Matthew Dear is something of an electronic renaissance man. DJ, producer, artist and purveyor of eclectic but essential beats and basslines, Dear has seen his star consistently rise with albums such as the triumphant pristine Electronic Pop of 2007’s Asa Breed and 2012’s superb Beams. Dear’s skewed electronic songsmithery has earned him plaudits and converts aplenty – not least the support slot on a couple of Depeche Mode tours in the States along with a reputation as a top DJ and remixer par-excellence. Somehow, in between his successful Matthew Dear work, he’s managed to plough a purer Techno furrow under the guise of side-project, Audion.

It’s been some ten years since Audion’s brilliant debut, Suckfish, but thankfully Dear has decided that’s plenty enough time to deprive us of a new Audion album. FM were delighted to hook up with Matthew as he put the finishing touches to his custom-built new home studio (the LP itself was fashioned in a loft-space). With the modular-strewn, groove-fest that is Alpha out now, FM caught up with the man himself about beats, basslines and being a modular obsessive.

FM: Why the ten-year hiatus for Audion?

Audion: “Well it’s a ten year ‘full-album’ hiatus but I did release some singles and in 2009 I’d had Push, which we’d considered doing as an album but decided to do a single per month for a good part of the year. So, in the end I did put out more Audion music but I think that, as a whole, the songs on this album really worked more cohesively as an album. I just waited for that moment when everything coalesces and synergises, which happened for this one a few months ago.”

Alpha is certainly cohesive and it’s a very listenable Dance album too…