Immmmmmi Addlk Aft Adbk =2 0 0 a 8B - The Michigan Daily - Weked Magazine - Thursday, March 25, 2004 The Michigan Daily - eekendIMagazin - e w ;. _ ., Cwti _, -, -. t ; LOCAL RECORD LABEL SCARES UP ANN ARBOR'S UNDERGROUND Mixed musical personas add individual flair to Mullinix release Ghostly International, one of Ann Arbor's prominent record labels, has signed several local techno artists who have gone on to underground electronica fame. Tadd Mullinix and Matthew Dear are two such artists. By Emily Uu Daily Arts Writer With three different aliases on Ghostly International, each with an individual style, Ann Arbor's Tadd Mullinix is a musical chameleon. Mullinix and Ghostly founder Sam Valenti IV met in Encore Recordings, where Mullinix works. Upon hearing one of Mullinix's demo tapes, Valenti wanted him to sign on with Ghostly. Mullinix's first Ghostly release, under his given name was 2001's Winking Makes a Face. His brand of electronica was "intelligent dance music," or IDM, but it stood out from other IDM because of its complex melodic structures which were often attributed to his classical training as a cellist in grade school. The album's tracks juxtaposed melodies remi- niscent of Bach with glittery laptop glitches and beats. In the same year, Mullinix revealed more of his musical aliases to the public with other releases on Ghostly. One of Mullinix's record- ing names, "James Cotton," produced pure techno that incorporated harder beats as opposed to the music on Winking. He explained, "I began with many styles all at once. My aliases appeared in order of release but not necessarily in order of conception." "Dabrye" (pronounced "DAB-ree"), on the other hand, was a more relaxed persona that incorporated hip-hop elements in his music. One/Three, released in 2001, was a laid-back album complete with electronic beeps that evoked the '80s. After the album caught the attention of Scott Herren of Prefuse 73, Dabrye released another album, Instrmntl, on Herren's Eastern Developments label in 2002. While Instrmntl was still relaxed in tone, it was also warmer and more organic than before. Even before signing these three personas to the Ghostly label, Mullinix was creating other styles of music. For example, Mullinix formed a punk band in middle school and a shoegaz- ing band in high school. His first release was ragga-jungle music, or up-tempo reggae, under the name "SK-1" on Rewind!, a label that Mullinix started with Todd Osborn, a fellow Ghostly artist. Mullinix's current music is constantly devel- oping as well. Dabrye, for one, is changing from the "glitch-hop" label bestowed by crit- ics, choosing to incorporate more hip-hop in his music. "I never liked the idea of glitch- hop," said Mullinix. "Electronic music has been evolving quickly. It seems like electroni- ca is always breeding new subgenres. With so many styles passing under the scope, over time, they have begun to feel disposable and cheap. I wasn't hearing Dabrye as anything but a new-instrumental hip-hop." Mullinix also stated that he had always wanted to work with MCs. For Dabrye's upcoming EP, Game Over, Mullinix got to do just that, working with Jay Dee and Phat Kat, two MCs hailing from Detroit. "I heard through the grapevine that Jay Dee had picked up my album at the record store. We had some of the same friends who would get us con- nected," explained Mullinix. "When we final- ly chilled, Phat was there in Jay's studio. Because of my position in the room and Phat's excellent voice, he sounded perfectly balanced with the beat." Mullinix has also been working with Kadence, an Ann Arbor MC who is part of the political hip-hop group The Abolitionists and other rappers. Collaborating with other music artists has affected his music in that "I can be very productive when I've got some- one else to bounce off of." Mullinix contin- ued, "For example, when I'm composing a beat, I can tailor the sounds, rhythms and composition to complement the MC's deliv- ery, and vice versa." For a change in environment, Mullinix stayed in Berlin for three months over the sum- mer to work on Two/Three, the second Dabrye album in a series of three. "Berlin would com- pare best to Ann Arbor and Detroit combined," Mullinix stated. "Berlin is old, cold and indus- trial, clustered with new city buildings, but it's also rich in visual arts, culture, music, food and other good resources that remind me of Ann Arbor in many ways." Mullinix said he's most inspired by artists like Aphex Twin, Jay Dee, The Sound, Public Enemy and Dizzee Rascal among his favorites. It's evident from Mullinix's multiple aliases that his music aims to be original as well. Although he already has four personas revealed, Mullinix shows no signs of slowing down. Currently, he and Todd Osborn are start- ing a new acid-house label/project called TNT. "Beyond that, I shouldn't create new aliases, but I'm on the verge of doing it again. I want to create new music," Mullinix said. "I have a few drafts, but they are far from being 'fine- tuned,' so I better not try to describe it yet." Given all of the musical ideas that Mullinix has, Ann Arbor and the world can probably expect to see many more releases in the future, all of them distinct in style. £ 4 F AIL. U alum spins signature Detroit sound By Punit Mattoo Daily Arts Writer In recent years, there has been a revival of the techno scene that once defined the city of Detroit. Annual events such as the Detroit Electronic Music Festival and the abundance of DJs performing every weekend throughout the area have ensured that Detroit's moniker as the "birthplace" of techno has not been forgot- ten. One of the DJs spreading metro Detroit's sound is a University alum and current Detroi- ter, Matthew Dear. Dear was introduced to electronic music while still a teenager in Texas. His older brother's record collection, although not pri- marily techno, revealed a world of remixes and fully instrumental tracks. From there, Dear moved to Ann Arbor where he DJed for local house parties and eventually met Sam Valenti IV Valenti, of West Bloomfield, and Dear created Dear's first record, Hands Up for Detroit during a summer in London. The record was also the debut release for elec- tronic label Ghostly International, which Valenti heads. Since then, Dear has produced under dif- ferent aliases as well. He signed to Berlin- based Perlon as Jabberjaw and famed producer Richie Hawtin's Plus 8 label as False. As Jabberjaw, he released three singles blending experimental house music with tra- ditional techno, evoking the sound of Detroit's most illustrious DJs. Dear's work as False was a much more minimalist effort fea- turing tricky beats and simple bass lines. His: most acclaimed work to date, however, has come as Matthew Dear on Ghostly. As one of the acts on Ghostly's more house-oriented division, Spectral, Dear has become one of the most prominent and lauded producers in the country. Much of this recent fame came following the release of his first full album, Leave Luck to Heaven. A loose English translation of the word "nintendo," Leave Luck to Heaven blend- ed synth-pop with darker industrial techno reminiscent of early Detroit to create a dance record enjoyable in any situation. The single "Dog Days" exemplified Dear's goal to depart from the traditional path of techno in its incor- poration of pop elements, including prominent vocals. As a result, it became, as many described, one of the most addictive songs of the year. Major media recognized the rest of the album as well, and labeled the release as one of 2003's best. This critical success has led to a widespread following. In addition to performing at the Detroit festival and throughout Europe, Dear opened at acclaimed British rapper Dizzee Rascal's U.S. debut. He also played at the pre- mier electronic music gathering, the Winter Music Conference in Miami, and this past weekend at the South by Southwest festival in Austin, Texas. As he continues to tour, Matthew Dear's role as the next artist in the long line of Detroit's musical exports becomes more evi- dent. Each show's set gets the growing crowds dancing and leaves listeners anticipating Dear's next, boundary-breaking release. 0