Melissa Lane

At 27, Matthew Dear has risen to international recognition as one of the most prolific electronic producers in America. He has recorded under different aliases, including "False" for his releases on labels Plus 8 and M-nus, and "Jabberjaw" for his work with Perlon. But it is the production of his latest incarnation, "Audion," that has marked the most notable leap in his much-followed musical evolution. Under this moniker, he performs what he calls "much harder, more aggressive music... really hard, powerful moments that people lose themselves in." It is also under this moniker that he will be playing at Smart Bar this Friday.

The techno boy wonder was born in Texas but moved to the Detroit area in his teens. In 1999, He fatefully met Sam Valenti at a University of Michigan party, resulting in the birth of the Ghostly International label, soon followed by the dance offshoot Spectral Sound. In reference to his move to the Motor City, he says, "There's just such a history here that you can't compete with it, you can only help to maybe add to it." Although there's no question he has earned his residency, he remains humble about his place in regards to the legacy left by the city's techno legends: "I've never outright stated that I'm a Detroit artist and I'm not trying to take what they have done and use it for my credit."

When he started off as Matthew Dear (his real name), he operated more on the clickety-clack side of minimal electro--which got him a surprising round of applause from the mainstream music press. His 2003 debut album "Leave Luck to Heaven" received four stars from Rolling Stone, NME, Spin and The New York Times, all of whom generally lauded the album for combining minimal techno with a subtle but distinct pop sensibility. His 2004 EP, "Backstroke," received XLR8R's "Artist of the Year" award and a magazine cover of him that looked like a pencil-drawn, yearbook glamour shot.

Presently, he energizes the 4/4 techno form with snappy funk, sleek economical synths and trenchant riffs, rhythmically yielding to gritty, purposeful bass. Delivering an unnerving sexuality by sadistically controlled tension and release, he seems to deliberately pander to the darker elements of the subconscious. A quick glance down the song titles of 2005's "Suckfish" makes this point more than obvious: "Titty Fuck," "Your Place or Mine," "Just Fucking." The micro-house of his "Leave Luck to Heaven" turned into the darkest, dirtiest bang this side of techno. Musical style aside, something else that stamps his Detroit citizenship is the emphasis on original composition over the showmanship of DJ tricks. He started by producing, and only later learned to DJ. "I remember saying `Everybody is a DJ' and how I'd rather make the music that goes on the records than just learn how to play the records, so I concentrated more on the live set and I bought some synthesizers and samplers."

Although he will be doing a DJ set this Friday, those who caught him last time he played Smart Bar in December know that these sets go off in their own way--and lend themselves especially well to dark, intimate venues. Clearly aware of the deeper symbiosis between himself and smaller-sized clubs, he adds that: "Small promoters definitely make a lot of this stuff possible... The small shows, they're just different. Three hundred people can create a vibe that is definitely more intense at times. People definitely want to push you in the right way when you're there, and it's just this little tight-knit experience."

Serendipitously, the venue for the performance is the brand-spankin'-new Smart Bar. The team at Smart Bar achieved a makeover of proportions unseen since Big Wig went under the knife to re-emerge as Four and much of the redesign was executed in such a way to enhance the experience Dear describes. Music director Brad Owen, agrees: "Larger nightclubs in Chicago have to book artists that have a fan base which fits their size whereas smaller nightclubs have the ability to experiment more musically. Likewise, many DJs prefer smaller-sized clubs because you're closer to the audience and you can take more chances with the music you play."

Comfortable banquettes now flank almost every wall, indulging patrons with seated areas with low candle-lit tables. A gorgeous new lighting system gaily throws different colors about while painted Asian stylings spruce the back wall. But most dramatically, the DJ booth--now sans walls--is smack in front and eye-level with the dancefloor and is powered by a new Funktion One system. Smart Bar is a club back on the make. This should add just the right sex touch for Audion, whose latest mix "Fabric 27" showcases his delectably dirty and detached sound, something that could soundtrack Pac-Man getting it on with his pink-bowed missus on a squeaky box spring.

Audion plays with Sassmouth at Smart Bar, 3730 North Clark, (773)549-0203 on March 3, 10pm-4am. $10 cover.

(2006-02-28)

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