Rachel By The Stream

Each of the five songs on Smooth Like Butter offer up a lot of musical elements, mostly working well together in support of the rootsy voice of Rachel Clutterbuck. Lyrcialy sampling The Jacksons on Sunshine Moonlight, Clutterbuck suitably displays her best vocal effort of the record, serenading over a slow-funk bass line. Her prowess shines with the easy but memorable melody of Body and Soul - the assortment of backing sounds the most conducive found on the record. The fusion of elements of hip hip, soul and roots music may not normally be advisable but this EP shows it can work. It will launch this Thursday at The Evelyn. - Beat Music Magazine

Each of the five songs on Smooth Like Butter offer up a lot of musical elements, mostly working well together in support of the rootsy voice of Rachel Clutterbuck. Lyrcialy sampling The Jacksons on Sunshine Moonlight, Clutterbuck suitably displays her best vocal effort of the record, serenading over a slow-funk bass line. Her prowess shines with the easy but memorable melody of Body and Soul - the assortment of backing sounds the most conducive found on the record. The fusion of elements of hip hip, soul and roots music may not normally be advisable but this EP shows it can work. It will launch this Thursday at The Evelyn. - Beat Music Magazine

The Rolling Stones isn’t the only band playing at the world’s most iconic music festival for the first time this year. Heidelberg Heights electronic outfit Rachel By The Stream — made up of Rachel Clutterbuck and Matthew Storen — will also wing its way to
A HEIDELBERG Heights funk duo will wing its way to one of the world’s biggest music festivals after making waves on the national charts.

Rachel By The Stream, made up of Rachel Clutterbuck and Matthew Storen (known as Mattriks), has scored success with Call It Love, which has spent two weeks in the top 10 of the Australian Music Radio Airplay Project (AMRAP) charts. The electronic outfit last week heard it would be on the line up for Glastonbury in June.
British-born Clutterbuck said the pair had been together for about a year and had successfully been able to merge her folky/ soulful voice with Mattriks’ hip hop routes. She said Call It Love had been inspired by the vocals of the famed 1940s group The Andrews Sisters, while also incorporating modern elements, such as scratching.
‘‘ It’s a very sweet love song,’’ Clutterbuck said. ‘‘And I think the different elements have been the reason why it’s been successful.’’ Clutterbuck has been in Australia for five years, working mainly as a secondary school teacher, and is only weeks away from receiving her citizenship, while Mattriks grew up in Macleod.
She said the success on the AMRAP charts had pushed them to keep developing their sound.
‘‘Everything that happens is just affirmation of what we’ve done,’’ she said.
The group has released its debut EP Smooth Like Butter and will tour the UK and Australia in the next few months, while working on its first full-length album.
They have likened themselves to several known acts including Kimbra, Blondie and Sneaky Sound System. - Heidelberg Leader

When I hear the term mash-up in matters of music, I usually get a bad feeling. Haunting memories from the late 90s, when the internet was flooded with Britney Spears vs. Metallica, Cypress Hill vs. The Beatles or Nirvana vs. Destiny’s Child. There was a reason why some people called it bastard pop. Fortunately, the English singer-songwriter and multiinstrumentalist Rachel Clutterbuck and Australian producer/hip hop artist Mattriks aka Rachel By The Stream, help me to think of mash-up as a good thing. Their music is about but carefully blending different musical genres and lyrics, rather than cobbling something together that normally wouldn’t match. The result is the EP “Smooth Like Butter”. Five beautiful relaxed and danceable songs that combine hip hop beats, with folky guitars, R’n'B grooves and Rachel’s jazzy vocals. One of my favourites is “Body & Soul, where you can find parts of Chaka Demus’ song “Tease Me” with hints of Laura J Martin (she also did a cover of the song). The other one is “Return Again” with lyrics from White Stripes’ “Fell In Love With A Girl” mixed with the Joss Stone version and turning it into a Lambada-meets-R’n'B beach hymn.

“Smooth Like Butter” is the perfect soundtrack for the (hopefully) upcoming summer, cool and hot in equal parts.The EP is available on iTunes, you should also check out the video for “Return Again” below.


