In Phaeleh we trust

Music

Bristol born-and-bred electronic musician, Phaeleh, breathes life into d*bstep.

That seven-letter word for many has become a dirty word for reasons with which no doubt you can empathise. That said – every sweeping judgement is at risk of an exception and fortunately for dubstep – the exception exists. Praised as the city that has nurtured the most influential musicians of all time including the likes of Massive Attack and Portishead, it comes as little surprise that Matthew Preston – aka Phaeleh – has emerged as one of the South-west’s finest acoustic-electronic producers, overriding the conventional and often predictable engineering prevalent in the 140bpm circuit. His charm lies in his self-effacement, lying low-key and harnessing intricacies frequently overlooked by today’s mainstream dubstep tracks. Phaeleh has unwittingly overhauled the conformist bracket in creating some of the most entrancing tracks to see daylight, exploring the more beautiful and melodic potential of electronic production.

Classically trained and acoustically creating his samples, Phaeleh’s music is popular worldwide amongst people of every age and nationality, taking him as far as Europe, New Zealand, Australia and Russia; his closing set at Outlook Festival in Croatia earlier this year was suitably touching for its formidable sunset ambience, literally moving people to tears in it’s elegance and serenity.

So what is it exactly that makes Phaeleh so extraordinary? Perhaps his natural compulsion to write sensitively arranged music, holding fort as cerebral and intellectual, sitting comfortably alongside the Massive Attacks, Mobys and Submotion Orchestras. Listen to the mix he’s put together especially for FOUND this Friday 23rd December ahead of his last show of 2011.

If before this you haven’t heard any of his tracks, take the time to enjoy a step-by-step education of Bristol's boy, Phaeleh.

Acoustic specialty