False

Matthew Dear is in Audion mode. He momentarily diverts his gaze away fromhis laptop screen to survey the tangled mass dancing before him. All of a sudden the relentless kick drum ceases and the whole room throw their arms skyward as the triumphant breakdown sends the crowd into euphoria. Heart felt
communication is not a sensation regularly shared among strangers but for a moment a blissful peace descends. Matthew Dear narrows his eyes, genuinely touched by the response before slamming the beat back in once more.

Born and raised in San Antonio Texas, Dear always knew he would somehow end up centre stage. He was introduced to music by his father, a folk musician from the 60’s/70’s and followed suit from an early age, first learning to play guitar
before patiently honing his skills as a songwriter. After tuning in to bands like Nirvana, Sonic Youth, Bowie and Talking Heads as an impressionable teenager it grew increasingly clear to him that music was his destiny. Surprisingly, electronic
music wasn’t making such an impression at this point although Herbie Hancock’s Rock It and Pump up the Volume by M/A/R/R/S were two notable exceptions.

Drawn to the revolutionary use of samples and drum programming he started recording electronic shows off the radio and by 1997 he was venturing toward house parties in Detroit as part of a 2nd generation of clubbers listening to the sounds of DJT1000, Alan Oldham, Stacey Pullen and Richie Hawtin among others.

As his interest in electronic music production began taking shape he moved to the University town of Ann Arbour, Michigan to study anthropology. Campus life offered Matthew the perfect environment to start djing and performing and the turning point came in 1999 when Sam Valenti witnessed one of his live shows. It was a crucial moment. Valenti hadn’t yet started Ghostly International but the power of Matthew’s performance offered him a possible entry point. They hooked up to discuss the idea of a release and decided on ‘Hands Up For Detroit’ as
the track to kick off the label.

Further releases (Irreparably Dented and Stealing Moves) followed in 2001 on the Ghostly sub-label Spectral as he began to develop in a more minimal techno direction thanks to the influence of German labels like Klang, Perlon and Kompakt. In a short space of time his music was making waves,turning heads and attracting positive feedback and one of the first people to recognize his potential was Richie Hawtin who invited him to release on Plus 8 in 2002. This was a big honor for Matthew and he duly obliged with the ‘late night, deep and twisted sounds’ of his False pseudonym. Three releases on Plus 8 established him as one of the most promising new talents on the global technoscene and this position was consolidated by his critically acclaimed debut album ‘Leave Luck to Heaven’ (as Matthew Dear) on Spectral Sound/GhostlyInternational in late 2003. Offsetting the jagged, technorhythms of the False and Jabberjaw (Perlon 2003) projects with a more melodic, electro-funk fuelled
approach complete with vocals, his refreshingly unself-conscious take on the state of electronic music alerted Rolling Stone, NME and the New York Times to an artist who had succeeded in bringing charm and personality to an often
faceless genre.

This newfound recognition finally allowed him to quit his pizza delivery job and embark on an altogether more satisfying calling. Armed with his laptop, Matthew spent the summer of 2004 touring Europe and the US, firmly establishing himself
on the festival circuit. Touring it seems, is his lifeblood. Whether djing or performing live, it’s the basic need to communicate through music and to create an intimate vibe whatever the location that keeps him ahead of the game. He
keeps his equipment to a minimum, pushing Ableton Live software to its limits as he constantly reinterprets his own material. What comes across is the strength of the sound he has found within himself – it’s not just about riding endless loops, there is a completeness to each track, a heart beating powerfully at the core of his work that breathes life into the subtle combinations of sounds and juxtapositions
of mood that characterize it.

Dear spent much of 2005 working under the guise of his tough, uncompromising Audion persona for Spectral as well as releasing a new False EP on Minus, however for someone with so many musical personalities he’s a single-minded character, enigmatic and totally focused on his art. He’s created a space where he can make his own rules and having found his voice, it’s clear Matthew Dear still has a lot to say.