Mattmage

M. Sommers


Matt Sommers Everything  


Active: 1968 - present
Location: Zionsville, IN


Notes: I make compositions using any instrument or technology I can get my hands on. My songs are made extemporaneously with any available equipment, and vary wildly in style and mood. Once I have a group of finished songs on my hard drive, I give them a collective title and move on to the next batch.

Each album contains everything I was working on at that particular time. Film scores, bits of interesting noises, sound collages, complete pop songs, soundtrack compositions, punk, folk, country, rock, metal, electronic, acoustic, whatever.

The truth is that I just love sounds. Even if they’re not organized, or actual songs, or even pleasant. I like the contrast of textures, the impact of dynamics, the sweetness of melody and the vibrational math of harmonies. I like to break audio down and reconstruct it into something new. I like to create compositions containing sounds no one has heard before.

Album

Digits

Digits

Year: 2016

Notes: Recorded almost completely in the digital domain, these 10 songs are designed to work your headphones and tickle your brain. Think of it as a bedtime snack of ones and zeroes. "Particulate" features synth by Holly Sommers, and "Follow the Light" utilizes the VTech Kidijamz children's toy.  More >>

Tracks: 10

Album

Dirty

Dirty

Year: 2016

Notes: I wanted to make something gritty. Like, it didn't matter if it was wrong. Like the back seat of the car on a hot summer night kind of rude. Shirt ripped. Urgent. This body of work tells the story of unbridled passion, lust, and smiling in the mirror because you won and you know it. Even if you'r...  More >>

Tracks: 14

Album

Spore

Spore

Year: 2015

Notes: Performed live using only a circuit-bent Speak-N-Spell™, Spore is a glitch journey into the unnecessary. The listener is repeatedly asked "Why?", while chaos reigns and indeterminacy rules. Perhaps the best answer is "Why not?".  More >>

Tracks: 3

Album

Arcade

Arcade

Year: 2015

Notes: Recorded on phones, iPads, computers and various analog devices on the ground and in the clouds, Arcade attempts to imagine conversations between man and machines - often through quick interactions facilitated by the exchange of quarters. Inspired by the Santa Cruz boardwalk, viral videos and mil...  More >>

Tracks: 20

Album

Oh yeah?

Oh yeah?

Year: 2015

Notes: Just in time for summer, this cocky set of fresh recordings sets the tone for your weird friend's party. You know, the one where you got that tattoo you don't remember getting. Containing lively experiments in rock, electronica and maybe some jazz - with just a touch of WTF? - this little box of ...  More >>

Tracks: 14

Album

Bloom Cycle

Bloom Cycle

Year: 2015

Notes: Bloom Cycle is circular journey about tearing down and rebuilding, the beauty of existence and a healthy respect for joy and inspiration. It's about reincarnation and rebirth, reorganizing. Utilizing nearly every instrument in my studio, these 15 songs range from introspective to celebratory, fro...  More >>

Tracks: 15

Album

Fire

Fire

Year: 2014

Notes: My only solo, full-length original album this year, Fire certainly lives up to it's title. The slow burn trip-hop of "Micronaut", Weak Signal" and "Dark Matter" is flanked by whiskey-soaked numbers and crunchy guitar jams. Dark vs light themes are explored while the contrast between lighthearted ...  More >>

Tracks: 15

Album

Junk Circle

Junk Circle

Year: 2014

Notes: Extemporaneous thrift store percussion symphony performed with Chad Wells live @ 2/3rds studio, Fountain Square, Indianapolis.  More >>

Tracks: 22

Album

Tributaries

Tributaries

Year: 2013

Notes: Embracing the schizophrenic nature of my songwriting, this body of work covers many moods, technologies and intentions. From simple, single microphone recordings to mobile device compositions to full multi-track embellished productions, Tributaries offers a glimpse into my short attention span th...  More >>

Tracks: 17

Album

Transitions

Transitions

Year: 2013

Notes: A very busy first half of the year has yielded many song fragments and diverse ideas. I just recorded what came out of my head. Something said stop at 17, so I did. Cleaning house, really. Ready for the next phase.  More >>

