Albums Of The Decade - 89. Matthew Dear - Black City

89. MATTHEW DEAR - BLACK CITY 

Was a toss-up between 2010's Black City and 2012's Beams, but this one shades it, down to the 80's influences in the creepy, self-aware house that Dear produces. Typical Dear to serve up vocal bastardized hybrids with stellar production. From front to back, this feels like someone's smoked in some plastic and breathed out some rainbows.

Dear has got something going on with his mouth, whereby he samples sounds he makes with his jaws, teeth, anything uttered, moaned, rasped, crunched - then layered under some production with singing on top - this is well-bred, yet anxious. Fractured and gooey. And he lays it on so thickly. Take "You Put A Smell On Me" for example:

And afterwards, you can come with me
To my big black house, on the black sea
I would like, you to put on something nice, that's safe and warm
It's a little red gown, with a name on it
You can dance with me just for a bit

This is the sound of self-delusion. The character sounds like he's talking to noone. At least that's how I interpret it. Even better are on "Slowdance" where the groan sampled sounds like he's in real pain.

It's a precious head wrapped up and bound for Ghana
I can't be the one to tell you everything's wrong
It's like every bee sting, tries to make my ears ring
Let them wash your face, man
And sing you your songs

I'll just leave you with that.

albums of 2012 - 33. Matthew Dear - Beams

33. MATTHEW DEAR – BEAMS

This is the man! Playing with vocal snippets and looping them all over the fucking shop. When you are male and feel like a piece of shit but want to dance to it, here is what you can listen to. When you’re female and want some artistic masculinity then grab this. When you’re transsexual, or when you’re an dog listen to this.Reverse d-o-g and you get g-o-d.  I love Matthew Dear.

Opener “Her Fantasy” sounds like Pacman eating up shit over Balearic beats and later “Fighting Is Futile” messes you around in the most amazing restless way when you should “Take a trip upon something else…I feel exodus when I feel golden.” Right.A great sound. When “Ahead Of Myself” comes along, it becomes clear that all the male arrogance is testosterone and... Yes, sometimes the male can be a cunt but when it’s this confessional, surely it can be forgiven?

BEST PLAYED: When you want to express regret.

Records of 2010 - 8. Matthew Dear - Black City

Records of 2010 - 8. Matthew Dear - Black City

This album is a dark and twisted dance in the urban sprawl of a twisted mind in a jam of a funk. Matthew Dear has exceptionaly built on 2008's sprightly '"Asa Breed" to infuse disco, glitch and high vocal experimentation to create a sultry and foreboding fourth album. It's lyrical and vocal seduction. Take this for example- "You Put a Smell on Me:"

"Take a ride in my big black car

We can go real loud

We can go real far

We have a radio in my big black car

We can go all night, if you wanna go far

You decide if you want to come

Take a ride with me in my big black gun

We've got four wheels that can take us there

If you wanna come down

Don't answer me"

Could anything me more inviting right now? I don't think so. Noir. Sombre. Surpenant.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZnU_16mXMNw