The name “Martin Eden” bears its significance from the eponymous 1909 novel by Jack London. You knew that, right? Well, I sure didn’t, but I thank Matthew Cooper a.k.a. Eluvium for bringing it to my attention, as I find the struggles of a young writer particularly relevant to my current preoccupations, as well as my future aspirations. Cooper, as far as I know, isn’t primarily a writer, but he likely identifies with the literary genre of which the novel is an example; Künstlerroman means “artist’s novel” in German, and according to Wikipedia, it’s a narrative about an “artist’s growth to maturity.” Make sure you acknowledge the word “artist” there; we don’t want any flashbacks to 8th grade health class.
So fascinated Cooper must be with Martin Eden (the novel), that he’s actually decided to assume “Martin Eden” (the name) as a moniker under which he’s releasing his latest musical works. As a part of Lefse Records’ ongoing series, Martin Eden (remember, that’s Matthew Cooper) is releasing a 7-inch, with a release date to be announced (though you can listen to a digital version of the track, “Worker,” below). Cooper describes his new project as appealing to “fans of early Aphex Twin stuff, or turn of the century electronic music,” and you know what? I definitely hear it. Go on, listen for yourself:
• Eluvium/Martin Eden: http://eluvium.net
• Lefse: http://www.lefserecords.com
More about: Eluvium, Martin Eden
