This Is Our Jam: Matthew Dear, “Earthforms”

Matthew Dear has always separated his self-titled releases from those under his techno-leaning Audion moniker, and over the years, the two projects have continued to move further and further apart. “Earthforms” may be the logical endpoint to this separation, with Dear removing nearly all trace of electronic flourish from its production. Instead, Dear builds from a new-wave foundation centered around a propulsive bassline. It's a tightly wound, anxious-feeling track that sounds almost utilitarian in its composition. This being Matthew Dear, you could probably still dance to it, but "Earthforms" is better suited to a head nod.