Matmos are an avant-garde electronic duo who have been composing mind-expanding soundscapes for the last 30 years. Their new album is called Metallic Life Review and is one of my favorite collections of difficult listening this year. The first five tracks, including “Steel Tongues,” are a diverse collection of shorter explorations of samples, effects, and all of the other musical manifestations that define their sound. The last track is a 20-minute soundscape that slowly builds through a variety of sonic textures and ends with an almost sacred sounding descent into soft, fading chimes. This is headphone music.

• Difficult Listening
• Song of the Day (2025)