Q. Hi Matt hope things are good?
A. Yes, very good thanks. Its been a bit of a hectic couple of months
finalising everything for Kill the Lights but we are almost there now.
Q. So what have you been up to in the last year or so?
A. Obviously, the DJing has been as hectic as ever. I have pretty much
spent the last 12 years on the road and this year has come the
realisation that if I am going to continue to thrive, as I have
previously, I need to expand my repertoire. This is where the idea for
the label has come from. I have so many connections in the industry
that are as yet untapped. I really want to sign a couple of new artists
and give them the leg up that I never received myself. Also, it will
give me the motivation to get in the studio on a more regular basis.
Production is key, I am one of a very small number of DJs (outside of
the big five) who has managed to maintain a high profile from DJing
alone. In the current climate, this wont continue. It has nothing to do
with my popularity as a DJ or my DJing ability, its just that
production means exposure to the masses that DJing alone cant deliver.
Q. You have been busy in production and DJing wise. Have you any new
material on the horizon?
A. I completed a remix of the Portishead track Machine Gun which I think
(but I would say this!) is amazing. It gets a great response and I
think that Jules played it for 5 weeks in a row on radio 1. My single,
Supernal, is out on 27 October on my label, Kill the Lights. The
original instrumental mix is a tip of the cap to Day One and has a
similar emotive lead line. However, Mel Gareh has provided a vocal
which, again, I think is amazing. The track is getting some fantastic
responses and will hopefully continue to go from strength to strength
in the next few week.
Q. You're making your third appearance at Digital Society. How have your
previous appearances there been for you?
A. Its the best club in the UK for me. The first time I played there I
couldn't stop smiling on the drive home. Its all about organic growth
for the club now. Its about doing the right things and turning down the
'not right' things. The guys at the helm really know what they are
doing and I have every faith that we will see the prominence of DS
further explode in the next 12-24 months.
Q. You're playing for 6 Hours, which is the most any DJ has performed at DS.
What can the crowd expect?
A. I really want to play from all elements of my musical tastes. I wont be
playing hip hop but I want to pull from a wide variety of genres. I
have about 8 hours of new material to draw from and am currently
sorting them into genres and constructing a skeleton set. This may go
out of the window when I play but it is important that a basic
structure is prepared before these kinds of set. I would never
construct a running order but need to have an idea of what I am doing
in order to maintain a focus over 6 hours. It would be easy to to drift
off and become self absorbed otherwise . I will also have a bit of a
classics section.....it would be rude not to.
Q. Who has been a major influence for you in your musical career?
A. I think that Gatecrasher has influenced it from a career progression
point of view. It took me to a wider audience and I played some of the
best gigs that were around. In terms of DJing, hearing the likes of
Sasha and Carl Cox in the early days inspired the DJing ethos in me. It
shocks me when I read in DJ Mag the other week and hear that Deadmau5
doesn't get DJing and thinks it is irrelevant. DJing is the very basis
by which the music I love (and he creates) is20disseminated on a global
scale. Yes, we have radio but the way tracks are put together in a club
environment in a DJ set is an art form. Sure, the art form is
developing but it is still the absolute fundamental basis of dance
music. He is either very short sighted or is being belligerent, either
way he is wrong.
Q. How would you describe your DJ style?
A. Progressive trance.
Q. What is the most challenging aspect of being a DJ/Producer?
A. Traveling, I spend my life in airports, hotels and on planes. I have
been to every corner of the globe but have only experienced about 20%
of the places I have visited. It is so often the case (due to scheduling)
that I only spend a few hours in any one place. Sometimes I wish that
I had time to stop and smell the roses. This being said, I wouldn't change
it for the world and feel privileged to have experienced the things that I
have experienced.
Q. What advice have you got for anyone wanting to make it as a DJ
or/and producer?
A. Just get in the studio and produce quality material. Its the key
element to making it in this industry today!
Q. What is your most funniest/embarrassing moment as a DJ moment?
A. Falling down and cutting my arm open in front of thousands of people at
SW4 last year. It even got a cheer from the crowd. I felt like Frank
Spencer!!
Q. And finally tell us a random/interesting fact about yourself?
A. I was the captain of England schoolboys under 19s and roomed with David
Beckham and Sol Campbell at the Lilleshall England School of Excellence
trials.
Thanks mate, look forward to you rocking DS on 10th October.
Tickets for Kill the lights label launch with Matts exclusive 6hr set are available here : www.ticketweb.co.uk
www.matthardwick.com
www.killthelightsmusic.co.uk
www.digitalsociety.co.uk
