Matthew Dear | Beams LP

[Portrait by Michael Cina]

Matthew Dear ‘s fifth full-length record, Beams , is all set for its release next week through Ghostly International , Dear’s very own imprint. Fortunately for us anticipants, the 11-track album is already available for streaming, days earlier than promised.

Dear’s last release, Black City , conceptualized a futuristic metropolis that didn’t sleep and we can certainly hear remnants of that atmosphere in Beams . It makes sense considering that quite a few of the songs featured on his latest effort were already near completion when Black City was released in 2010. However, this time around, we see Dear take a step away from the dark, cheeky soundscapes we’ve come to know and love, and experiment from a more spirited position. Beams emanates a vaguely optimistic energy that parallels that of one of his key influences, David Bowie, while simultaneously maintaining adoration for those infatuating Detroit-inspired techno rhythms.

“I try to make pop music, no doubt about that, but it’s coming through a weird little warped lens.”
(via Clash Music )

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