Before the genre tag EDM existed, there was IDM, or Intelligent Dance Music. Granted, it's a pretty pretentious name for a genre, but it fits incredibly well for Matthew Dear. His experimental, rhythm-driven pop is both energetic and introspective, a form of exploring multiple identities and his own, ever-shifting persona.
And Dear does have a lot of varied identities, working as producer, songwriter, engineer, and vocalist. He's released records under at least three different monikers and played an integral part in the founding of both Ghostly International and Spectral Sound, two of the most important record imprints in electronic music today.
We spoke to Matthew Dear over the phone about quitting drinking, the authors that inspire his ambiguous lyrics, and the nature of identity and ego.
