Listening to New Topographics, the latest full length by Brooklyn drummer and composer Matt Evans, is oddly reminiscent of the experience of watching an ASMR YouTube video; it’s various percussive textures and cool synths are tactile and tingle-inducing, yet the timbre rarely rises above that of a whisper. This muted quality is what makes Evans’ most recent effort the alluring record that it is, a space wherein the artist deftly navigates quietude drum-first, ever heightening the energy through polyrhythmic breaks and employing electronic instrumentals in a manner that compliment, yet never overshadow his rhythm-forward approach. Standout tracks “Spinning Blossoms” and “Jaich Maa” well demonstrate this interweaving of elements, evocative of the ambient artists like Hiroshi Yoshimura yet decidedly more movement-oriented — even on Topographics tamer tracks, Evans’ intrepid percussion enables a forward momentum that keeps things consistently interesting. Give it a listen below, and catch Matt Evans (along with other Whatever’s Clever artists) on Twitch this Friday, May 1st for the label’s May Day Extravaganza. —Connor Beckett McInerney
