Eluvium
Encyclopedia
Eluvium is the moniker of ambient
recording artist Matthew Cooper, who currently resides in Portland, Oregon
. Cooper, who was born in Tennessee
and raised in Louisville, Kentucky
before relocating to the Northwest
, is known for blending various genres of experimental music
including shoegaze, electronic
, minimalist
and piano
. His albums often feature artwork and photographs by Jeannie Paske.
Eluvium is currently signed to record label
Temporary Residence Limited
.
Miniatures was slated for a Summer 2008 limited vinyl release on the fledgling Portland label, Gaarden Records. The album was limited to 2,000 copies with the first 1,000 on colored vinyl.
In April 2010 Infraction Records will release "09.22.07 [2-3pm]" on limited edition vinyl and compact disc, alongside a new 12" E.P./CD titled "Rain Furniture".
Cooper has scored fellow Portlander Matt McCormick's feature film debut "Some Days Are Better Than Others" under Temporary Residence Ltd. One of Cooper's original pieces can be heard in the trailer of the film.
Australian release combines 'Lambent Material' and 'Talk Amongst the Trees' and includes three additional tracks.
Vinyl box set of full discography with Cooper's signature, poster, and artwork
forthcoming April 2010:
Ambient music
Ambient music is a musical genre that focuses largely on the timbral characteristics of sounds, often organized or performed to evoke an "atmospheric", "visual" or "unobtrusive" quality.- History :...
recording artist Matthew Cooper, who currently resides in Portland, Oregon
Portland, Oregon
Portland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States...
. Cooper, who was born in Tennessee
Tennessee
Tennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area...
and raised in Louisville, Kentucky
Louisville, Kentucky
Louisville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kentucky, and the county seat of Jefferson County. Since 2003, the city's borders have been coterminous with those of the county because of a city-county merger. The city's population at the 2010 census was 741,096...
before relocating to the Northwest
Pacific Northwest
The Pacific Northwest is a region in northwestern North America, bounded by the Pacific Ocean to the west and, loosely, by the Rocky Mountains on the east. Definitions of the region vary and there is no commonly agreed upon boundary, even among Pacific Northwesterners. A common concept of the...
, is known for blending various genres of experimental music
Experimental music
Experimental music refers, in the English-language literature, to a compositional tradition which arose in the mid-20th century, applied particularly in North America to music composed in such a way that its outcome is unforeseeable. Its most famous and influential exponent was John Cage...
including shoegaze, electronic
Electronic music
Electronic music is music that employs electronic musical instruments and electronic music technology in its production. In general a distinction can be made between sound produced using electromechanical means and that produced using electronic technology. Examples of electromechanical sound...
, minimalist
Minimalist music
Minimal music is a style of music associated with the work of American composers La Monte Young, Terry Riley, Steve Reich, and Philip Glass. It originated in the New York Downtown scene of the 1960s and was initially viewed as a form of experimental music called the New York Hypnotic School....
and piano
Piano
The piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
. His albums often feature artwork and photographs by Jeannie Paske.
Eluvium is currently signed to record label
Record label
In the music industry, a record label is a brand and a trademark associated with the marketing of music recordings and music videos. Most commonly, a record label is the company that manages such brands and trademarks, coordinates the production, manufacture, distribution, marketing and promotion,...
Temporary Residence Limited
Temporary Residence Limited
Temporary Residence Limited is a Brooklyn, New York-based record label. TRL was started in Baltimore, Maryland in late 1995. The label's first release was The Concord Anthology Process/Nero split 7", released April 1, 1996. After moving the operation to Portland, Oregon, owner/operator Jeremy...
.
Matthew Robert Cooper and Miniatures
In April 2008 it was announced that Cooper would release a "solo album" under the name Matthew Robert Cooper. Writing on the Temporary Residence message boards Cooper explained the change "this is not far from something "eluvium" would release—but since i began writing them—i felt that they were somehow disconnected from eluvium—perhaps a different personality took shape—thus, the use of a different name - this work is very dear to me."Miniatures was slated for a Summer 2008 limited vinyl release on the fledgling Portland label, Gaarden Records. The album was limited to 2,000 copies with the first 1,000 on colored vinyl.
