Dear’s first single was 1999’s "Hands Up For Detroit" (co-produced by ghettotech pioneer Disco D, who performed under the name Daisha). Successive singles, such as "Stealing Moves" and the chart-topping "Mouth to Mouth" (as Audion) were issued on Spectral Sound, Ghostly’s offshoot that focuses on dancefloor music.
Matthew Dear’s 2003 full-length Ghostly debut, "Leave Luck to Heaven", is a suite of sparse, wickedly funky house laced with Dear’s deep, distinctive vocals, and includes the much-loved single “Dog Days” (voted one of Pitchfork’s Top 100 Songs of the decade). The record was met with rapturous acclaim from both the dance-music establishment and the critical press, including a four-star review in Rolling Stone. Dear’s 2007 follow-up, "Asa Breed", is a considerable departure from Heaven’s dancefloor excursions, incorporating the polyrhythms of afrobeat, the irreverent pop sensibilities of Brian Eno, and the austere beauty of krautrock. More four-stars reviews followed (Q and Mojo magazines), and Dear subsequently began touring with a live three-piece band, Matthew Dear’s Big Hands, in which he acted as frontman, commanding the stage with a Bryan Ferry-like swagger and a gentleman’s grace.
Today, Matthew Dear finds himself in a unique position. His highly anticipated fourth album, 2010’s Black City, is the culmination of years of hard work and experimentation, a darkly playful sound-world that envelops the listener like the arms of a malevolent lover. After over a decade of exploring pop’s outer limits, Matthew Dear now inhabits a rarefied corner of the musical universe: no longer tethered to any one genre, respected by his peers, and blessed with a bottomless well of creative energy. Now is Matthew Dear’s moment, and it sounds like nothing else.
Soil to Seed
Matthew Dear Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
When I like to bear it cold team
Lip bones that taste like coffee
Unbearable soil to seed
Cast off the copy cold copy
Just like an engine to be
Give off a morning cold morning
The lyrics of Matthew Dear's song Soil to Seed can be interpreted in various ways. The song seems to be exploring the theme of growth and transformation, which emerges from the metaphor of soil and seed. The line "I like to copy cold copy" suggests a kind of repetition or imitation that is devoid of originality, a lifeless copy of something else. However, this is quickly followed by "When I like to bear it cold team", which could imply a willingness to endure difficulty or discomfort in order to achieve something worthwhile. In this context, the "lip bones that taste like coffee" could be interpreted as the bittersweet taste of struggle that is necessary for growth.
The chorus, "Unbearable soil to seed", seems to encapsulate the central idea of the song. The journey from soil to seed, from something raw and unrefined to something vibrant and alive, is not easy, but it is necessary. The following verse seems to suggest that this process involves letting go of the "copy cold copy" and embracing authenticity, giving off a "morning cold morning" that represents the freshness and vitality of the new growth. Finally, the line "And I'll let you scold my steed" could be interpreted as a willingness to receive guidance or mentorship in order to facilitate this growth.
Overall, Soil to Seed is a song that reflects on the process of personal growth and transformation, exploring the challenges and rewards that come with it. The lyrics are open to interpretation and leave room for the listener to connect with their own experiences of growth and change.
Line by Line Meaning
I enjoy replicating emotionless content
The singer derives pleasure from reproducing written or verbal material that lacks any feeling or sentiment.
When I prefer to endure discomfort alone
The singer chooses to suffer in solitude during times when they find solace in their own misery.
Kissing lips which have a coffee-like taste
The singer describes the flavor of their partner's lips as resembling that of coffee.
Intolerable conversion from soil to seed
The process of transforming from one state of being to another has become insufferable for the artist, like going from raw material to a finished product.
Abandon the reproduction of unfeeling content
The artist urges themselves to stop duplicating material that lacks emotion or sentiment.
Comparable to a machine
The singer perceives themselves as having a mechanical nature, similar to that of a perfectly functioning engine.
Radiate icy mornings
The singer wishes to emit an impression of numbing coldness or frigidity during the earliest hours of the day.
And I will allow you to criticize my horse
The artist is willing to receive criticism from others about something that is important to them, similar to a horse that they may own.
Contributed by Jack B. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Devon Steinke
Occasionally, I'll wake up and have this song playing perfectly in my mind. Had almost all of black city playing in my head first thing this morning. Testament to this man's artistic, memorable, and catchy music style.
benoît Leclerc
thums up !!
Asher Ross
yep.