ABOUT TEMPORAL WAVES
Temporal Waves is a new project from renowned Canadian tabla player Shawn Mativetsky, transporting the tabla into a rich electronic sound world. One glance at the dystopian imagery and Atari-era typefaces of its Sarper Baran-designed sleeve, and one knows that this is quite the departure. On this self-titled debut of his new moniker, Shawn’s tabla is bathed in the neon glow of analog synthesizers, the woozy warp of hand-manipulated tapes, and the electric patter of drum machines. Spanning crepuscular murk to widescreen elegies, Temporal Waves is an excursion deep into aural science fiction. Ominous arpeggiations swoop in like robotic birds of prey, as robust sawtooth chords trace a dim, smoggy horizon. And as Omnichord trickles into artificial landscapes, tabla punctuates the scenery.
Temporal Waves’ orientation toward yesterday's futuristic sounds certainly isn't superficial anemoia, it isn't even unadulterated nostalgia. Grounded in lived experience, the gravitation toward these sonorities and images connects to the underlying themes of the album on a fundamental level. The fascination with antiquated machinery expresses a longing for the more innocent futures depicted in 1980s popular culture, a stark contrast to the nihilistic question marks of today’s uncertain forecasts. The record quietly outlines a redemptive arc, moving from the grim and very real foreboding of impending climate apocalypse and accelerationist capitalism to a more hopeful space where humanity discovers a more symbiotic relationship between nature and technology.
Featuring production and performance contributions from Jace Lasek of the Besnard Lakes, the album was mastered by respected synthwave denizen, Jeppe Hasseriis (AKA Dynatron).
![](http://d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/s:bzglfiles/u/731017/2a98ce32eba65501b0b8866492831ec8aa353126/original/temporalwaves-shawnwkeys-crcarolinetabah.jpg/!!/b%3AW1sicmVzaXplIiw1MDBdLFsibWF4Il0sWyJ3ZSJdXQ%3D%3D/meta%3AeyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ%3D%3D.jpg)
CONTACT
Temporal Waves
c/o Shawn Mativetsky
TEMPORAL WAVES
Self-titled debut album, released on April 12, 2024, on People Places Records & Linear Fade Records, PPR | 051.
Formats: LP, CD, K7, DL
Shawn Mativetsky — Tabla, Synths
Jace Lasek — Guitar (7, 8, 12), Voice (14)
Music by Shawn Mativetsky
Produced by Jace Lasek and Shawn Mativetsky
Engineered and Mixed by Jace Lasek
Mastering by Jeppe Hasseriis
Artwork by Sarper Baran
Layout by Julie Ferland
WHAT THEY'RE SAYING
"Holy hell. This album is at once relaxing and zen like, and then it slaps you in the face with rushing beats and soaring synths. Tabla + Synthwave = AWESOME!" - Jules Fawkes, Nightride.fm
“One of my favorite records of the year so far. Truly breathtaking, visionary, immersive and transcendent. The perfect marriage of synths and electronics with organic musical bravado like no other.” - C Z A R I N A
“…a probably long overdue take on electronic music…Defo one of the most intriguing ChillOut albums we've come across in a while. Highly recommended!” - Baze Djunkiii, nitestylez.de
“the jaw-dropping juxtaposition of a tabla master discovering synthwave” - Kaarin Zoe Lee, Nightride.fm
"This traditional Indian drum blends perfectly with classic electronic elements and synthesizers … a magnificent instrumental arrangement that shouldn’t be overlooked." - IndieTapes
“It’s a great addition to any ambient cassette fan’s collection.” - Mike Seay, The Tape Player
“This album not only highlights his exceptional musicality but also his insatiable curiosity and ability to reinvent himself, cementing his place in the musical vanguard with Temporal Waves.” - Miguel Castillo, La Caverna
“Here sonic atmospheres are dominated by retro analog synthesizer sounds and aesthetics, by drum machine and electronic effects, all framing his masterful tabla playing. … Temporal Waves is a touching nostalgic look back to his youthful days steeped in the DIY electronic music scene that congregated around “tracker” software and the music of early video games. … This attractive new release is yet another step in his Indo-electronic journey, one which has substantial crossover appeal.” - Andrew Timar, The WholeNote
“Temporal Waves’ self-titled album is a listening experience that rewards a curious mind. The way in which it layers sounds and combines the organic nature of the tabla drum with synthetic elements results in music that is intriguing, beautiful and continually enjoyable.” - Karl Magi, absynth.space
ABOUT SHAWN MATIVETSKY
Montreal's Shawn Mativetsky has long been celebrated as one of Canada's leading ambassadors of the tabla, and next to his exceptional musicianship, it's his unquenchable curiosity that one most frequently hears praised. Mativetsky is an accomplished practitioner of Indian classical music, but is equally embedded in the contemporary music realm, where he has established himself as both a champion of living composers and a generous collaborator to the likes of Tim Brady, Nicole Lizée, and Dinuk Wijeratne. An avid improviser, he can also be found accompanying countless other artists across and beyond the spectrum between jazz, pop, and global traditions.
This may be his first foray into electronic music within recent memory, but anyone familiar with Mativetsky's output will tell you that he's no tourist anywhere he goes; his roots always run deep. Spending his youth steeped in the 8-bit timbres of the Atari 400, Nintendo Entertainment System, and early PCs, the 1990s saw him actively involved in the DIY electronic music scene that congregated around 'tracker' software, and was a key member of the online tracker collective NOiSE. In the early 2000s, he performed with Indo-electronic project, Ramasutra, and for the past several years, has been collaborating with live coder David Ogborn in their electronic music duo, very long cat.
Dynamic performer Shawn Mativetsky is a pioneer in bridging the worlds of Western and Indian classical musics. Acclaimed as a gifted soloist and a leading disciple of the renowned Pandit Sharda Sahai, Mativetsky is highly sought-after as both performer and educator. He teaches tabla and percussion at McGill University, while remaining a prominent advocate of the tabla and North Indian classical music through lectures, workshops, and performances throughout Canada and abroad.
Within the Hindustani tradition, Shawn regularly gives solo performances, as well as accompanying kathak dance and instrumental artists. Since 2003, Shawn has been affiliated with the Pandit Ram Sahai Foundation (UK/India), and in the summers of 2006 and 2008, hosted tabla maestro Pandit Sharda Sahai's annual summer tabla workshop. Since 2011, Shawn has also been hosting his own annual summer tabla workshop at McGill University. In recent years, he has been working closely with santoor player Jonathan Voyer, sitarist Uwe Neumann, and kathak dancer Sudeshna Maulik. He has also performed alongside Pandit Satish Vyas.
As an ensemble musician, Mativetsky currently performs in a trio alongside harpist Sarah Pagé and Persian santurist Amir Amiri, violinist Parmela Attariwala's cross-cultural Attar Project, Indo-fusion group Ragleela, a tabla / electronic music duo with live coder David Ogborn, the improv trio Of Sound, Mind and Body, with Tim Brady and Helmut Lipsky, and percussion group Ensemble Duniya.
![](http://d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/s:bzglfiles/u/731017/f651935376e5c85868a4ea51fb0f6b4d98b1eb2e/original/temporalwaves-shawnblue-crcarolinetabah.jpg/!!/b%3AW1sicmVzaXplIiwzMzBdLFsibWF4Il0sWyJ3ZSJdXQ%3D%3D/meta%3AeyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ%3D%3D.jpg)