Matare – Dancing With The Spirits

When it comes to writing, composing, and producing profoundly emotive post-punk songs, no one even comes close to Matthew Rousseau. There’s something about how he assembles and delivers all those beautiful vocal harmonies, lush synth and guitar works, intricate basslines, and groovy beats that captivates the listener. For years, he has recorded under his moniker Matare, a name that will certainly ring a bell for anyone who has kept reading our magazine. Of course, years of experience, tremendous dedication to the craft, brilliant ideas, and excellent musicianship always play a significant role, and with Matare’s music you can only stumble upon sheer quality. “Dancing With The Spirits,” his latest standalone single released via streaming platforms today, exemplifies not only his goal of delivering a premium post-punk experience to his fans but also his willingness to push this longstanding genre even further into uncharted territory. Surely, it’s one of those songs where post-punk sound reigns supreme, as this clever artist incorporated all the fundamental elements into each segment of the song, but do not be surprised if you stumble upon many similar styles along the way. Matare is known for his dreamy, ethereal, otherworldly soundscapes, so that’s the case here as well. Dream pop is one of those genres that goes hand in hand with a post-punk foundation, and this style definitely enhances that dreamy atmosphere. Besides that, you’ll hear how darkwave contributes not only a subtle dark ambiance but also tremendous energy, groove, and dynamics. Like in his previous works, there are also bits and pieces borrowed from genres like new wave, indie, or alternative, subtly or dominantly decorating and elevating particular segments when necessary. By now, you’ll realize that “Dancing With The Spirits” is a work of the genius who understands you need to invest heart, soul, and ideas in order to get a magnificent post-punk song, and these are the moments where Matare shines in the limelight.

The impressive guitar work was always one of the greatest weapons in Matare’s arsenal. There’s something about how he records and stacks guitars in the mix that definitely makes wonders for each one of his songs. That’s no exception here either, as he thoughtfully, wisely, cleverly blends chord progressions, harmonies, melodies, themes, and other sonic maneuvers in order to create an ambiance that immediately grabs your attention. During the verses, he keeps these guitar works as calm, soothing, and relaxing as possible, while during the main themes and choruses, he lets those guitars ring with tremendous power. Decorated with generous servings of reverb, echo, and delay, these sonic maneuvers get a completely new, cave-like sound, dominant yet atmospheric, direct yet somehow distant. But let’s not forget how big a role synths have here. Like guitars, this particular orchestrations play significant role in shaping luxuriant ambiance. You’ll hear how leads, themes, and pads perfectly match everything guitars do, without ever spoiling any other instrument. The synths and guitars exist in the same space, articulating flawlessly and immensely supporting Matare’s outstanding vocal performance. Speaking of his vocal performance, Matare knows how to deliver that raw, unfiltered emotion while sounding so calm. He navigates complex sentiments by blending in with the mentioned instrumentation, but as soon as the chorus strikes, he elevates his voice by an octave higher. His performance remains as soulful, passionate, and powerful as possible, decorating this composition when it needs decoration the most. Post-punk would not have the same impact without the bass guitar, and Matare knows that each good composition relies upon excellent basslines. That’s the case here, as well. While the guitars and synths occupy high and mid registers, the bass guitar floats around, filling the lower parts by delivering additional melody, clarity, depth, and heaviness during the song’s most vital moments. This instrument contributes more than necessary warmth and groove, which perfectly pairs with every orchestration Matare incorporated into this song. In the meantime, the thoughtfully programmed, perfectly assembled rhyhtmic patterns, based upon energetic beats, breaks,fills, and other percussive acrobatics, contribute more than necessary pace and groove while keeping the remainder of the instrumentation in line. And while the song has that ethereal and otherworldly quality, those rhyhtmic sequences keep it so energetic and danceable. Everything is so carefully, thoughtfully, wisely assembled to absolute perfection.

You simply cannot speak about modern post-punk and dream pop music without mentioning Matare. He’s not only part of the contemporary post-punk scene but a rock-solid institution that continuously delivers some of the finest works this genre has ever witnessed. “Dancing With The Spirits” is a great starting point for anyone even remotely interested in what Matthew Rousseau is so expertly doing with his standalone project. If you love your post-punk music as captivating, beautiful, ethereal, and emotive as possibly it could be, than you need to include this masterpiece on your playlist. Do not miss this gem!