THIS SATURDAY AT VERBOTEN: Matthew Dear / Daniel Bell / Ejeca / Heathered Pearls
If you've ever met me then you know I'm a huge Matthew Dear fan. I constantly use the words "absolutely sickening" to describe his style, there's really no way else to portray his tone and approach to music. Although I've heard his name and seen him intermittently throughout the years, I did not become a fanatic of his until recently. I had the extreme pleasure of seeing him speak at a discussion panel with legends Richie Hawtin and Matador, who spoke about the rise of technology in the dance music community, and the history of how different genres have progressed. I was struck by how incredibly sharp and intelligent Dear was; one thing that completely resonated with me was his advice to aspiring producers. He advised to never create music on a time frame. Ignore your manager constantly asking you for your next release, pay no attention to aiming for that top spot on Beatport, and never produce because you feel like you have to. Instead, build music to conceive a feeling, an emotion at a momentous point. Define your passion and assemble your art on the basis of a sentiment, and your fans with inevitably follow. If this statement is not the epitome of what a talented producer Matthew Dear is, than I don't know what is.
Following the educational panel was a master set by Dear and his fellow lecturers. Of course, among the likes of Richie Hawtin and Matador, there was a lot of talent on exhibition. But in his own flawless taste, Matthew was the one who stood out most to me. His style was at times dark and satanic, and others tangibly endearing. He explores a kaleidoscope of genres, including a swarm of electronic and even live pop - but on Saturday he will be going into his full wicked demeanor which we can assume will be deep, malicious techno. He has been running his SUBVERSION shows for quite some time at Verboten, and he never fails to bring the heat. His cutting style is one to be reckoned with - check out his profound set from 2014's Sonar Festival to get an understanding of his dramatic character here. (spoiler alert, it's one of my favorite sets to listen to...ever)
Lending support will be Daniel Bell and Ejeca, who frequently join Matthew Dear on lineups. Bell, originally from Toronto, made a name for himself when he developed his key sound in Detroit; which led him to collaborate with the legendary Richie Hawtin as the duo Cybersonik in the early 90s. Since then, his style has evolved and is now renowned as one of the minimal house headmasters of the industry. Ejeca plays with a repertoire of genres including garage, house, techno and disco - his trademark use of vocals in productions and sets makes him an artist that boasts a feel-good dance all night vibe. Cohesively blending with Dear's deep and dynamic fervor - this show is not one to be missed.
Just a reminder, Matthew Dear will also be playing as his alter-ego AUDION live this September (9.19.15) as part of Verboten's StageONE summer series. Check out the event breakdown on my previous post.
Verboten New York | Facebook Event Page
