I think we've all had the experience while growing up of the multi-disciplinary genius. You know, the person who could mesmerise with a flick of a hurl as easily as he could shoot a 3 point basket. Or the one who'd write an English composition that would make Seamus Heaney salivate and in the next class demolish the maths teacher on the finer intricacies of differential calculus. We all know true talent when we see it, hell most of us probably recognise it in ourselves via one outlet or another.

There has always been something mystical for me about those who excel in multiple spheres of artistic or sporting endeavour, their products and achievements in each seem to re-inforce one another to become something more than the sum of their parts.

One such person is Matthew Dear, aka Audion. Unlike many musical artists with different monikers, Dear does not use his Audion persona as a manner to distance himself from past releases under his birth name. He uses the birth name and the Audion handle as different hats to wear for his different projects. As Matthew Dear he is the charming electro-pop would-be king. His deep mellifluous baritone wonderfully brings to life his ability as a lyricist. His first full length artist album as Matthew Dear, Leave Luck To Heaven was very well received in 2003.


Matthew Dear Interview



Since 2003 (as Audion), Dear has been stomping his way through every techno space of note in Europe and The America's playing live and DJing. He has had many successful techno/minimal releases on various leading dance labels. For many in the electronic music community and press his release in the second half of 2006 of "Mouth To Mouth" was without question the Number 1 dancefloor cut of the year. If you have a look on youtube, you can see almost every minimal/techno DJ worth their salt playing this tune in large cities from San Francisco to Berlin.

I understand completely why there are so many video renditions of Mouth To Mouth on youtube. I heard it, not through headphones, for the first time on the floor of Panoramabar in Berlin at about midday on New Years day this year. The mayhem and pure release it invokes among a crowded dancefloor feels like a loaded moment that simply must be captured. Audion's star could not be much higher in techno circles at the moment and his forthcoming 12" Noiser/Fred's Bells due for release later this month is eagerly awaited in DJ booths around the world.

Back in Matthew Dear land, on the first single (Deserter) from his upcoming (June 6th) sophomore album he intones beautifully on introspective themes, "Been around the world/seen my share of existence/smoked too much/an infidel for commitments." "Just keep on searching/don’t be uncertain/your life will only be just what you wanted from it." Dear's voice is not the only element of this album, titled Asa Breed, which has already seen Ian Curtis oft mentioned in previews of it. Expect to hear an avalanche of hype about this release as the summer progresses, his live shows (with band) in support of the upcoming album are already causing a stir on the intertr0n.


Matthew Dear - Deserter

Despite his multi-faceted talents for fuelling the ultimate in mass dancefloor hedonism as Audion while also massaging the soul and emotions as Matthew Dear, (and maybe unlike that school kid you always used to envy) Dear won't be showing off this Thursday night in Dublin. Tomorrow night (Thur 10th) at Electric City @ Wax it's most definitely only Audion who will be in the house. I just hope everyone on the dancefloor is careful of their head on the low ceiling in there when he drops Mouth To Mouth, things tend to get a just a tad unrestrained-jumpy-up-and-downy. Golden.


Audion plays Mouth To Mouth to a packed Dancefloor in Vancouver's Lotus Club last month.




tags: music

Published by Paul.