From New York via Texas and Detroit, Matthew Dear has spent most of the past decade leading a double life by making chunky electro-pop under his own name and low-down, dirty techno as Audion. Following a four-year break, and with a new album due next year, Dear has assembled a generous (two-and-a-half hours) pressé of 10 years of Audion releases. He begins by showcasing two new tracks, of which the barnstorming Motormouth is well named for its rat-a-tat attack of chopped-and-screwed vocals over a Moroder-style bassline. Mouth to Mouth, a modern classic from 2006, is a masterclass in queasy tension, its buzzsaw synths positively dripping with menace. But in more colourful fare (The Pong, Titty Fuck and, um, Just Fucking), Dear applies a palpable sense of mischief to muscular, minimal techno in the vein of Detroit compadres Robert Hood and Richie Hawtin. audion.me
Download: Motormouth, Mouth to Mouth