minus32heartbeat Premieres His Debut Album ‘DHRICMV’

NYC-based indie artist, producer, and multi-instrumentalist minus32heartbeat unveils his debut album DHRICMV, a soul-searching exploration of love and life.

minus32heartbeat is the solo project of Matt Friedlander, who was the lead guitarist for GoStation in the mid-000s. The genesis of DHRICMV occurred last year when Friedlander decided to throw caution to the wind and invest totally in his music. He explains:

“Back in the beginning of 2023, my professional life had taken a serious wrong turn. I shut down a business I’d opened with my best friend, and I was close to six figures in personal debt. Things were looking very, very grim and even listening to my favorite records and doing other things that typically snap me out of a funk were just not cutting the mustard.”

He continues, “It was honestly a Hail Mary to go online, find a bunch of recording gear, max out a credit card, and boot up the first session. But once I started, I had never been happier, and everyone close to me noticed.”

Blending elements of guitar-driven alt-rock, indie pop, electronic music, and atmospheric textures with honest lyricism, minus32hearbeat’s sound assembles retro savours into a modern framework at once compelling and a little dreamy.

Talking about the title, DHRICMV, minus32heartbeat says, “It’s taken from the lyrics of one of the songs. I just used the initials of the phrase purely for the sake of graphic design. I’d noticed this book laying around a studio my previous band was working in, close to 16 years ago. And the title of it (‘Drinking, Homicide, & Rebellion in Colonial Mexican Villages’) just never left my mind. Without getting too philosophical, I think it speaks to how this album came together, and even more so to the story behind that particular song.”

Highlights on the album include the haunting “Smile and Slide Away,” a gorgeously melancholy song revealing the elusive yet lasting ambiance of past relationships and the poignancy of faded love that refuses to evaporate completely.

“This City Shines So Bright,” an ode to New York City, travels on thick waves of indie-rock, forming dense, gleaming textures as minus32heartbeat’s vocals ooze savours of warm nostalgia. The undulating motion of the melody evokes wistful memories that summon up profound sentiments.

A personal favourite because of its soft, subtle intro reminiscent of Christopher Cross, “The Strangest Things” elevates to sparkling accents riding atop strumming guitar textures, imbuing the tune with a sense of emerging imminence.

On his debut album, minus32heartbeat faces the opacity of memory in elaborately enveloping songs informed by evocative sensations.

minus32heartbeat ‘DHRICMV’ album artwork