[INTERVIEW] UPTHERE x MATAMATICS
Posted on October 16, 2011 by kaysenpoint
Meet our friend Matt Christensen. A fellow University of California – Santa Barbara grad with a love for downtempo jams, silky synths, and his electric guitar. Let’s dive right in to our interview with the man they call Matamatics. Ps. his tunes are Funky Fresh.
UT: Thanks for taking the time to talk with us, we appreciate your time and your music! So starting from the top, how did you come up with the name Matamatics?
MATT: You got it. My college roommate gave it to me. While he was studying abroad in Japan, he sent me the Sigur Ros documentary, Heima. He addressed to “Matamatics” and that’s when it stuck.
UT: To someone who has never heard your music before, describe your style.
MATT: Eclectic. I rarely stay within a single genre for more than a couple songs in a row. But, for the most part, I’m big into melody. No matter what genre I’m taking a stab at, there’s gonna be a relatively straightforward melody line.
UT: I can tell that you have many admired artists and influences, are there any that have directly inspired your music today?
MATT: Yeah, it changes from week to week. Right now, M83′s new album is dope, and I’ve been into this Danish dude Robin Hannibal from the band Quadron. Also, George Lewis Jr. from Twin Shadow is something of genius–I love everything that guy makes. Oh, and Dev Hynes’ project Blood Orange is unbelievably fresh.
UT: I see you have done quite a few remixes and even a mash-up; do you have a favorite style? What have you been working on most recently?
MATT: I do mashups when I come across a sweet instrumental. But, to be honest, I don’t really like them. They’re fun to listen to once or twice, but after that I can’t stand them. I wouldn’t say that mashups are a thing of the past yet, but I think they’re getting there. Recently, I’ve been working with a buddy of mine on a project called Homes. We have a shit ton of stuff in the works. I’m pretty stoked on it. Also, I’ve been working with a girl vocalist on some matamatics stuff. None of its quite finished, but hopefully it will be soon.
UT: What’s your favorite piece of equipment to use in the studio currently? Are there any effects/sounds you consistently use now?
MATT: It’s going to sound lame, but my favorite thing to work with recently has been my hollow-body electric guitar. After putting it down for a couple years, I’ve picked it back up, and with Logic plugins I can make that thing sound funky as hell. I love funkiness.
UT: Do you see yourself as a professional musician in your future life? At what moment did you decide that Matamatics was your future?
MATT: I see myself splitting time between making music and making better cities. Right now, I’m getting a master’s which is making fulltime producing a little tricky. Hopefully, once I’m done with school next Spring I’ll be able to dedicate a little more time to my music craft. But I like the music/academic balance I’ve got going right now–keeps me sharp.
UT: What is the most difficult adjustment to performing live vs. the studio?
MATT: For me, because I don’t play any instruments live in a live setting, they’re completely different. Plus, I do things a little weirder than most producers. I make my stuff in Logic and then I have to bring separate files into Ableton. This makes preparing for a show a super tedious process–which is the most difficult part. I’m looking forward to playing some real stuff when Homes gets off the ground.
UT: What arre your top 3 tracks at the moment?
MATT: Tough one… But I’m really diggin “Sutphin Boulevard” by Blood Orange, “Claudia Lewis” by M83, and “Sneak Preview” by Robin Hannibal.
UT: What does the rest of 2011 have in store for Matamatics?
MATT: Lots of releases hopefully leading lots of shows. All I gotta say is stay tuned.
UT: Do you have any sharable stories from college? The core of our team is unanimously Gaucho and we love stories?
MATT: Isla Vista was a gem of a college bubble to be in for four years. Unfortunately, my best stories from the place would probably just make me look like a jackass and/or alcoholic. Haha. I like to think I’m neither of those…
UT: Thank you so much for your time, if you are ever back around UCSB please let us know and we will be sure to show you a good time!
MATT: For sure, thanks for having me.
+BONUS: you can download all of Matamatics tracks and remixes for FREE off his Soundcloud or Tumblr! Connect with Matamatics on Facebook via his official page.
Be the first to leave a comment