Pitchfork

Photo by Will Calcutt

It's been four long years since Matthew Dear hit us with microhouse gem Leave Luck to Heaven, and three since the equally delicious Backstroke EP. In the meantime Dear's put in many hours under his club alias Audion, plus he's been mixing and remixing and DJing and just generally looking quite dapper, I dare say.

On June 5, quite dapper Dear returns at last with Asa Breed, his second full-length proper. Ghostly International will deliver the 12-track set in CD and double-LP formats, but before that, they'll treat the world's lounges and dancefloors to first single "Deserter". Out May 8, this 10" comes backed with a Four Tet remix and a non-album cut called "You Know What I Would Do". Look for an exclusive stream of the single in Forkcast very soon. right now.

Asa Breed, meanwhile, collects music Detroit-based Dear's been cooking up over the past few years. He recorded parts of it in the Motor City, and others in Texas, his original home. Said Dear, "A lot of the record deals with abstractions of human relationships. I didn't realize until afterwards that this was the theme of the record because when I write it's spontaneous and ideas come quickly-- but it's very much a record about love."

This record about love features a guest appearance by Dear's labelmates Mobius Band on a track named, yes, "Elementary Lover". Not to be confused, of course, with The Present Lover or Here Comes Love.

Dear and a new three piece band will debut Asa Breed at two very special April gigs in Detroit and Chicago. Before that, he plays a handful of dates under his Audion guise, including the Winter Music Conference in Miami.

Asa Breed:

01 Fleece on Brain
02 Neighborhoods
03 Deserter
04 Shy
05 Elementary Lover
06 Don and Sherri
07 Will Gravity Win Tonight?
08 Pom Pom
09 Death to Feelers
10 Give Me More
11 Midnight Lovers
12 Good to Be Alive

Matthew Dear:

03-16 Minneapolis, MN - Foundation Nightclub *
03-17 San Francisco, CA - Mezzanine *#
03-18 Boston, MA - Phoenix Landing *
03-21 Miami, FL - Miami Beach Resort & Spa Hotel (Winter Music Conference) *
03-22 Miami, FL - Pawn Shop (Minus Party at Winter Music Conference) ^
03-23 Miami, FL - Clinton Hotel (Winter Music Conference) *
03-31 Vancouver, British Columbia - Lotus Sound Lounge *
04-20 Detroit, MI - Magic Stick
04-21 Chicago, IL - Empty Bottle
05-26-28 Detroit, MI - Movement Festival *
06-14-16 Barcelona, Spain - Sonar Festival

* as Audion
# with Para One, Boys Noize
^ as False