Tracks: 17

Album

Articulation

Articulation

Year: 2012

Notes: This body of work really just represents having fun in the studio with whatever comes to mind. I love playing with sounds and often just go where the music takes me. Included here are the soundtracks from my 48 hour film project, 'The Days Before', some weird noise compositions, rocking guitar ja...  More >>

Tracks: 17

Album

Mission 457X

Mission 457X

Year: 2012

Notes: Mission 457X - Phase II of this investigation includes the indexing, documentation and identification of all items in and around the crash site. The current mission aims to discover the purpose for which these mysterious objects were created. This containment and assessment effort is made possibl...  More >>

Tracks: 1

Album

Everyotherday

Everyotherday

Year: 2012

Notes: I created this body of work for the 2012 February Album Writer's Month competition at fawm.org. The goal was to write, record and produce an entire album in one month. I challenged myself to record vocals for every song, and only use real instruments within my home. No drum loops, synthesizers or...  More >>

Tracks: 15

Album

Giant Robot

Giant Robot

Year: 2012

Notes: An imaginary tale about space travel, other worlds, aliens and, of course... giant robots. Created in my home studio and on my iPad, this effort includes slow jams, rockers, electronica and bizarre soundscapes - all in an effort to take the listener on a journey to the outer realms of science fic...  More >>

Tracks: 13

Album

Heroes & Villains

Heroes & Villains

Year: 2011

Notes: As I started writing new songs in the home studio, one by one they began to form a super hero narrative. Characters, motivations and places cropped up, revealing the soundtrack to some kind of comic book movie. Some tracks drip with dastardly deeds and some sparkle with justice. Together they tel...  More >>

Tracks: 17

Album

Igniter

Igniter

Year: 2011

Notes: Settling into my new home studio, with all my instruments and electronic toys within reach, I started the year composing songs in a fresh environment. This album covers the first three months of 2011, including some audio experiments and some extemporaneous creations. "Fingertips" is a valentine ...  More >>

Tracks: 12

Album

Pimento

Pimento

Year: 2010

Notes: Inspired by the kitchen sink, this spicy little thing contains several piano compositions, a few rock songs with vocals, harmonization with the sewer sucker, some fun soundtrack ideas, a really long atmospheric piece about ascending into heaven (made from Easter Sunday iPhone recordings) and what...  More >>

Tracks: 12

Album

Suite : Kids

Suite : Kids

Year: 2010

Notes: On April 28, 2010, my wife Holly and I decided to take part in Big Car Gallery's Thrift store music project. The challenge was to create and perform ten minutes of music from whatever we could find at a designated thrift store for $25. We had 72 hours to shop for instruments, modify them, write t...  More >>

Tracks: 6

Album

Bliss

Bliss

Year: 2010

Notes: This instrumental body of work is about finding peace in the storm and watching the sun rise on a new day. It also addresses the timeless truth of our need for constant creation (art, music, gardening, children), filtered through the prism of life's events. Some fun experimenting and downright si...  More >>

Tracks: 13

Album

Mutated 2

Mutated 2

Year: 2009

Notes: Another album of uniquely-realized cover tunes, this time with friends! Special thanks to all the artists (Jeff Sample, Chad Lewis, Gregg Kendall, Matt Walden and Shelby Kelley) that made this endeavor possible. Recognize any of these songs? Produced by M. Sommers @ mediumFUSION.  More >>

Tracks: 15

Album

Television

Television

Year: 2009

Notes: Theme songs for imaginary programming. Add your own visuals.  More >>

Tracks: 10

Album

Bubbles

Bubbles

Year: 2009

Notes: Completely disposable, this collection of little ideas just gathered on my iPhone for a couple of months until I had time to let them talk. Rough concepts, field recordings, silliness and abstractions combine for a quick, strange listen into my twisted psyche and confirm my belief that there is m...  More >>

Tracks: 27

Album

Basement Suite

Basement Suite

Year: 2009

Notes: I spent May - June 2009 in a basement apartment, living out of a suitcase. Armed with only a borrowed acoustic guitar, I began writing little one minute songs, heavily inspired by R. Crumb's excellent "Heroes of Blues, Jazz, & Country" book and CD. I also realized that my laptop computer probably...  More >>

