DJ-Kicks: Matthew Dear (2LP) [!K7]

Format: 2x12".

Tracklist:

A1 Matthew Dear – Wrong With Us (Dj-Kicks)
A2 Kreon – Silo Sol
A3 Caserta – Ricky (Thatmanmonkz Remix)

B1 Gwilym Gold X Doc Daneeka – Lust For Sale (MGF Mix)
B2 Smoke (52) – Nuutri

C1 Italojohnson – ITJ10B1
C2 Groovesh – Glowing

D1 Dudley Strangeways – Hallam
D2 Gary Sloan & Clone (11) – Harmonitalk (Alex & Digby Edit)
D3 DJ Khalab & Baba Sissoko – Kumu

A man of many musical hats, Texas-born and Detroit-schooled Dear has a wide discography spanning face-melting techno as Jabberjaw, murky avant-pop under his own name, and intricate minimal as Audion. Often with a gothic tinge and full of curiosity, his thoughtful yet playful music is an intoxicating distillation of many different influences, often with his own stylized vocals at its core.

"There are bits and pieces of friends and family scattered throughout the mix. A lot of the vocal interludes you hear are from a handheld recorder I’ve carried with me over the years."

As co-founder of both Ghostly International and Spectral Sound, Dear has also been responsible for some of the most exciting new music in the underground scene, plenty of which features here. Now with over 15 years, five albums and 20 EPs deep into his distinguished and ever-evolving career, Dear is exactly the kind of fascinating character who makes the personal DJ-Kicks series so special.

Included along the way are three fresh, exclusive cuts from Dear himself, one under his own name and two as Audion. They are typically weird and intriguing cuts that tie together the whole unhinged and eerie mix. Also helping add to the after-hours party vibe are inclusions from artists as diverse as Thatmanmonkz and Matrixxmann, ItaloJohnson and Pearson Sound, Randomer and Simian Mobile Disco.

"I always have a lot of unreleased music lying around, the ones I included here felt like they fit. A mix like this is always a good place to showcase my own productions, but I didn’t want to oversaturate it with my stuff."

Entirely timeless yet fully of its time, this is the first new work from Dear in a while. Once again, though, it proves he’s a master of subversion; someone who can delve into a brain-frying labyrinth of techno and then effortlessly shift into raw machine rhythms via off-kilter synth songs and kaleidoscopic house music. In his considered hands, they all make perfect sense.

"I wanted to create a mix that could be listened to anywhere and reflect a little bit of everything I play. Whether in your car, warming up to open the club or having a bottle of wine with friends at home, this mix is for you."