Producer and DJ Matthew Dear has released a new single “Hikers Y,” which will be featured on the artist’s upcoming “lost” album, Preacher’s Sigh & Potion: Lost Album out on June 25 via Ghostly International. The new track is greeted by a psychedelic visualizer that was edited and created by Michael Flanagan.
“Hikers Y,” opens up with a steady house-infused beat that gently guides its groovy bassline throughout its entire instrumental. As the track speeds up, Dear’s eerie vocals begin to invade the track, providing the song with a warped feel that blends the mystique of the unknown with the song’s infectious grooves. This mood is perfectly captured by its avant-garde visualizer, which blends a sinister feel with its distorted black and white visuals, while also capturing the song’s more upbeat side by hosting playful undertones.
Originally recorded in 2008, Preacher’s Sigh & Potion: Lost Album is filled with inspiration from the artist’s father, country and folk singer Emmylou Harris. Its single “Muscle Beach” is a departure from Dear’s more dance-oriented work, hosting more of a folktronica feel.
“On one trip down to Austin, I took some of my dad’s equipment and tried to lay out a song using what I knew about techno arrangement but use his guitars and various small instruments to layer a more organic loop-based sound,” Dear explained in a statement to Pitchfork. “I’d say that was the beginning of this album. Realizing I could apply what I’d been doing in the computer to the other music I loved and grew up with.”