Ian Mathers

Ian Mathers is a writer and editor who lives with his wife and cat in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. His work has also appeared in the Village Voice, Stylus Magazine, Dusted, and various other places.
The American Analog Set: Know by Heart (Reissue)
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The American Analog Set: Know by Heart (Reissue)

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 / 10 December 2014
They could have been contenders; they probably should have been. But ultimately the peak of this band's hushed, precise, nuanced indie rock might have been a bit too twisty to catch on.
Brian Eno and Karl Hyde: High Life
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Brian Eno and Karl Hyde: High Life

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 / 9 December 2014
For their second collaboration of 2014, these two artists remain frustratingly close to making the great album this one hints they're capable of.
Underworld: Dubnobasswithmyheadman (20th Anniversary Super Deluxe Edition)
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Underworld: Dubnobasswithmyheadman (20th Anniversary Super Deluxe Edition)

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 / 24 October 2014

This mammoth edition of Underworld’s classic Dubnobasswithmyheadman is worth it for the wealth of material and insight into choices involved in its creation.

Cabaret Voltaire: #7885 (Technopunk to Electropop 1978-1985)
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Cabaret Voltaire: #7885 (Technopunk to Electropop 1978-1985)

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 / 3 October 2014
For the first time, both sides of the post-punk/industrial/techno pioneers are collected in one place.
The Knife: Shaken-Up Versions
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The Knife: Shaken-Up Versions

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 / 2 September 2014
Somewhere between remixes and a live album, this brief collection would be less of a let down if the band weren't about to end.
Life Without Buildings: Any Other City
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Life Without Buildings: Any Other City

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 / 27 June 2014
A new reissue of the Glasgow band's only LP reveals a powerful and idiosyncratic method to their music
Brian Eno and Karl Hyde: Someday World
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Brian Eno and Karl Hyde: Someday World

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 / 29 May 2014
Two naturally complementary collaborators make half of an OK album and half of what could have been one of the best records of the year.
Picastro: You
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Picastro: You

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 / 17 March 2014
Dark-hued Toronto band makes another "quiet and aggressive" album that's as much a source of connection and support as it is scary.
Magik Markers: Surrender to the Fantasy
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Magik Markers: Surrender to the Fantasy

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 / 14 February 2014
After four years off, Magik Markers return with a dark, compelling album that demonstrates the power of good sequencing to craft its own narrative
The 13 Essential Mogwai Songs
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The 13 Essential Mogwai Songs

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 / 22 January 2014
With the very fine new album Rave Tapes out this month, PopMatters looks back on Mogwai's rich career by picking 13 of the finest songs from the full span of the post-rock band's work.
Leverage Models: Leverage Models
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Leverage Models: Leverage Models

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 / 10 January 2014
Ultimately this is pop music in the same sense as the New Pop that reshaped and expanded things in such interesting ways after punk: prescriptive and aspirational rather than content to huddle within the boundaries of existing forms and formulas.
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Maria Bamford: Ask Me About My New God!

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 / 2 December 2013