Mathias Grassow

by Jim Brenholts
Mathias Grassow is one of the true pioneers and long-time practitioners of electronic ambience and electronic minimalism. He has become widely recognized as "the King of the Ambient Drone" and folks often compare his soundscapes to "organized refrigerator hum." They mean that as a compliment. Grassow's deeply emotional, spiritual, and personal electronic music is ambient as defined by Brian Eno. It is interesting enough to be the focus of deep listening and innocuous enough to be part of the environment.
In his ambient and electronic discography, Grassow has over 20 titles available commercially. At his web site (www.mathias-grassow.de) he offers many more titles as CD-Rs, the total discography represents well over 100 individual discs. In addition, almost all of the discs are over 74 minutes long and the music is excellent. The sheer numbers have to rank him as one of the busiest and most prolific artists ever. Grassow made strides to gain more exposure in the U.S.A. The label that grabs him will have one of e-music's most prolific and consummate professionals.