Matthew Dear
Encyclopedia
Matthew Dear is an American music producer, DJ and electronic avant-pop artist.
- (Kingsville, Texas) born Dear moved to Michigan
as a teenager, where he was inspired by the sound of Detroit Techno
. Dear met Sam Valenti IV at a party while attending the University of Michigan
, after which the two created the record label, Ghostly International
, based on a shared love of electronic music
. Dear’s first single was 1999’s "Hands Up For Detroit" (co-produced by ghettotech
pioneer Disco D
, who performed under the name Daisha). Successive singles, such as "Stealing Moves" and the chart-topping "Mouth to Mouth" (as Audion) were issued on Spectral Sound
, Ghostly’s offshoot that focuses on dancefloor music.
Dear’s first album Leave Luck to Heaven
appeared in 2003 and was praised widely as a seminal fusion of pop and minimal techno
. The album’s single "Dog Days" became one of Spectral’s best sellers and a favorite of international DJs like Richie Hawtin
.
Dear followed the album with Backstroke in 2004 and has also begun working under the harder-edged Audion alias, apart from additional monikers False and Jabberjaw.
In 2007, Matthew Dear released his sophomore full length, Asa Breed. Matthew and his band, Matthew Dear's Big Hands then began a US promotional tour tour and a European tour as the opening act for Hot Chip
. 2008 saw the re-release of Asa Breed as the Asa Breed Black Edition. This re-release added 5 new songs, including a remix of Don and Sherri
from Hot Chip and the video for the song, shot in downtown New York City.
Matthew Dear's latest album, Black City, was released on August 17, 2010. It conceptualizes a futuristic metropolis that never sleeps. Dear describes 'Black City': "Well, there's a kind of timelessness to it in the sense that I don't want things to run on a 24-hour clock. It seems like a city that's always awake, maybe always dialled in electronically, and cannot be turned off. It's this imaginary weird never-sleeping town. But yeah it's full of lust, and love, and dark shadows. Weird things around the corner…"
Dear is a graduate of Lake Orion High School
in Lake Orion, Michigan
.
, performing on their first three dates in the UK.
, David Bowie
, Adonis
, Nitzer Ebb
, and Roman Flügel
as inspirations.
When asked who he is influenced by as Matthew Dear, "Definitely I'm influenced by Brian Eno
and a lot of his work. I've said it before but he is one that is so interesting to listen to on all formats whether it be his production with other bands, whether it's his solo work or whether it's his collaboration work with other artists. He's probably the number one."
EP
s
Singles
Compilations
Albums:
History
TexasTexas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
- (Kingsville, Texas) born Dear moved to Michigan
Michigan
Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
as a teenager, where he was inspired by the sound of Detroit Techno
Detroit techno
Detroit techno is an early style of electronic music beginning in the 1980s. Detroit, Michigan has been cited as the birthplace of techno music. Prominent Detroit Techno artists include Juan Atkins, Derrick May, and Kevin Saunderson...
. Dear met Sam Valenti IV at a party while attending the University of Michigan
University of Michigan
The University of Michigan is a public research university located in Ann Arbor, Michigan in the United States. It is the state's oldest university and the flagship campus of the University of Michigan...
, after which the two created the record label, Ghostly International
Ghostly International
Ghostly International is an American independent record label. Chief artists include Matthew Dear, Dabrye , Mobius Band, and Skeletons & The Girl-Faced Boys, all of which are innovative contributors to the world of music....
, based on a shared love of electronic music
Electronic music
Electronic music is music that employs electronic musical instruments and electronic music technology in its production. In general a distinction can be made between sound produced using electromechanical means and that produced using electronic technology. Examples of electromechanical sound...
. Dear’s first single was 1999’s "Hands Up For Detroit" (co-produced by ghettotech
Ghettotech
Ghettotech or Detroit club music is a form of electronic dance music originating from Detroit. It combines elements of Chicago's ghetto house with electro, hip hop, techno, and grafts the perceived raunch of Miami Bass as the vocal stamp of the music. It is usually faster than most other dance...
pioneer Disco D
Disco D
David Aaron Shayman, better known by his stage name Disco D , was an American record producer and composer. He started as a teenage DJ in Ann Arbor, Michigan, where he helped DJ Godfather popularize the Detroit electronic music called "Ghettotech"...
, who performed under the name Daisha). Successive singles, such as "Stealing Moves" and the chart-topping "Mouth to Mouth" (as Audion) were issued on Spectral Sound
Spectral Sound
Spectral Sound is a record label that was originally an offshoot of the more cerebral Ghostly International, but has since gained similar notoriety thanks to successful records by Matthew Dear and other techno producers...
