Cool Hunting
In his new album, Asa Breed, electronic superstar Matthew Dear managed to jettison both the galactic techno tendencies of his Audion project and the more experimental glitches of his debut, Leave Luck to Heaven. What's left behind is a moody pop album with touches of early new wave, rock and the ghosts of his techno past.
Live drum kits fill out familiar 4/4 rhythms, especially with the openers "Fleece on the Brain" and "Neighborhoods." The beats are modeled after techno templates and assisted by arpeggio synths and bleeps, but Dear's layered vocals add an organic quality. "Deserter," the album's single, is a melancholy new wave throwback. On "Elementary Lover," Dear sings along with sunny guitars and electronic keys, echoing the likes of the Talking Heads. "Good to Be Alive" really shines with old-school drum machine claps on top of an '80s-tinged rhythm set off by a winding mile-high synth alarm.
The best moments are those where the live and the electronic instrumentation blend together. Most of the disc is a near pitch-perfect version of a full band emulating the sounds of Detroit and Berlin. It's never loose until the very end, when Dear attempts to channel Johnny Cash on "Vine to Vine." As a techno/pop crossover, Asa Breed is a recent best, and while it's not headed for mainstream advertising stardom, this one will stick with us for awhile. Still, let's hope he returns to the club someday soon and whips up another "Mouth to Mouth" to melt our ears again.
Asa Breed was released yesterday, 5 June 2007, from Ghostly International. Both CD and LP are available for $13 here or purchase the digital version on iTunes.
Do you know what Matthew's father did for a living? You can find the answer by watching the Matthew Dear video here. Cool Hunting has an Asa Breed CD, t-shirt and poster to give away to one lucky reader. To enter, follow the contact link at the bottom of the page, select "Matthew Dear Giveaway" from the pull-down menu and let us know before Friday, 8 June 2007, 11:59 p.m. EST. A winner will be selected at random.
By Jesse Mann
|
previous entry Nikolai Rose Ties |
next entry Martin Klimas: Temporary Sculpture |
You know we love M.I.A.-- as Ranjani put it, she’s a hyper-conscious, ultra-cool, bi- (tri-?) lingual artist that could, in another universe, be a science fiction superhero. Her album Arular is a big hit and her current tour is sold out all over the place. If you haven't heard it, listen now. Among the many things I admire is the range of talents M.I.A....
Here’s a case of maybe needing to listen to a CD more than a few times before making a solid judgment call. Or maybe actually believing other music lovers and giving a CD another shot when you’ve written it off yourself. Such is the case with Cut Copy’s Bright Like Neon Love. While listening to iTunes on shuffle the other day, I found myself...
official website or at MTV Brasil (Thanks Arjan for the MTV tip.)...
Bravery. Hailing from New York, the Bravery evokes ‘80s New Wave that you can rock and dance to with a look that says they really like the Clash -- except on days when they're feeling Andy Warhol. The band got its start more or less as a backlash to the city’s electroclash scene, which singer Sam Endicott has openly admitted to hating –- at...
Spalding Rockwell delivers druggy electro-funk reminiscent of searing ‘80s guitar-driven attitude chick rock. They’ve been a staple on the New York scene for a little while and haven’t really broken out – but they should. Mary Louise (ML) Platt and Nicole (Nikki) Lombardi are tough, gritty, sexy and domineering. They serve their music with a don’t-fuck-with-me attitude and if you dare look at them...
Well schooled in the fuzzed-out guitars and ambient vocals of the shoegaze canon, Gliss brings a wall-of-sound approach to their dark pop compositions. In the two years since their more somber and mopey debut, Gliss is back with "Devotion Implosion." On the record, the Los Angeles triumvirate evoke the best elements of My Bloody Valentine and the Jesus and Mary Chain, displaying anthemic qualities...
J. Howells Werthman: We Are Making Plans
PhoneSuit MiLi Pro Video Projector
iPhone HP Calculators
Society6
Bedol Eco-Friendly Water Drop Clock
Context x Kicking Mule 1980 Hand Dye Jeans
Liquid Image Camera Goggles
Interview with Erik Madigan Heck of Nomenus Quarterly
Photographer Julia Fullerton-Batten
