For almost a century now, Audion (AKA Matthew Dear) has been working on both the pop world and the underground. Amongst his first works you’ll see ‘Hands Up for Detroit’ and you’re not wrong, that is the original that Fedde Le Grand reworked in the annoyingly unforgettable 2006 track.
Remixing is so rife in music culture, it’s worth saying that it shouldn’t be looked down on, as a wise man once said ‘Respect the Remix’. Texan born music producer Audion has taken ‘Universal Everything’ by the London based duo Leftfield and let his dark side go wild.
Fun fact about Leftfield: Once, at a gig in Amsterdam the police threatened to arrest the sound man as it was illegally loud. This isn’t the only case of the loud lads causing decibel wars – but the message is clear – this isn’t music to be played quietly.
The track begins in an eerie patter of percussion, the use of pan is incredible in expanding the listening dimensions. As an audience, we can see why Matthew Dear leaves these techno tendencies to distill like your dad’s home brew.
The pure intention of a driving electronic track is then undiluted. Audion shows us that the mainstream and the underground can co-exist. The 7 minute remix is a lot more minimal and stripped back from the original in a dark and mysterious way. The combination of wobbly synths, distant vocals and tweeting percussion come together for a track that evolves each time you listen to it. Great work from the music powerhouse.
Audion is playing the Melt! Festival in Germany on Friday 17 July, and his alter ego Matthew Dear is playing in Greenwhich on the 3 May at Studio 338.
Written by Mark Campion
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