Tracks: 1

Album

Dream

Dream

Year: 2008

Notes: I turned 40 this year. I'm not sure if it's related, but I'm starting to look at life differently. What's real, what's not. This music reflects six months worth of squeezing something out. Many somethings. Slowly, and not without pain. 2008 was a dream, in many ways. –– The album begins, ends and...  More >>

Tracks: 17

Album

Space

Space

Year: 2008

Notes: The space that fills our lives. The space between us all. The space I need to breathe. The space that separates us. The spaces we fill. The space beyond this planet. The space between our bodies. The space where I escape. The space that's left in my heart after you've gone. –– The view from up he...  More >>

Tracks: 14

Album

Pieces

Pieces

Year: 2007

Notes: Pieces, shreds, fragments & particles. These tracks are bits of ideas and sounds I had laying about. I gave them each a name a kicked them out of the nest. Some are nervous, some are lazy. Some are awkward, some are enjoying themselves a little too much. Lots of different textures and styles comb...  More >>

Tracks: 17

Album

Mutated

Mutated

Year: 2007

Notes: I've always enjoyed doing cover songs, especially when I can put my own twist on them. In the summer of 2007 I started dissecting tunes for a cover album. What makes a song memorable? It's hook? It's delivery or lyrics? The point of experiment was to take compositions by some of my favorite artis...  More >>

Tracks: 12

Album

Tiny Sounds 2

Tiny Sounds 2

Year: 2007

Notes: This was fun to build. Between found-object jingles (The mystery) and playing with my own voice (Grant, Breathe), this album started to spark the same joy I felt making the original Tiny Sounds. I was learning banjo (Rock star, Let it go), ukulele (Rembrant) and having a blast with science fictio...  More >>

Tracks: 21

Album

Protein

Protein

Year: 2007

Notes: Protein is about sustenance and strength. It's about being honest and direct with a composition and letting it speak as it wants. It's about efficiency, confidence and muscle. This album felt like meat & potatoes; easy to make and filling. Beginning with the creepy "Arctic" (the only vocal song),...  More >>

Tracks: 17

Album

Legal

Legal

Year: 2006

Notes: A reference to some government paperwork? Starting a business, suing people, paying taxes? Maybe a validation of realness. Legal is also 21, if you're drinking, and 18, if you're doin' it. As usual, I sing on a couple of these and a few compositions may drift off into interesting nowhere, but I'm...  More >>

Tracks: 16

Album

Microphone

Microphone

Year: 2006

Notes: I started messing around with Apple's Garageband™ recording product. Playing with amp modeling and real drums. Melding acoustic and synthetic sounds. Layers of tones. Controlling depth, scale, pitch and time. These songs just fell out of my head like too many clowns in the closet. In an alt count...  More >>

Tracks: 19

Album

Groan

Groan

Year: 2006

Notes: Groan is a reference to prying off the parameters of the previous album, Grid. There was still much residual after glow to shrug off and initial efforts started to sound electronic. To get some "grit" back into the music, I began weaving in more acoustic, analog & human sounds (The eyes have it)....  More >>

Tracks: 16

Album

Grid

Grid

Year: 2006

Notes: I wanted to see if I could create an entire concept album using only electronic sounds and no outside analog noises. No guitars, amplifiers, microphones, vocals or acoustic percussion, only electronic waveforms. Can a song have "heart" if it's artificially generated? At first, I thought those par...  More >>

Tracks: 22

Album

Distortion

Distortion

Year: 2005

Notes: The end of 2005 was rough. Every word seemed twisted and every relationship was strained. My artistic reaction was to turn everything up to 11 and let the ugliness stand out. Dark songs and deep textures revealed many warts. Hiss, hum and buzz were allowed to exist. With very little editing and a...  More >>

Tracks: 18

Album

Empty

Empty

Year: 2005

Notes: Opening with the title track (a reference to our need for fulfillment) setting the mood, this collection contains the a cappella epic "Nana", the rocker "Destroy all art!" and the Tin Lounge cover "Times r now". A couple of of ditties (Pokeeno, Stick of butter) provide some fun movement. An ancie...  More >>

