Kaffe Matthews

Kaffe Matthews

Kaffe Matthews is an electronic and experimental musician from Good Easter, United Kingdom, born in 1961. She works with ambient, noise and field recording-based material, and her practice centres on live sampling and real-time processing of sound. Her performances use digital equipment to shape recordings made from events and locations, and she presents this work in settings including installations, galleries, clubs, concert halls, tents, churches, warehouses and other unconventional spaces.

Background and approach

Matthews comes from a background that includes violin, shopkeeping, zoology, drumming, acid house engineering and a masters in Music Technology. She is known for creating dense, sculpted textures that can range from granular electronic pieces to noisy, beat-driven work, often using microphones placed in specific environments alongside occasional violin.

Collaborations and projects

She collaborates and performs with a wide range of musicians and artists, including Christian Fennesz, Charles Hayward, Jon Rose, Pan Sonic, Andy Moor of the Ex, Neotropic, Hayley Newman, Kingsuk Biswas, Mandy McIntosh, Bruce Gilchrist and Joe Joelson. Her work also includes performances with Butch Morris’ conduction, and she takes part in ensemble and collective projects such as MIMEO, The Lappetites, Strings With Evan Parker, the London Improvisers Orchestra and The Sheer Frost Orchestra.

Other projects mentioned in connection with her work include the BROOD and SYZYGY, an interactive kite-flying collaboration in which weather data gathered via kites is used as compositional material. She also works with Australian wire music artist Alan Lamb.