Other projects: Window Exchange, Concert Silence, "Some Days Are Better Than Others"
Cooper has also teamed up with Charles Buckingham, with whom he has worked on the ambient video project titled Window Exchange, to produce the "unedited improvised basement minidisc recordings" of 'Concert Silence'. In the Fall of 2007, Concert Silence made 09.22.07 [2-3pm], a 51-minute, six part instrumental piece, available for pre-order at concertsilence.net.In April 2010 Infraction Records will release "09.22.07 [2-3pm]" on limited edition vinyl and compact disc, alongside a new 12" E.P./CD titled "Rain Furniture".
Cooper has scored fellow Portlander Matt McCormick's feature film debut "Some Days Are Better Than Others" under Temporary Residence Ltd. One of Cooper's original pieces can be heard in the trailer of the film.
Albums
- Lambent MaterialLambent MaterialLambent Material is the first album from Portland, Oregon ambient musician Matthew Cooper, under the name Eluvium. Emily Wahl plays clarinet on "There Wasn't Anything"...
(2003, Temporary Residence LimitedTemporary Residence LimitedTemporary Residence Limited is a Brooklyn, New York-based record label. TRL was started in Baltimore, Maryland in late 1995. The label's first release was The Concord Anthology Process/Nero split 7", released April 1, 1996. After moving the operation to Portland, Oregon, owner/operator Jeremy...
) - An Accidental Memory in the Case of DeathAn Accidental Memory in the Case of DeathAn Accidental Memory in the Case of Death is the second album from Portland, Oregon ambient musician Matthew Cooper, under the name Eluvium. Strikingly different from his previous work, An Accidental Memory in the Case of Death features Cooper playing solo piano only...
(2004, Temporary Residence Limited) - Talk Amongst the TreesTalk Amongst the TreesTalk Amongst the Trees is the third album from Portland, Oregon ambient musician Matthew Cooper, under the name Eluvium. The album is characterised by evocative ambient guitar work and features liberal use of loop/hold pedals to create lush/abstract guitar textures...
(2005, Temporary Residence Limited) - CopiaCopia (album)Copia is the fourth album from Portland, Oregon ambient musician Matthew Cooper, under the name Eluvium. The album features many more instruments than much of Cooper's past material, such as brass and string instruments...
(2007, Temporary Residence Limited) - SimilesSimiles (album)Similes is the fifth album from Portland, Oregon ambient musician Matthew Cooper, under the name Eluvium. The album features Cooper's first vocal performances and percussion, and is the first album to have a verse-chorus form in some of its tracks...
(2010, Temporary Residence Limited) - Static NocturneStatic NocturneStatic Nocturne is a limited edition mini-album from Portland, OR ambient musician Matthew Cooper, under the name Eluvium, following the release of his EP Leaves Eclipse the Light...
(2010, Watership Sounds)
Singles, EPs and splits
- Travels in Constants Vol. 20Travels in Constants Vol. 20Travels in Constants Vol. 20 is Matthew Cooper's contribution to the mail order only Travels in Constants series from label Temporary Residence Limited...
(2005, Temporary Residence Limited) - When I Live by the Garden and the SeaWhen I Live by the Garden and the SeaWhen I Live by the Garden and the Sea is an EP from Portland, OR ambient musician Matthew Cooper, under the name Eluvium. The song "As I Drift Off" opens with an audio fragment from the 1989 film, The 'Burbs.-Track listing:...
(2006, Temporary Residence Limited) - Jesu/Eluvium split (2007, Temporary Residence Limited)
- Leaves Eclipse the LightLeaves Eclipse the LightLeaves Eclipse the Light is an EP from Portland, OR ambient musician Matthew Cooper, under the name Eluvium, following the release of the "artistically daring and critically acclaimed" album Similes...
(2010, Temporary Residence Limited) - The Motion Makes Me LastThe Motion Makes Me LastThe Motion Makes Me Last is an EP from Portland, OR ambient musician Matthew Cooper, under the name Eluvium. This EP is a follow-up to the Leaves Eclipse the Light EP released a few months earlier....
