Simon Whetham is an acute listener, a field recorder, a thinker, a globetrotter, and a mobilizer. However, he is also a sonic cook. Wherever he goes, he picks up sounds and atmospheres as if they were exotic ingredients. And for 'What Matters Is That It Matters', he made us a stew, slowly simmered until all the flavours come through.
'What Matters Is That It Matters', Whetham's first album for Baskaru, is slow music. And slow music deserves to be taken in slowly - you don't wolf comfort food down, you savour it, relishing its complexity, absorbing its warmth. Unlike most of Whetham's previous works, this album is not focused on a specific geographical location. As if the artist had given himself free reign. The resulting music has a career-encompassing feel, as Whetham touches base with pure field recordings, elongated instrumental textures, and treated snippets of melodies (piano, banjo). 'What Matters Is That It Matters' provides an incredibly rich listening experience, pairing relevant esthetical concerns and listening enjoyment.
Englishman Simon Whetham has been exploring the art of composing with field recordings and found sounds for a decade, a period during which he released music on labels such as Crónica, Entr'acte, Helen Scarsdale Agency, and Line. He is perhaps best known for 'Active Crossover', a workshop / collaboration / installation project with which he is travelling the world.