calm Before’, a new album titled ‘Farewell to all we know’ is expected to be released in February 2020.

Matt is also available as The Third Eye foundation Quartet.