Album Review: In Pieces by Matar Dolores
Matar Dolores’ 2016 release, In Pieces, is a hauntingly immersive dive into the depths of electronic music. Hailing from Italy and released under the Lonktaar label, this album is a masterclass in blending drone, ambient, and experimental sounds. It’s not your typical easy-listening record—this one demands attention, kinda like staring at an abstract painting that keeps shifting as you look at it.
One track that sticks with me is simply titled “Untitled.” Yeah, no fancy name to grab you, just raw vibes. The piece builds slowly, layering textures that feel both alien and deeply human. There’s this low hum that starts off faint but grows into something almost overwhelming, like standing near power lines on a quiet afternoon. Around the halfway mark, there’s this subtle crackle—like static or maybe rain—that sneaks in. It’s the kind of detail you don’t notice right away, but once you do, it changes everything. You find yourself rewinding just to catch it again.
Another standout moment comes later in the album (though I won’t spoil which track). Here, Dolores plays with silence as much as sound, leaving these eerie gaps between notes that make you hold your breath without realizing it. It feels less like listening to music and more like being inside someone else’s dream—or maybe their nightmare. Either way, it lingers long after the final note fades.
What makes In Pieces so compelling is how unapologetically strange it is. This isn’t background noise for dinner parties; it’s music that forces you to stop what you’re doing and really listen. And honestly? That’s refreshing. In a world full of polished playlists designed to keep us scrolling, Dolores reminds us that music can still be challenging, uncomfortable even—and all the better for it.
Final thought: If you ever wondered what outer space might sound like while feeling lonely, this album has got you covered. Oddly enough, it left me thinking about how beautiful imperfection can be. Guess sometimes we need a little chaos to remind us we’re alive.