, Ghostly’s offshoot that focuses on dancefloor music.
Dear’s first album Leave Luck to Heaven
Leave Luck to Heaven
Leave Luck to Heaven is the first full-length album by Detroit-based Matthew Dear, released under his birth name. Released in late 2003, the album’s fusion of pop and minimal techno propelled Dear to international success. The album’s single Dog Days became a bestseller for the Spectral Sound...
appeared in 2003 and was praised widely as a seminal fusion of pop and minimal techno
Minimal techno
Minimal techno is a minimalist sub-genre of techno. It is characterized by a stripped-down aesthetic that exploits the use of repetition, and understated development. This style of dance music production generally adheres to the motto less is more; a principle that has been previously utilized, to...
. The album’s single "Dog Days" became one of Spectral’s best sellers and a favorite of international DJs like Richie Hawtin
Richie Hawtin
Richard Hawtin is an English-Canadian electronic musician and DJ who was an influential part of Detroit techno's second wave of artists in the early 1990s and a leading exponent of Minimal techno since the mid 1990s...
.
Dear followed the album with Backstroke in 2004 and has also begun working under the harder-edged Audion alias, apart from additional monikers False and Jabberjaw.
In 2007, Matthew Dear released his sophomore full length, Asa Breed. Matthew and his band, Matthew Dear's Big Hands then began a US promotional tour tour and a European tour as the opening act for Hot Chip
Hot Chip
Hot Chip are an English electronic indie band. They have released four studio albums—Coming on Strong, The Warning, Made in the Dark and One Life Stand.-Formation:...
. 2008 saw the re-release of Asa Breed as the Asa Breed Black Edition. This re-release added 5 new songs, including a remix of Don and Sherri
Don and Sherri
Don and Sherri is an EP released by Matthew Dear on Ghostly International Records on October 16, 2007. It was released simultaneously on 12" and digital download...
from Hot Chip and the video for the song, shot in downtown New York City.
Matthew Dear's latest album, Black City, was released on August 17, 2010. It conceptualizes a futuristic metropolis that never sleeps. Dear describes 'Black City': "Well, there's a kind of timelessness to it in the sense that I don't want things to run on a 24-hour clock. It seems like a city that's always awake, maybe always dialled in electronically, and cannot be turned off. It's this imaginary weird never-sleeping town. But yeah it's full of lust, and love, and dark shadows. Weird things around the corner…"
Dear is a graduate of Lake Orion High School
Lake Orion High School
Lake Orion High School is a public secondary institution located in Orion Township, Michigan. It is a part of Lake Orion Community Schools.The large campus features a centralized commons area, which serves as a distribution center to the wings. The commons area features the cafeteria and student...
in Lake Orion, Michigan
Lake Orion, Michigan
Lake Orion is a village in Oakland County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 2,973 at the 2010 census. "Lake Orion" is often used to describe both the village and the much larger Orion Township, of which the village is a part....
.
2011
Matthew is currently opening for the NYC band InterpolInterpol (band)
Interpol is an American indie rock and post-punk revival band from New York City. Formed in 1997, the band's original line-up consisted of Paul Banks , Daniel Kessler , Carlos Dengler and Greg Drudy . Drudy left the band in 2000 and was replaced by Sam Fogarino...
, performing on their first three dates in the UK.
Influences
Matthew Dear has listed Talking HeadsTalking Heads
Talking Heads were an American New Wave and avant-garde band formed in 1975 in New York City and active until 1991. The band comprised David Byrne, Chris Frantz, Tina Weymouth and Jerry Harrison...
, David Bowie
David Bowie
David Bowie is an English musician, actor, record producer and arranger. A major figure for over four decades in the world of popular music, Bowie is widely regarded as an innovator, particularly for his work in the 1970s...
, Adonis
Adonis (artist)
Adonis is a Chicago acid house pioneer who made his name with the classic 1986 tracks 'No Way Back' and 'We're Rockin Down The House'.Adonis recorded many innovative and influential dance tracks. Born and raised on the West Side of Chicago, Adonis was introduced to music at a young age...
, Nitzer Ebb
Nitzer Ebb
Nitzer Ebb is a British EBM group formed in 1982 by Essex school friends Vaughan "Bon" Harris , Douglas McCarthy , and David Gooday .-Band name:...
, and Roman Flügel
Alter Ego (band)
Alter Ego is a German acid house music group, comprising Roman Flügel and Jörn Elling Wuttke. They achieved notability in 2004 with their track "Rocker", which became one of the year's defining dance anthems, especially in Europe, and getting played on rotation amongst the most popular electroclash...
as inspirations.
