The latest releases reviewed.

MATTHEW DEAR Asa Breed Ghostly International ****

It's not enough making spectral and amorphous techno under the Audion handle - Matthew Dear also has a hankering to teach the world to sing his songs. This means more than a slow fade-in of a poppy vocal to Dear's work. His two previous albums (Leave Luck to Heaven and Backstroke) contain several examples of his clear pop thinking, but Asa Breed is a bigger leap forward. You can scratch this down to the confidence which comes from seeing his Audion project pull in the wows or, just as likely, Dear's own maturing as a songwriter. Opener Fleece Burn is quite mesmeric, appearing both haunted and giddy, and Dear uses the groove as a guide for moody wordplay. There's much to relish, too, in the darkly engaging pop textures of Deserter and the playful swing of Pom Pom and Death to Feelers. www.matthewdear.com JIM CARROLL

Download tracks: Fleece on Brain, Deserter