Crude

aka Matt Middleton


Matt Middleton is Crude: coarse and colourful, masterful and exasperating, sharp-witted and self-sabotaging. He compulsively unties – and re-ties –  the sinews of his electronica/garage rock/free noise Frankenstein.

Initially enlisted by benevolent Christians to learn the recorder, Invercargill-born Middleton advanced to clarinet in the Southland Youth Orchestra before gobbling up the godless offerings of Slayer, Carcass and Napalm Death.

By 15 he was playing drums around town in a metal covers band, then supporting Oregon garage punks Dead Moon and New Zealand hair-metal heroes Push Push with his band Arcane (formerly Putrid), and winning Southland Drummer of the Year. “I joined that band on drums and it was at that point where my technical ability as a drummer was really starting to take off … and those were my first experiences with recording.” (Audio Foundation Oral History Programme).

The Aesthetics, Melbourne: Matt Middleton on guitar, Malcolm Deans on drums
Aesthetics live in Wellington
Yer Dreams (‘brut pop’)
The Aesthetics, Melbourne. From left: Ede Eves, Matt Middleton, Malcolm Deans
Early sax and drums rock song
Crude - The Mine
Multi-tracked saxophone piece
Crude - exec sek
The Aesthetics at work in a Melbourne performance space. From left: Ede Eves, Matt Middleton, Malcolm Deans
Aesthetics live in Melbourne
Members:

Matt Middleton - clarinet, drums, guitar, vocals, shawm, synthesiser

Labels:

Dirtlove


kRkRkRk


Flying Nun


Ecstatic Peace


Artless Intent


Trinder Music


Crawlspace

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