When asked who he is influenced by as Matthew Dear, "Definitely I'm influenced by Brian Eno
Brian Eno
Brian Peter George St. John le Baptiste de la Salle Eno , commonly known as Brian Eno or simply as Eno , is an English musician, composer, record producer, singer and visual artist, known as one of the principal innovators of ambient music.Eno studied at Colchester Institute art school in Essex,...
and a lot of his work. I've said it before but he is one that is so interesting to listen to on all formats whether it be his production with other bands, whether it's his solo work or whether it's his collaboration work with other artists. He's probably the number one."
Solo
Albums:- 2003 Leave Luck to HeavenLeave Luck to HeavenLeave Luck to Heaven is the first full-length album by Detroit-based Matthew Dear, released under his birth name. Released in late 2003, the album’s fusion of pop and minimal techno propelled Dear to international success. The album’s single Dog Days became a bestseller for the Spectral Sound...
(Spectral Sound) - 2004 BackstrokeBackstroke (album)Backstroke is the second LP released by Matthew Dear under his given name. The album was received fairly well by reviewers, but thought to have been released too quickly after his previous album, Leave Luck to Heaven.-Track listing:...
(Spectral Sound) - 2007 Asa BreedAsa BreedAsa Breed is the third LP released by Matthew Dear under his given name. The work is notable for the Dear's transition to shorter, more lyrical songs than his previous works. The title references a minor character in the Kurt Vonnegut, Jr. novel Cat's Cradle...
(Ghostly International) - 2008 Asa Breed Black Edition (Ghostly International)
- 2010 Black CityBlack City (Matthew Dear album)Black City is the fourth LP released by Matthew Dear under his given name. It is his most critically acclaimed work to date and was labeled "Best New Music" by Pitchfork Media...
(Ghostly International)
EP
Extended play
An EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact...
s
- 2003 EP1 (Spectral Sound)
- 2003 EP2 (Spectral Sound)
- 2007 Don and SherriDon and SherriDon and Sherri is an EP released by Matthew Dear on Ghostly International Records on October 16, 2007. It was released simultaneously on 12" and digital download...
(Ghostly International)
Singles
- 2000 Irreparably Dented (Spectral Sound)
- 2001 Stealing Moves (Spectral Sound)
- 2003 Dog Days (Spectral Sound)
- 2004 Anger Management / Future Never Again (Spectral Sound)
- 2007 DeserterDeserter (song)Deserter is the first single from Matthew Dear's 2007 album Asa Breed, released on May 8, 2007 on Ghostly International Records. It was released on 10" and digital formats only, and both versions feature a remix of the song by Four Tet.- 10" :...
(Ghostly International)
Compilations
- 2008 Beginning of the End: Spectral Sound Singles (Spectral Sound)
Tracks featured on
- 1999 Hands Up For Detroit (Ghostly International)
- 2003 Idol Tryouts: Ghostly International Vol. 1Idol TryoutsIdol Tryouts is the second various artists compilation album released by Michigan-based label Ghostly International. Unlike the label's previous sampler Disco Nouveau, Idol Tryouts contains music solely from artists signed to Ghostly International...
(Ghostly International) - 2003 State of the Union EP (Spectral Sound)
- 2005 Spectral Sound Vol. 1 (Spectral Sound)
- 2006 Idol Troyouts: Ghostly International Vol. 2Idol Tryouts 2Idol Tryouts 2 is a various artists compilation album released by Ann Arbor, Michigan-based record label Ghostly International. It is the label's third compilation overall and the second in their Idol Tryouts series. Idol Tryouts 2 contains tracks from artists on the label and spans the musical...
(Ghostly International) - 2007 Chuck (TV series) Season 1, Episode 4 (NBC)
- 2007 "Gossip Girls (TV series) Season 1, Episode 1"
- 2008 Life Beyond Mars: Bowie Covered
Remixing
- 2004 DJ Minx A Walk In The Park (M_nus)
- 2004 Håkan Lidbo Clockwise Rmxs (ShitkatapultShitkatapultShitkatapult is a German record label which focuses on electronic music, spanning both IDM and techno. The label was founded by Marco Haas and Marcus Stotz in 1998, and is now run by Haas and Apparat ....
) - 2004 L'usineLusineLusine is Texan Jeff McIlwain, an ambient/IDM musician. Originally a Texas native, Jeff now resides in Seattle. In 1998, he attended California Institute of the Arts to study 20th century electronic music and sound design for music and film...
