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Artist Spotlight, Blog
Exclusive Interview: Matthias
21
Sep
Sep
This week in the Artist Spotlight we have a good friend and fellow Dj of ours, Matthias. He’s been spinning tunes for a number of years now and has played at many notable venues around Chicago. Read the interview we did with him below where he talks about his career and how it all began.
How did you first begin DJing/Producing?
My Junior year at NIU I bought a mixer and ONE CDJ 400 off a friend thinking I don’t need 2. I soon figured out you need 2 CD players to DJ… Mostly everything I learned has been self-taught, but I have picked up pointers from my closest friends in the industry like Erik (Tsunami) and Shane-O. Shortly after I started DJing, I took private Digital Music Production courses at MIW with Orville Kline as my instructor. I’ve always been a house music fanatic, even before house was a “thing.”
Who is your biggest influence(s)?
Inphinity. What truly got me into the Chicago house scene was his Downtown mix series. I still have every single volume in mint condition. No joke, I waited outside Woodfield mall back in the day to snag the new mix when it was released at this store I always checked out. I probably picked up an Ed Hardy tee or two while I was in there. We’re all guilty of it…
What’s your favorite record of all time?
Groove Armada – Look Me In The Eye Sister (Audiojack Remix)
What was your favorite party of all time that you have played?
The good ol’ NIU homecoming days with the ambiguously gay trio: Bentley-Dean (Statut3), Floater, and myself.
Who do you want to collaborate with in the future?
Dream: Audiojack. Realistic: Bentley-Dean. I can call him a good friend of mine, but he’s the only guy I’ve watched build himself from the ground up to get to where he is. If anything, he’s another one of my inspirations.
What’s the most embarrassing thing that’s happened to you at a show?
Hitting the cue button on the wrong CDJ right before a drop. I even got the explosive jump going. The crowd heard my landing. I stuck that landing. I stuck it good.
What do you like to do when you’re not working on music/DJing?
Well for the most part, if I’m not doing that, I’m busy with work and school. I’m a Senior Quality Engineer M-F in an audio/video industry and I’m also studying for my MBA at the University of Chicago. Aside from those things, family is everything. I wouldn’t be where I am if it weren’t for them, so I make sure I set time aside on the weekends to see them for a bit.
What is your opinion on the current EDM scene?
retarded.
What do you think will be the next big thing in EDM?
Define “big”. Like Carnage? Cuz he IS the big thing in EDM.
What do you think about all these “frauds” in the EDM scene using ghost producers, buying likes and purchasing their own tracks on Beatport?
I think there’s nothing we as individuals can do about it. It’s what we choose make of the situation. As long as we are passionate about what we do, and we do it to bring joy to ourselves and others around, then there shouldn’t be any worries about these scums. If anything, they make us look like better people.
Is there any upcoming releases/shows we should keep an eye out for?
I started a new 30-minute mix series on Soundcloud called “Everything is Awesome”. I’m a lego fanatic as you can tell. I actually DJ with lego bricks over the BPM indicators on the CDJs to assure that I truly just use my ears to DJ. But yeah, check it out. I’ll be releasing these once per month. I also plan to make a music video for a mix. Just picture a bunch of legos doing stupid stuff in a video for 30 minutes. Maybe that’s my gateway to fame… I dunno.
