Eirwud Mudwasser

Air, Wood, Mud, Water. The alias of young Romanian producer Vlad Matei speaks of a spiritual bond with nature and of a longing toward a purity of form in the eclectic tastes that make up his sound. In his productions as well as DJ sets, the heady brew that defines his sound is a mix of new beat, dub, tribal house, Berlin School electronics, classic afro-cosmic spins and the leftfield take on 'balearic' that has gained ground in recent years. Warm yet vicious, the balance between the metallic and the organic is like a vibrating core throughout the tracks on his debut 12" for Balearic Social. As he is not one for short cuts, these are the fruits of careful arrangements on classic synth gear. Much of his style can also be traced to his fascination with the aesthetics of Japanese martial arts movies, which lends substance to his disciplined approach: sometimes bordering on the minimalistic but always with a window open towards the wilderness. words by Simon Eliasson.