Flat Remixes (Ghostly International) - 2004 Monobox The Remixes (Logistic Records)
- 2004 Osborne Bout Ready to Jak Remixes (Spectral Sound)
- 2004 Someone Else + Miskate Rip It Cookie Muenster EP (Foundsound)
- 2005 Circlesquare / Colder 7 Minutes / Shiny Star (Remixes) (Output)
- 2005 The Postal ServiceThe Postal ServiceThe Postal Service is an American electronic indie pop band composed of vocalist Ben Gibbard of Death Cab for Cutie and producer Jimmy Tamborello of Dntel and Headset.-Background:...
We Will Become Silhouettes (Sub PopSub PopSub Pop is a record label founded in 1986 by Bruce Pavitt and Jonathan Poneman in Seattle, Washington. Sub Pop achieved fame in the late 1980s for first signing Nirvana, Soundgarden, Mudhoney and many other bands from the Seattle music scene...
) - 2006 Hot ChipHot ChipHot Chip are an English electronic indie band. They have released four studio albums—Coming on Strong, The Warning, Made in the Dark and One Life Stand.-Formation:...
No Fit State (EMIEMIThe EMI Group, also known as EMI Music or simply EMI, is a multinational music company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the fourth-largest business group and family of record labels in the recording industry and one of the "big four" record companies. EMI Group also has a major...
) - 2006 The Chemical BrothersThe Chemical BrothersThe Chemical Brothers are a British electronic music duo comprising Tom Rowlands and Ed Simons. Originating in Manchester in 1991, along with The Prodigy, Fatboy Slim, The Crystal Method, and fellow acts, they were pioneers at bringing the big beat genre to the forefront of pop culture.- Background...
Do it Again (EMIEMIThe EMI Group, also known as EMI Music or simply EMI, is a multinational music company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the fourth-largest business group and family of record labels in the recording industry and one of the "big four" record companies. EMI Group also has a major...
) - 2007 Black StrobeBlack StrobeBlack Strobe were formed in Paris in 1997 by producer Arnaud Rebotini and DJ Ivan Smagghe, and were instrumental in the rise of the electroclash movement in the UK with their breakthrough single Me And Madonna...
"I'm a ManI'm A Man (Bo Diddley song)"I'm a Man" is a song written and recorded by Bo Diddley in 1955. A moderately slow blues with a stop-time figure, it was inspired by an earlier blues song and became a #1 R&B chart hit. "I'm a Man" has been acknowledged by Rolling Stone magazine and has been recorded by a variety of artists,...
" (PlaylouderPlayLouderPlaylouder is a digital music and media company. It is a music site which provides news, reviews, and other related content. It also claims to be the world's first Music Service Provider or MSP — a broadband, Internet Service Provider that bundles access to music content with broadband...
) - 2007 Terence FixmerFixmer/McCarthyFixmer/McCarthy is an electronic music collaboration between the French techno producer Terence Fixmer, and British EBM vocalist Douglas McCarthy ....
"Electrostatic" (Planete Rouge) - 2007 DubfireDubfireAli Shirazinia, commonly known by his stage name Dubfire, is an Iranian American house and techno DJ and producer. Prior to his solo career, Dubfire was one-half of the four-time nominated and Grammy Award-winning duo Deep Dish...
"I Feel SpeedI Feel SpeedI Feel Speed is an EP from Dubfire, delivered with a large mix package. Dubfire delivers the original mix and the package features remixes by Booka Shade, Audion and UNKLE...
" (SCI + TEC Digital Audio) - 2008 Matt John "Olga Dancekowski" (Bar25)
- 2008 SashaSasha (DJ)Sasha is a Welsh DJ and record producer. Sasha began his career playing acid house dance music in the late 1980s...
"Park It In The Shade" (emFireEmFireemFire is a sublabel of Renaissance Recordings which is run by Sasha as an exclusive outlet for his original material.-History:In August 2007, Sasha announced the formation of his record label, Emfire, which will be the exclusive outlet for his new material in both vinyl and digital formats...
) - 2008 Kieran Hebden, Steve Reid "People Be Happy/Rhythm Dance" (Domino)
- 2008 SpoonSpoon (band)Spoon is an American rock band formed in Austin, Texas. The band is composed of Britt Daniel ; Jim Eno ; Rob Pope and Eric Harvey .-History:...
"Don't You EvahDon't You EvahDon't You Evah is an 8 song-EP from Austin, Texas indie rock band Spoon. It was released on April 8, 2008 by Merge Records. It was released to promote the title track, the second single from their album Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga....
" (Merge Records) - 2008 Liquid LiquidLiquid LiquidLiquid Liquid is a New York City post-punk, post-disco band, originally active from 1980 to 1983. They are perhaps best known for their track, "Cavern", which was covered by the Sugar Hill Records house band as the backing track for Grandmaster + Melle Mel's old school rap classic, "White Lines "...