(2010, Temporary Residence Limited)
Compilation albums
- Indecipherable TextIndecipherable TextIndecipherable Text couples the first two electronics-heavy releases, Lambent Material and Talk Amongst the Trees , of Portland, Oregon ambient musician, Matthew Cooper, aka Eluvium, skipping over the solo acoustic piano of 2004's An Accidental Memory in the Case of Death...
(2007, Sensory Projects, Australia)
Australian release combines 'Lambent Material' and 'Talk Amongst the Trees' and includes three additional tracks.
- Life Through Bombardment (2009, Temporary Residence LimitedTemporary Residence LimitedTemporary Residence Limited is a Brooklyn, New York-based record label. TRL was started in Baltimore, Maryland in late 1995. The label's first release was The Concord Anthology Process/Nero split 7", released April 1, 1996. After moving the operation to Portland, Oregon, owner/operator Jeremy...
)
Vinyl box set of full discography with Cooper's signature, poster, and artwork
Appears on
- pacific UVPacific UVPacific UV is an indie-rock band currently residing in Portland, Oregon. Their style is frequently categorized as utilizing elements of Dream pop, Post Rock, Shoegaze, and Space Rock. They are currently signed to WARM Records and are distributed by Touch and Go Records.-History:The band was...
- Pacific UV EP (2006, WARM RecordsWarm RecordsWarm Electronic Recordings is an independent record label based in Athens, Georgia. Azure Ray, Japancakes, and Crooked Fingers are some of the artists on their roster.-Artists:*Azure Ray*Crooked Fingers*Elk City*Empire State*Japancakes*Liz Durrett...
) (song: "L.A.P.D. vs N.Y.P.D. (Eluvium Remix)") - Queer as Folk Season 5 Episode 9 end credits "Genius and the Thieves"
- Skins Season 2 Episode 8 (Jal) "Genius and the Thieves"
- Various Artists - Thankful (2005, Temporary Residence LimitedTemporary Residence LimitedTemporary Residence Limited is a Brooklyn, New York-based record label. TRL was started in Baltimore, Maryland in late 1995. The label's first release was The Concord Anthology Process/Nero split 7", released April 1, 1996. After moving the operation to Portland, Oregon, owner/operator Jeremy...
) (song: "Carousel") - Various Artists - Tempset - (Re)Mix Tape (2006, Temporary Residence LimitedTemporary Residence LimitedTemporary Residence Limited is a Brooklyn, New York-based record label. TRL was started in Baltimore, Maryland in late 1995. The label's first release was The Concord Anthology Process/Nero split 7", released April 1, 1996. After moving the operation to Portland, Oregon, owner/operator Jeremy...
) (Eluvium appears on four tracks of a mash-up remix CD made for Temporary Residence Limited's 10th Anniversary Festival, September 2006) - Explosions in the SkyExplosions in the SkyExplosions in the Sky is an American post-rock band from Texas. The band has garnered popularity beyond the post-rock scene for their elaborately developed guitar work, narratively styled instrumentals, what they refer to as "cathartic mini-symphonies," and their enthusiastic and emotional live shows...
- All of a Sudden I Miss EveryoneAll of a Sudden I Miss EveryoneAll of a Sudden I Miss Everyone is the fifth studio album from American post-rock band Explosions in the Sky. It was released February 20, 2007.-Overview:...
(2007, Temporary Residence LimitedTemporary Residence LimitedTemporary Residence Limited is a Brooklyn, New York-based record label. TRL was started in Baltimore, Maryland in late 1995. The label's first release was The Concord Anthology Process/Nero split 7", released April 1, 1996. After moving the operation to Portland, Oregon, owner/operator Jeremy...
) (song: "So Long, Lonesome (Eluvium Mix)" (Matthew Cooper's mix of the album track appears on its bonus CD) - Various Artists - Props Summer 2004 BMX Scene Report
- Various Artists - Destroy Independent Music!Destroy Independent Music!Destroy Independent Music! is a free music sampler, featuring various artists from record label Temporary Residence Limited that was released in the spring of 2007.-Track listing:# "Easy Magic" by Prints - 4:58# "I Hate You Rob Crow" by Rob Crow - 2:10...
