Review by Anthony V Serrano

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Mat Zo’s “Self Assemble” is an emphatic Journey that strays from the EDM roots of his last album “Damage Control.”

“Self Assemble” isn’t just a collection of songs, each one seeming to have been made with every other in mind. The sounds are transparent and intricate, just showing why he was nominated for a Grammy for his prior album.

The opening prelude track “Order Out of Chaos” does a perfect job of hyping an unexpected mix of genres with an complexity that reminds you why he was nominated for a Grammy.

From there you get a Daft Punk vibe, reminiscent of Discovery and prompting a bunch of aliens to be killed as part of an evil record label’s deal, kicking it off with “Sinful” a truly funky (and my personal favourite) jam.

Another interlude though and something different beckons on the horizon.

“Ruffneck Bad Boy (VIP)” comes along and you know what you’re getting. Heavy drops, mixed with a reggae voice and a lot of vocal distortion. This paves the way into a more club style part of the production. But not for long.

“Soul Food” hits you with those funky, floppy feels again, but we already knew this was coming. Gaining praise from Zane Lowe on his Beats1 radio show and Annie Mac on her BBC Radio 1 show.

The end tracks are something special, which you’d have to listen to yourself to evaluate. But they keep consistent with the intricacy and theme of the album on a whole, ending with the brooding and mysterious epilogue track, “The Last Transmission.”

This album seems to emphasise change, and really is something to be listened to end to end. Probably in a dark room. With an accompanying sound activated light show. Without a doubt worth your time if you’re a lover of intricate electronic music.

You can download the album here, or stream it below. Let us know what you think!