Matchy personifies modern, deep and dynamic techno and house. With a profound sense and a highly empathic absorption, he sprinkled continuously sales charts and leading playlists with dozens of significant releases with different projects over the past years. His productions are characterized by a driving bass line, a lot of energy and catchy melodies, which will be stuck in your head.
Matchy is also well known for his synergetic collaborations and thrilling remixes with famous acts from all over the world. Numerous gigs in many acclaimed European, North and South American clubs and festivals like Sonar, Love Family Park or Sonne Mond & Sterne highlight his qualities and authentic passion as an outstanding DJ and artist.
We had the chance to talk with Matchy about his new label Beyond Now and other musical projects.
EG: Hello, Matchy, congratulations – your track ‘Irreversible’ is one of the most successful progressive house tracks of last year on Beatport and still number 1 on the label Katermukke. How much has this changed your trajectory as an artist?
Matchy: Thanks a lot! 2019 has been an amazing year with ‘Irreversible’ (just) being the cherry on the cake. I’m really thankful to have achieved such a success with this track. And… good news, my Katermukke EP for this year is already signed.
I think Beatport sales charts are great feedback because they show great interest in the track, but at the end of the day what counts for me is that my music is played and listened by the people out there.
Therefore seeing that ‘Irreversible’ has reached such a great audience being played at clubs and festivals all over the world from Burning Man in the US, to Fusion festival in Germany is simply great and just keeps me going. The great feedback and amazing support by people is motivating me to work even harder on my sound and “go with the extra mile.”
EG: Although you are very successful in Beatport – how important are streaming portals like iTunes, YouTube, and Spotify for you?
Matchy: Well, speaking about reaching a big audience: Beatport is a huge electronic music store but its main audience are DJs, who buy music for their gigs. Spotify is becoming more and more relevant for electronic music producers because the audience is way broader and you’re able to reach people who listen to all kinds of music and might like your productions. Streaming portals support me in reaching all the people I produce music for, on top of clubbing. Who listens to it during their everyday life, while working, driving or simply enjoying the music.
EG: Your sound has evolved since our last interview. In which genres are you currently exploring and where is the journey going for you?
Matchy: I play and produce melodic house & techno and sometimes progressive house. Although I believe there aren’t hard cut boundaries between both. I’m pretty sure I will stick to that sound for the next years as it also leaves a lot of space for different types of productions. Here I see most freedom for my progress. Talking about playing sets, I believe there are no limits in genres to build up tension and telling a story throughout a set. Depending on the club and crowd I always bust out some unexpected tunes like a good old rave tune.
EG: And which tools do you currently focus on in the studio to enhance your signature sound?
Matchy: Actually I haven’t changed by my gear and tools a lot since I started my solo project in 2018. Diva, Tal bassline101, Ultra Analog.., I don’t really use a lot more. I believe my signature sound comes from my approach to arrange tracks, the build-ups, breaks, and the kind of melodies I compose. Combining this with specific sounds and synthesizer patches I usually use, creates the Matchy sound.
“I believe there are no limits in genres to build up tension and telling a story throughout a set”
EG: You recently played in Miami. But not on a normal stage – tell us about it.
Matchy: It was an incredible experience. As you said, it’s not solely a festival stage but rather a gigantic art installation that creates flying 360-degree music and light space. Debuted at Burning Man 2019, there’s nothing like this in the world. I’m really happy that I played and will be playing on the cloud again soon.
EG: With this special booth concept you will even play at the Burning Man Festival this year. How do you prepare for this festival and your gig?
Matchy: It’s quite early to plan ahead until September but one thing’s for sure. It will be a set full of new Matchy productions. For the rest… Stay tuned!
EG: In the run of your career you have released on many renowned labels like Katermukke, Heinz Music, Bar 25 Music, Steyoyoke, Kittball, and Stil vor Talent. Now you are going to start your own label. What are you planning and how did the idea come about?
Matchy: I already had the idea of starting my own label a while ago but if I start something I prefer taking some time to create a well-thought-out and nicely prepared musical experience, nothing less. This year, having produced and planned a few releases ahead, Beyond Now is finally good to go.
Beyond Now will bring a breath of fresh air to the music business. Our aim should be to focus on good, timeless music again rather than style boundaries or internal politics such as “because some artist released on label x” he won’t release on our label“. Music should be about quality and feelings and not about elite and discriminating people.
I want to create a creative space with musical freedom through outstanding releases, parties, festivals and more. Beyond Now means being timeless, musically one step ahead. We’re living in the present (now) but the aim is to create something that lasts beyond now.
“I’m pretty sure I will stick to that sound for the next years as it also leaves a lot of space for different types of productions”
EG: Your current set recorded in the famous Kater Blau Berlin is an almost three-hour journey full of intense moments. How do you prepare for such a unique set?
Matchy: It’s a mixture of good preparation before and having a sixth sense for the right track during a set. I usually bring a wide range repertoire of new tracks and try out new stuff. The key is the balance between reading the crowd and relying on your own taste in music. At the moment I focus mainly on creating unique sets by mixing a lot of my own (often unreleased) tracks and other tracks that perfectly fit mood-wise. Consequently, my sets might always be a little bit different but you can rely on the Matchy sound and that it’s going to be a “demolition” (laughter).
EG: What’s next on the Matchy agenda?
Matchy: 2020 will be international – Berlin is my home base and I love to play with my crew and friends around me. Techno festivals in Germany are… I just love them and will spend most summer here playing at festivals. But I’m more than happy to see that my music meets such interest worldwide and I can’t wait to play in North/South America, Australia, Asia, and South Africa in the next months, just to name a few.
Follow Matchy: Facebook | Instagram | Soundcloud
