The Sales Department

MD Matheson quietly retired his Beef Terminal alter ego late in 2006 after three wonderful full-lengths for Noise Factory and activated the Sales Department. On this inaugural EP, he showcases a more immersive computer-based sound that still retains the warmth that made his previous work so compelling. This paring down was due in part to his travels from Toronto to Thailand and China, requiring a more portable means of composition. With his previous work, Matheson had a subtle way of communicating the surrounding space: early morning subways, empty streets, humid metro nights. This remains true here, as on "Rain Projections II,” where a more wide-open landscape is hinted at and digitised bird chirps are pressed into a pregnant, languid tone progression. Likewise, "In High Doses” suggests a slightly askew witness to an unfamiliar setting, linked by a beat tied to Matheson’s earlier compositions. The Sales Department is not exactly a reinvention of self but a sleek refinement that preserves the core qualities.