With 2003's Leave Luck To Heaven album and Backstroke, its subsequent companion EP, Matthew Dear unveiled unexpected pop nuggets discovered amidst the gurgling, glitchy rhythms. Including his own effected vocals offered a welcoming doorway for curious novices to enter and pretentious purists, if they so chose, to leave. His best release yet, Asa Breed rewards those who opted to stay.
Rejecting the somewhat malleable rules of techno while simultaneously embracing its aesthetics, Dear makes a successful and, yes, natural shift from producer to songwriter with these 13 quirky compositions. Though arguably the most appropriate term for Asa Breed, synthpop too often implies plasticity: an inherent lack of substance or musical credibility. Countless new wave artists are derided by those who, given the opportunity, would have gleefully adored them during their heyday, much in the same way that traditional musicians are wont to defensively dismiss electronic musicians. While Dear could hardly be charged with emulating The Human League or Heaven 17, many of these songs owe a great deal to their moment in pop music history.
Yet, Dear rises above the teeming glut of accessible electronica noodlers by espousing eclecticism and a respect for what catches the ear. "Midnight Lovers" features impassioned singing over acoustic guitar strums and a plodding bare bones beat, while, conversely, opener "Fleece On Brain" blossoms with interweaving classic and progressive melodies and an unnaturally deep, near spoken vocal familiar to fans of the aforementioned releases. Those who have caught Dear's delightful DJ sets over the years will enjoy peppy danceable cuts like "Neighborhoods" and the Prince-like electrofunk of "Shy". "Death To Feelers" takes a simple plonked Artificial Intelligence period bell loop, lays it over some broken percussion, and creates something equally exotic and familiar.
Previously released on 10" vinyl, "Deserter" exudes coruscating clarity, the applied and amplified fusion of post-punk single and post-IDM anthem. While not quite as brooding as today's indie darlings, Dear's passive yet catchy delivery seems sincere seeping through the dissonant atmospheres, reverberating bleeps, and Stephen Morris-inspired drums. Without question, Asa Breed showcases an exceptional artist at a remarkable point in his career. Whether it is the springboard for greater success or the brink of catastrophe remains unknown.
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