Starting at the age of 13 with a crate of his big brother’s records, DJ Matpat has taken the time to develop a sound of his own rooted in House Music, all the while acquiring a wide breadth of musical knowledge to underpin his ethos of “playing the right song for the right moment.” As a producer, he has released on a range of different labels including Derrick Carter’s Persnickety All Stars & Stretch Armstrong’s Plant Music. Mat’s productions have gained support from DJs such as Kerri Chandler (dropping ‘Everybody Rise’ on the Essential Mix).
Following the ‘Hold Your Hand’ single, DJ Matpat ends 2024 with a Remix EP enlisting some heavy hitters from across the globe to put their take on his Philly sound. Along with the Club Mix & Radio Edit, Oliver Dollar delivers a spaced out jacking dub, while Huxley adds a driving bassline, & Megatronic rounds it out with a melodic deep groover. They each hit a special pocket to highlight Fawziyya Heart’s soulful voice.
When We Dip sat down with the philly groove specialist to talk through the release, his label, the current state of the scene, dancefloor fillers, and more…
WWD: Matpat, great to meet you! What’s happening in your world at the minute?
Hi! DJing every weekend as usual and just put out my last EPs of the year, ‘Lucky Strike’ on NYC’s Off Track and the ‘Hold Your Hand’ Remix EP on my own label Clubby Boy. Going great really, excited to put plans in motion for 2025.
WWD: Congratulations on releasing ‘Hold Your Hand’ with remixes by Oliver Dollar, Huxley & Megatronic & MFWILEY. Talk us through the release?
This one is really special. I made the melody years ago and had set it aside. The drums that I had on it were never hitting just right. Then when I got into the studio with Fawz it just clicked. Both of us had some stressful life stuff happening at that time so I think this track really was a release for us. It’s a love song with vocals that really take you on a journey as a listener. I’d like to think her vocals stand the test of time on this one.
WWD: How did the collaboration with the vocalist Fawziyya Heart and the choice of great remixers come about?
I started working with Fawziyya Heart in 2023, she started writing it right there in my studio basement. I reworked the beat, recorded scratch vocals and then we headed to the Boom Room, a studio here in Fishtown. We did a few takes and once she was warmed up she hit it all the way through. No major cutting and pasting, it really is a testament to her vocal chops. From there I spent about 6 months trying to get the mix just right, I worked with an engineer which I don’t normally do but it was right for this. I think especially when mixing vocals it’s good to get an engineer’s ears on it as a producer. Sometimes you can’t hear things that need fixing because you’re too close to it.
As far as remixers, I really wanted the release to have some range other than the radio and Club mix.. I definitely needed a dub so I hit up my friend Oliver Dollar. He played my track, ‘Bishhh-Beats’ when he DJed with me here in Philly so I thought he might be down. Then Megatronic was on tour with 4AMNYC and made a stop to play my party Club Congress, on our drive back to NYC I played her ‘Hold Your Hand’ and she was down right away, she was locked in on that deep afro house feel. Then I linked with Huxley after he gave some positive feedback on ‘Pocket Locket EP’, I had a feeling he would give it that perfect Big Room Deep House floor filler feel.
WWD: For those who are just discovering your music, what do you hope they feel or experience when they listen to your productions?
I really just hope that people have some sort of emotional response to my music. When I hear music I love, I obsess over it. That’s really the ultimate goal, for people to hear it and go wait, “WTF is that. I NEED that.” My music is very much influenced by the roots of this culture and not on some ‘internet google search way’ but because my brother was going to NYC clubs in the early 90s, started djing and introduced me to all this amazing classic house and techno when I was a child..like 12-13 years old. I hope that people can hear that.
WWD: Clubby Boy is your own label, what was the inspiration to found your own imprint?
The label is basically directly influenced by my party Club Congress, we are about to hit 10 Years. The art is by BAD the illustrator that has done every flyer since 2015 (check all of the flyers on the website). The music is directly influenced by my djing and the music I play at CC. If it works on my dancefloor, I’ll put it out on the label. It’s the most natural process. If i like it i play it, if it works then I guess I should put it out. lol
WWD: Can you describe the connection between your music and your Philly roots, and how they continue to influence your music today?
