Astral Matrix
2 mixes · 1996–1997
From San Francisco, California
Biography
Andrew Johnson, known as Astral Matrix, was regarded as one of the best examples of the San Francisco sound of the 1990s, not the jazzy house Mark Farina made famous but the rawer, ravier, more underground strain the city was equally known for. He built his tracks around the Roland TB-303 and 909, layering dubby reverb and effects over breakbeats and four-on-the-floor rhythms, releasing singles including "Torture Vibes" and 1996's "4," later remembered as one of the era's darkest progressive house records.
He collaborated with fellow San Francisco producer Galen on the Bent Halos EP in 2000, and released a solo album, Secret Broadcast, a collection of his own live broadcasts recorded around the city, including the track "Elastic." His tracks also appeared on DJ mix compilations by Brad, Carlos, DRC, Jim Hopkins, and John Digweed's Global Underground 006: Sydney, and he played live sets around the city, including a widely circulated 1997 recording from HouseWares on Haight Street.
