In the world of electronic music, Matthew Dear is known for making sharp-edged Detroit house and other dance-floor dazzle under three monikers: Audion, False and Jabberjaw.
Yet when Dear records under his real name, anything goes. While his first full-length album, 2003's Leave Luck to Heaven, revolved around minimalist techno masterpieces, he's been emphasizing his songwriting skills over his DJing and production talents as of late. Black City, his newest release, ranges from funky, synthy, vocal-driven pop to dark, house-inspired dance-rock. Plus, he performs it with a live band, not a computer.
I recently spoke with Dear about the album, the live show and his curious collection of appellations.
How do you keep your many identities straight?
In the past, having different names and identities was just a way to get music out there. The identity I used was a reflection of what I was feeling that day in the studio. If I was feeling like a weird, minimal techno song, I'd have that come out under an alias. It was a way of organizing the many different types of music flooding out of me at that time.
I think you surprised a lot of fans by starting a band and becoming its front man. Why did you decide to go that direction with your live act?
I didn't want to go onstage with a laptop and microphone and rehash the synthetics of an album. A live performance deserves more in terms of presentation, so now I have a trumpet player and a synthesizer player. [A band] gives the music more life onstage, and it's more engaging for me to have to remix and rethink what the songs can be.
What surprised you most about Black City after you finished it?
When I compared it to [2007's] Asa Breed, I was like, "Wow, this is so much darker and slower. Why did everything get so dark all of a sudden?" I was pretty happy with that, and I think it became darker and slower because I was concentrating a bit more on the nuances than before.
