Matthew Dear
Texas-born Detroit techno Dj Matthew Dear played a short daylight set to patient and affable fans up front. With big smiles, strapped to a guitar and manning his quarter of the stage wearing a relaxed man bun and a sweet demeanor twisting all the knobs. His “I’m Afraid Of Americans”-era Bowie vocals and production values aren’t imitative. He sounds complete. A real artist who produces and spins. A little fluffy cloud cuddle puddle kind of DJ.
On several tracks, he looped vocals over happy beats. He shares deeply lyrically but the easy dance beats keep it surfacey on most live and album recordings I’ve heard. I can appreciate that approach. The beats are so illuminative and somehow a car horn every 16 seconds is humorous enough that your giggling. I stir for the chance to be in a dark small venue up way too late glitching along to some more of this live.
Tycho
Unfamiliar with the live material I went in as a record-only ear. The differences were transformative as a listener and now a fan of the band. I like yoga. I like relaxing. I don’t usually like music that goes along with those activities. I can identify the marketable side of the recordings, they work. Was that a fit bit reminder? That’s the point right? This music makes me feel relaxed. It’s a gentler, kinder, more well-behaved Richard D James.
The band itself is tight as hell. Incredible musicians and woven overlay. Incredible band comradery.
The impression live though- I felt like a collective synapse in the band. It was a stage set for 50 Disney princesses on kava kava. The smoke and vibrant lights gently guided fans from track to track. Bouncing was the dancing style and lots of big hops were in place over and over. The sweatiest part of a good innocent dream.
Ugh, it was so deliciously nostalgic, backfired planned obsolescence.
Audience to band feedback was at 11.
My Romance Limerence started with TOTBL and the heavy staccato bass and pulsing drums snared me.
Career-wide work from every era of the band features purposeful drone. Therefore the work is never boring.
I am there specifically to be in a mood. NYC has the only Joy Division tribute band left on earth worth going to see. The gratitude emitting from the band was holographic. The Greek held the sound gently in its curved palm. This wasn’t a going through the motions tour, live music doesn’t have time for that anymore. See you soon Interpol.
