Mattic‘s second full-length on Phonosaurus Records, The Adventures Of Doctor Outer, begins much like 2012’s The Abstract Convention with narration embodying the tone of what is to follow. Instead of a variant of the Midnight Marauders fem-bot, our narrator this time is fashioned in a Crypt Keeper style. While Mattic walked this line between science-fiction and the supernatural in his last effort, it’s often more prominent this time around, but not before we get some other tracks out of the way first.

For instance, “The Adventures of Doctor Outer”, which comes in three tracks deep, doesn’t engage with the pulp extraordinary thematics I at least presumed it would, given the title. It instead channels a Lucy Pearl era feel-good groove, which is cool too; Lucy Pearl was f@*%ing dope, but I personally find Mattic most engaging at the darker end of the spectrum. Thankfully once he takes a hit from ‘Gandalf’s Pipe’ the album takes somewhat of a tonal shift towards this.

Populated with stand-out tracks in close proximity to each other, the second act of Doctor Outer is the highlight, and a little closer to what I was expecting; extended instrumental segments, Raymond Scott style bleep-bloopery, and coarse effects manipulating Mattic’s characteristic rhyme-style inspired by the Abstract Poetic school of emcee-ing. Cherry-pick tracks like ‘Stop Look And Listed’, ‘Haley’s Comet’, and ‘Echoes and Holograms’ and I would have been happy with an EP like his Dr. Who Dat tribute mixtape, but that’s just me. Mattic is undoubtedly an all-arounder, and there’ll be something for most listeners on his latest LP.

The Adventure Of Doctor Outer is out January 28th on Phonosaurus Records (Vinyl / CD / Digital)