(2007, Temporary Residence LimitedTemporary Residence LimitedTemporary Residence Limited is a Brooklyn, New York-based record label. TRL was started in Baltimore, Maryland in late 1995. The label's first release was The Concord Anthology Process/Nero split 7", released April 1, 1996. After moving the operation to Portland, Oregon, owner/operator Jeremy...
) (song: "Prelude For Time Feelers") - Britney SpearsBritney SpearsBritney Jean Spears is an American recording artist and entertainer. Born in McComb, Mississippi, and raised in Kentwood, Louisiana, Spears began performing as a child, landing acting roles in stage productions and television shows. She signed with Jive Records in 1997 and released her debut album...
- DVD: For the Record (2008), Fremantle Media Enterprises (song: "Taken") - Ireland'sIrelandIreland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
Grand SlamGrand Slam (Rugby Union)In rugby union, a Grand Slam occurs when one team in the Six Nations Championship manages to beat all the others during one year's competition...
Glory 2009 (song: "Radio Ballet") - The Sight BelowThe Sight BelowThe Sight Below is an electronic music/shoegaze act from Seattle, Washington. Its main member is American post-minimalist composer Rafael Anton Irisarri....
- Murmur EPMurmur EPMurmur is second EP from The Sight Below, released on October 27, 2009. It contains two new songs and three remixes of other The Sight Below songs by Eluvium, Simon Scott, and iconic Norwegian ambient producer Biosphere.-Track listing:#Murmur - 6:37 #Wishing Me Asleep - 6:23 #The Sunset Passage ...
(2009, Ghostly InternationalGhostly InternationalGhostly International is an American independent record label. Chief artists include Matthew Dear, Dabrye , Mobius Band, and Skeletons & The Girl-Faced Boys, all of which are innovative contributors to the world of music....
) (song: "No Place For Us (Eluvium Remix)") - BalmorheaBalmorhea (band)Balmorhea is a minimalist instrumental ensemble from Austin, Texas that was formed in 2006 by Rob Lowe and Michael Muller. Balmorhea were influenced by Ludovico Einaudi, The Six Parts Seven, Claude Debussy, Ludwig van Beethoven, Rachel's, Gillian Welch, Max Richter, Arvo Pärt and John Cage.The band...
- All Is Wild, All Is Silent: Remixes (2009, Western VinylWestern VinylWestern Vinyl is an independent record label based in Austin Texas. It was founded in 1998.-Bands and Artists Associated with Western Vinyl:*Anomoanon*Appendix Out*Balmorhea*Bexar Bexar*Botany*Bonnie Prince Billy*Callers*Carter Tanton*Chas. Mtn....
) (song: "Settler (Eluvium Remix)") - The Black Heart ProcessionThe Black Heart ProcessionThe Black Heart Procession is an indie rock band from San Diego, California. The band was formed in 1997 by Pall Jenkins and Tobias Nathaniel...
- Blood Bunny / Black Rabbit (2010, Temporary Residence LimitedTemporary Residence LimitedTemporary Residence Limited is a Brooklyn, New York-based record label. TRL was started in Baltimore, Maryland in late 1995. The label's first release was The Concord Anthology Process/Nero split 7", released April 1, 1996. After moving the operation to Portland, Oregon, owner/operator Jeremy...
(song: "Drugs (Remix by Eluvium)")
in Concert Silence
- Concert Silence - 09.22.07 [2-3pm] (2007, with Charles Buckingham, self-released on website)
forthcoming April 2010:
as Matthew Robert Cooper
External links
- Official website
- Semi-official myspace page - fan-operated but with blessings and featuring updates from Matthew Cooper
- Eluvium on Temporary Residence
- Eluvium interview of Erasing Clouds
- An Interview with Eluvium's Matthew Cooper on Cokemachineglow
- An interview with Matthew Cooper of Eluvium on ATTN:Magazine
- Eluvium live concert recordings on the Live Music Archive at archive.org
- Window Exchange "ambient video project"
- Concert Silence
- Radio Ballet by Eluvium
- Eluvium on Gaarden Records
- Two and a Half Questions with Eluvium on Headphone Commute (Nov, 2010)