"Optmo" (Domino Records) - 2009 The Juan MacLeanThe Juan MacLeanJohn MacLean, better known by the stage name The Juan MacLean, is an American electronic musician.-History:Maclean was guitarist for the post-hardcore band Six Finger Satellite, based in Providence, Rhode Island. The band was struck by several tragedies, and Maclean eventually moved into production...
"Happy House" (DFA Records) - 2010 The XXThe xxThe xx are an English indie pop band, formed in London in 2005. The band's members met while studying at Elliott School, the same school that produced Hot Chip, Burial and Four Tet. They became a trio when their second guitarist and keyboardist, Baria Qureshi, departed in late 2009. In September...
"VCR" (XL Recordings, Young Turks) - 2010 Charlotte GainsbourgCharlotte GainsbourgCharlotte Lucy Gainsbourg is an Anglo-French actress and singer. After releasing an album with her father at the age of fifteen, more than twenty years passed before she released two albums as an adult to commercial and critical success...
"Time Of The Assassins" (Because Music) - 2010 The DrumsThe DrumsThe Drums are an American indie pop band from Brooklyn, NY with members stemming from the shortlived band Elkland . The band is currently on the Moshi Moshi/Island , Universal and Frenchkiss labels.-Formation:...
"Me And The Moon" (Moshi Moshi/IslandIsland RecordsIsland Records is a record label that was founded by Chris Blackwell in Jamaica. It was based in the United Kingdom for many years and is now owned by Universal Music Group...
)
As Audion
- 2004 Kisses EP (Audion I, Spectral Sound)
- 2004 The Pong EP (Audion II, Spectral Sound)
- 2005 Just Fucking (Audion III, Spectral Sound)
- 2006 SuckfishSuckfishSuckfish is the debut LP by Audion, an alias of Matthew Dear. It was generally well-received by critics, with a score of 80/100 on Metacritic.- Track listing :#"Vegetables" – 5:54#"Your Place or Mine" – 6:29#"Titty Fuck" – 7:11#"T.B." – 7:55...
(Audion IV, Spectral Sound) - 2006 Fabric 27Fabric 27Fabric 27 is a DJ mix compilation album by Matthew Dear as his moniker Audion , as part of the Fabric Mix Series.-Track listing:# 2 tracks mixed## Audion - Off First - Spectral Sound## Mikael Stavöstrand - Mosquito Morpher...
(Fabric) - 2006 Mouth to Mouth (Audion V, Spectral Sound)
- 2006 Just a Man / Just a Woman [with Ellen AllienEllen AllienEllen Allien, born Ellen Fraatz , is a German electronic musician, music producer and founder of BPitch Control music label. She lives in Berlin, Germany. She sings in both German and English. She has said that one of the main inspirations for her music is the culture of reunified Berlin; her...
] (Audion VI, Spectral Sound) - 2007 Mouth to Mouth (Remixes) (Audion R1, Spectral Sound)
- 2007 Noiser/Fred's Bells (Audion VII, Spectral Sound)
- 2008 Billy Says Go (Audion VIII, Spectral Sound)
- 2009 I Am The Car (Audion IX.I, Spectral Sound)
- 2009 Look At The Moon (Audion IX.II, Spectral Sound)
- 2009 It's Full of Blinding Light EP (Audion IX.III and X,Spectral Sound)
- 2009 Stoplight (Audion IX.IV, Spectral Sound)
- 2009 Instant In You (Audion IX.V, Spectral Sound)
- 2009 That's That (Audion IX.VI, Spectral Sound)
- 2009 Push (Audion IX.VII, Spectral Sound)
As Jabberjaw
- 2003 Girlfriend (Perlon)
- 2009 The Connie Shake (Spectral Sound)
- 2009 The Garden Of Eden (Spectral Sound)
As False
Singles/EPs:- 2002 .WAV Pool (Plus 8)
- 2002 Warsaw Bread (Plus 8)
- 2003 You Wouldn't/Beginner's Luck(Plus 8)
- 2004 Sink the Ship EP (M_nus)
- 2005 River Camping (M_nus)
- 2007 Fed on Youth (M_nus)
- 2009 Love Letters (M_nus)
Albums:
- 2003 False (Plus 8)
- 2007 20072007 (album)-External links:*...
(M_nus)
External links
- Official Home Page
- Review of Asa Breed at Grooves Magazine
- Review of False's River Camping at Grooves Magazine
- Review of Audion's Mouth to Mouth at Grooves Magazine