Summer CDs are hard to come by; sometimes that sappy indie rock CD or heavy electro sounding LP doesn’t cut it when you’re making margaritas in the kitchen. But having heard “Pom Pom” randomly on Imeem a few weeks ago, Matthew Dear’s Asa Breed offers up a cool collection of synth-friendly beats for both your Faint and Underworld friends.

I find amongst the majority of my friends, electronic music can either be warmly welcomed into the listening circle, or be questioned with a cocked eye. But upon popping in Dear’s latest, opener “Fleece On Brain” is a slow transition to the other danceable tracks on Breed, helping to ease the listener in with more dance-friendly and bass-heavy beats. On “Shy” and “Give Me More,” Dear brings to mind the ideas of lazy, warm afternoons on the back porch with friends as well as the gritty sweat environs of a night club downtown, encompassing the essence of keeping rhythm open for movement while also being able to stay on line with a more melodic feel for easy listening.

“Death to Feelers” helps to round out the CD in the levels it goes to, an ambient tune full of warm layers and repeated beats that easily could be the backdrop to an art gallery opening, to a full on jungle house party in the Amazon, right back to my original margarita party. Dear does something right in keeping the pace even on CD, balancing a good level of poppy dance with more melodic grooves the downtempo kids might like, while also delivering a sound that reaches his audience that likes to move.

Besides, with a name like Dear’s, it’s hard to resist. Many more margarita parties will be on their way into my new apartment, complete with Asa Breed included in the mix.

By Jenn Hernandez

“Pom Pom”

Matthew Dear
MySpace
Ghostly International

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