Matt Pop -interview
1. Who is the man behind the name Matt Pop and where are you from?
I am a producer from The Netherlands. Lover of synths and the perfect pop song. I think great music can make you cry, but a good pop song doesn't need to take itself too seriously.
2. Do you have a favorite genre or era in music?
My
musical tastes were formed during my childhood in the 80's, when I
listened to Yazoo, Kraftwerk, Jean-Michel Jarre, New Order,
Depeche Mode, Italo, and much more. I have always loved electronic
sounds and rhythms, and it was a long time before guitars started to
enter my music collection. (It took the Smiths' lyrics, U2's drama and
Prince's genius for me to break my synths-only obsession). And I have
ALWAYS loved ABBA.
3. Which remixers or dj´s you look up to?
I
have seldom heard a Dave Audé mix I didn't love. Cahill, 7th Heaven,
Rex The Dog, Wideboys, Soul Seekers and Seamus Haji have all done
amazing mixes over the years. And the Chromeo/Oliver remix of Donna
Summer's Love Is In Control was my favourite record of last year.
4.
EDM (electronic dancemusic) seems to be on top everywhere. I think
that the sound of todays dancemusic has become shallow and disposable.
But the sound of Matt Pop is the kind of music that one can listen 10
or 20 years from now. How do you see Matt Pop´s music compared to the
mainstream dance sound? How would you describe your music?
I
am aware that my mixes don't necessarily sound very "now", but I try to
make the mix that is required and give it my own spin. I do see myself
as a musician, so I hope that people can tell that I know about chords
and harmonies. Some of my mixes are Euro/High NRG, and some have a retro
electro/Italo feel to them, intentional or not :)The people who ask me
for remixes don't tend to want the latest Avicii / David Guetta clone -
luckily for me:) I put a lot of effort into the vocals and I like a
song's chorus to jump out at you and get stuck in your head.
5. What makes a good remix? Do you have favorite remixes?
A
good remix can make you love a song you thought you hated. For example,
I am not an R´n´b fan generally, but one of my favourite ever dance
records is the Seamus Haji/Emanuel mix of Freek U by Bon Garçon. Other
times,the remixer has intensified an element of the original you already
loved. The Almighty Mix of Say Hello, Wave Goodbye by Soft Cell is a
good example of taking an already beautiful song and multiplying its
effect through a dance mix.6. Social media and Internet has affected the way how musicians create their music. Is it all good or is there a negative side?
7. Have you produced artists? Is that something you would like to do in the future?
If
you mean: produce original material: yes, I have. Peter Wilson for
example and more recently Adam Lopez. I love working on album tracks
because you are not bound by the laws of a club mix (5-7 minutes,
build-up, break-down, drums outtro for DJ's) and you can experiment
more.
8. Which artists are you going to remix in 2014-2015?
Peter Wilson, Sinitta (2 tracks for her album done), Allan Jay (his
upcoming single Love & Pride and more), Hazell Dean (I will be
involved in her next album, too), and quite a few more. The project I I
am most excited about is the Adam Lopez album Kaleidoscope, which is
coming out this summer. It has some very unusual tracks and styles, but
to me it also sounds very poppy and accessible, and Adam's singing is
just stunning. Thanks for the interview!
Thank you, Juha :)
Matt Pop´s Youtube channel:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNWxvRSEF2LImN8fBRYULHw
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