Tracks: 24

Album

Japan

Japan

Year: 2005

Notes: I've never been to Japan. This album is a response to the Japanese fascination with american culture. Imaginary TV theme songs ("The beast"), social behavior films ("A shocking fact") and post-modern sound sculptures ("Thin" and "Plink the pig") litter the landscape. I learned to scratch during t...  More >>

Tracks: 21

Album

Tiny Sounds

Tiny Sounds

Year: 2005

Notes: A true breakthrough. A dawning realization that I could make music with almost anything inspired this creative effort. I started making compositions that raised the bar of what I thought I could do. Each song came quickly and was drastically different from the previous. Complete rock songs organi...  More >>

Tracks: 25

Album

Migration

Migration

Year: 2004

Notes: Clocking in at 39 minutes for 22 tracks, this effort is comprised of various commercial soundtrack background music, ambient effects and some interesting guitar wanking. My computer was getting full of these little incidental pieces, and I made a promise to myself to clean house and move on to so...  More >>

Tracks: 22

Album

Cinema

Cinema

Year: 2003

Notes: I was thinking about soundtracks, surveillance and situations. I had spent time making short videos and wanted to apply what I learned to sonic endeavors. Perspective, setting and mood were on my mind. Some of this music is a study of the relationships between sounds. The opening track explores t...  More >>

Tracks: 15

Album

Real

Real

Year: 2003

Notes: As the title suggests, for this album I migrated almost completely away from any sampled sounds and started to fully produce multi-layer songs, playing every instrument. "Real" is looser and more organic than previous works. Ironically, the opening song ("A demonstration") is one of only 2 tracks...  More >>

Tracks: 18

Album

Rewind

Rewind

Year: 2002

Notes: More experiments combining samples with recorded sounds. More efforts to blur the line between composing "songs" and creating "art". Bits of pop sensability percolating up through the noise. I became more interested in the "feel" of a piece, having the work tell me what it wants to be. For exampl...  More >>

Tracks: 19

Album

Enough

Enough

Year: 2001

Notes: I started integrating other artists into my solo work. "I can see the light" features Dan Niswander. "U were the 1" was written with Jeff Sample. "Minotaur" was written with Lisa Ruth for a short film. "Sky Dome" used an old cassette LonPaul Ellrich gave me years ago (That's his friend's voice o...  More >>

Tracks: 17

Album

Close

Close

Year: 2001

Notes: Continuing towards structured songs with real instruments, this album represents various recordings that happened quickly. I was building steam and learning about studio effeciency. Three Serum 114 songs ("Big man", "If I could be with you" and "The prime") were tracked, as I was also working on ...  More >>

Tracks: 12

Album

Creep

Creep

Year: 2000

Notes: Another evolution in audio. I got excited again about the prospect of manipulating soundwaves. Acoustic recordings start figuring more promenantly in the recipie. Snippets of noises start creeping in. Sound becomes composition becomes art. This album contains my first stab at a vocal-based pop so...  More >>

Tracks: 13

Album

Ritual

Ritual

Year: 1999

Notes: As the title reflects, I was starting to get bored with the whole loop & sample way of making music. As a response, I began integrating acoustic sounds into the mix. Electronic sounds are paired with acoustic guitars, real drums and percussion is combined with drum machines and found sounds. Beac...  More >>

Tracks: 15

Album

Colony

Colony

Year: 1998

Notes: Venturing out into mixing samples, converting wave forms and tweaking electronics. Most of these tracks are experiments with overlays, beats and textures, relating as pop hooks and groove. I wanted to play bits of audio like a musician plays instrument. Samples and recorded sounds became notes in...  More >>

Tracks: 13

Album

God is a Virus

God is a Virus

Year: 1997

Notes: Early work containing many large samples and found sounds, woven together. Some fun mash ups and sonic journeys. Many of my favorite songs are on this one. The computer gave me such freedom to create and manipulate textures. This is where I really got the bug to pursue sound as an art form.  More >>

Tracks: 14

Album

Amagotharythm

Amagotharythm

Year: 1996

Notes: Presented here as percussion sculptures, these beats and loop tracks were written as rhythm beds for recordings and performances. I learned about manipulating digital sound while making these recordings, leaving the world of tape editing behind forever.  More >>

Tracks: 38

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