I first got snuck into a club to DJ in Harrisburg PA when I was 17, it was my big brothers party who taught me how to dj. I remember practicing this mix of an Ella Fitzgerald track and a Mushroom Jazz record (all vinyl) I was learning how to scratch and would take the 4 beat snare and scratch it in and drop it then scratch the ella fitzgerald vocal out, haha… when I dropped it I heard one of my brother friends yell out..yerrrrr. I was hooked, my leg straight up shaked, it was an immediate high. Around that same time my brother’s friend was DJing in Philly only a few hours away.. I had already been DJing in my bedroom for 3-4 years at that point and I remember just being blown away when I went to my first warehouse party. Hearing loud music from the street when walking up, a packed room, DJ’s killing it playing music i never heard before, I was in love right away.
WWD: How is the electronic music scene in your city right now?
Phillys always had a very raw DIY scene, there is pretty much no industry here but the pressure has made for a very vibrant scene in my opinion. People party and dance hard in philly.. I will say what is so dope right now, because of the hard work of people in the scene, is that there are a lot more opportunities opening up. I dj full time and have regular nights at the few house music clubs in the city but there are so many underground DIY party as well. We also have Warehouse On Watts, a really great club/event space that we are throwing our 10 Year Anniversary at. There is a live Radio Station/Record Store called Great Circles, with a monthly Ambient night AND we now have a really well curated festival called Making Time that I got a chance to play in 2023. The more expensive NYC gets, the more people are moving to Philly because it is only an Hour 20 min train ride.
WWD: What has been the highlight of your career so far? Can you talk about a specific moment or accomplishment that stands out as particularly meaningful to you?
I’ve always loved the OG’s so for me, when Derrick Carter, Stretch Armstrong, and Terry Farley put my tracks out on their labels, it’s huge. When Kerri Chandler played Everybody Rise on the essential mix, Maya Jane Coles played Push It at the Mainstage of Movement, or when Busy P played Face the Music on the Radio, it’s huge for me. Being able to live off DJing and have a successful music focused party that is about to hit 10 Years, it means the world! I’ve always loved to travel and am grateful for where I have been able to dj, NYC, Detroit, Glasgow, Havana, Montreal, LA, ect. I‘d love to do it more 😉
WWD: Can you share some insight into your creative process when producing music? Do you have any particular rituals or methods that help you stay inspired?
I kinda go with the flow, when I was younger I used to push myself and just spend days working with barely any breaks, just getting so frustrated trying to get sounds to sound how i wanted em. I think that was good cause it takes time to get your production on point, if you are a perfectionist. At this point though I’m in somewhat of a flow state, when ideas come, I get ’em out cause I have too. I try to push myself with new synths, drum machines, vsts, or just techniques because I do think that my most creative times come through a little bit of pressure.
WWD: As someone deeply rooted in the electronic music scene, what state is it in right now? What notable artists are emerging?
I think it’s the best right now! I think there are more cornballs now than ever but if you are on the level and know how to make Social Media work for you, it can be a great way to differentiate yourself from people that are void of substance. It’s like the beginning of the Gangstarr track ‘You Know My Steez…’
That makes me know that, we we we we’re doin
We had the right idea in the beginning
And and we just need to maintain our focus, and elevate
We what we do we update our formulas
We have certain formulas but we update em (oh right)
with the times, and everything y’know
And and so.. y’know
The rhyme style is elevated
The style of beats is elevated
but it’s still Guru and Premier
And it’s always a message involved
Keep an eye on the label, I got new releases with some new artists on the way 🙂
WWD: When you are not busy with music, what might we find you doing?
I’m a photographer as well so I’m always trying to work on new projects and I realized a while back that physical exercise keeps my entire life balanced from long party weekends. I’m always Skateboarding, Swimming Laps, Riding Road Bikes and Motorcycles. Winters are definitely ruff so I guess I’ll be watching movies all winter.
WWD: Finally, tell us about three of your best dancefloor fillers…
I don’t think this ever was put out digitally, it’s definitely kind of a secret weapon, it starts up any floor. Such a cool sample and a really great bassline.
So this vocal has been used but the way that this dub flows.. it’s funny because they put out like 5 versions or something but this one specifically just gives everything that you want from deep house. It’s deep, driving, absolutely knocks on a system and you can listen to the beat for hours AND then there’s the cunty diva vocal on top. It really annihilates everytime because of the way it builds. It’s also the perfect track to really flex on some eqs and isolators if you’re on a rotary. Sometimes djs can go too heavy with that but for this track it fits perfectly.
This is a brand new one, I honestly don’t know alot about em. I know they’ve been making music for a long time. This track really just BANGS.
WWD: These are dope! Thanks for chat, Mat!
The ‘Hold Your Hand’ Remix EP is available here