Claudia - Music Is Okay Blog

When I hear the term mash-up in matters of music, I usually get a bad feeling. Haunting memories from the late 90s, when the internet was flooded with Britney Spears vs. Metallica, Cypress Hill vs. The Beatles or Nirvana vs. Destiny’s Child. There was a reason why some people called it bastard pop. Fortunately, the English singer-songwriter and multiinstrumentalist Rachel Clutterbuck and Australian producer/hip hop artist Mattriks aka Rachel By The Stream, help me to think of mash-up as a good thing. Their music is about but carefully blending different musical genres and lyrics, rather than cobbling something together that normally wouldn’t match. The result is the EP “Smooth Like Butter”. Five beautiful relaxed and danceable songs that combine hip hop beats, with folky guitars, R’n'B grooves and Rachel’s jazzy vocals. One of my favourites is “Body & Soul, where you can find parts of Chaka Demus’ song “Tease Me” with hints of Laura J Martin (she also did a cover of the song). The other one is “Return Again” with lyrics from White Stripes’ “Fell In Love With A Girl” mixed with the Joss Stone version and turning it into a Lambada-meets-R’n'B beach hymn.

“Smooth Like Butter” is the perfect soundtrack for the (hopefully) upcoming summer, cool and hot in equal parts.The EP is available on iTunes, you should also check out the video for “Return Again” below.


Claudia - Music Is Okay Blog

In terms of drawing inspiration from her surroundings, Rachel By The Stream is encircled with an excess of stimulation. Touching on a unique blend of jazz, indie pop and electronic, Smooth Like Butter leaves no stone unturned in her quest to cover each item from her creative arsenal.

Each track on the five song EP leaves listeners carefully dissecting the instrumental make-up, brought on by the songwriters insatiable desire to mix unconventional melodies, such as the unique blend folk infused guitar playing with a touch of turntablism in the back end of opening track, ‘Call It Love’.

Jazz influence is rampant through the EP, and demonstrated in bassline fuelling addition, ‘That’s For Sure’.

The track showcases the skills as a songwriter of many styles, whether it is a jazz lounge number or a modern spin on a folk tune.

Continuing on with her experimentation, ‘Body And Soul’ introduces another folk/pop influenced piece, also touching on some subtle electronic splashes and vocal manipulation, pulling off another modern twist on a commonly unsophisticated genre.

The electronic introduction for concluding track ‘Sunshine Moonlight’ demonstrates Rachel By The Stream’s goal to be a totally distinctive talent.

Still maintaining her pop/folk vocal arrangements, the track replaces the bright strums of an acoustic guitar with a balanced electronic rhythm, with the occasional interruption of some cascading acoustic percussion.

The EP is one of many examples why Rachel By The Stream is one artist to add to your musical repertoire.


Sam Price - Publicist, Obese Records - Tone Deaf Magazine

In terms of drawing inspiration from her surroundings, Rachel By The Stream is encircled with an excess of stimulation. Touching on a unique blend of jazz, indie pop and electronic, Smooth Like Butter leaves no stone unturned in her quest to cover each item from her creative arsenal.

Each track on the five song EP leaves listeners carefully dissecting the instrumental make-up, brought on by the songwriters insatiable desire to mix unconventional melodies, such as the unique blend folk infused guitar playing with a touch of turntablism in the back end of opening track, ‘Call It Love’.

Jazz influence is rampant through the EP, and demonstrated in bassline fuelling addition, ‘That’s For Sure’.

The track showcases the skills as a songwriter of many styles, whether it is a jazz lounge number or a modern spin on a folk tune.

Continuing on with her experimentation, ‘Body And Soul’ introduces another folk/pop influenced piece, also touching on some subtle electronic splashes and vocal manipulation, pulling off another modern twist on a commonly unsophisticated genre.

The electronic introduction for concluding track ‘Sunshine Moonlight’ demonstrates Rachel By The Stream’s goal to be a totally distinctive talent.

Still maintaining her pop/folk vocal arrangements, the track replaces the bright strums of an acoustic guitar with a balanced electronic rhythm, with the occasional interruption of some cascading acoustic percussion.

The EP is one of many examples why Rachel By The Stream is one artist to add to your musical repertoire.


Sam Price - Publicist, Obese Records - Tone Deaf Magazine