A Sit Down With DJ Matt Darey

Matt Darey is a producer of many genres of electronic music with writing, producing and remixing both underground club tracks and the occasional top 10 pop chart hit. Matt kicked off 2016 so far with two top 5 UK club chart hits “Keep Talking” and “Lubeno” under his “Lost Tribe” big room alias.

 

“I love my thrash stuff – I just ended up getting caught up in the whole trance scene – but I’ve always had a weak spot for it.”

 

You’ve been active in the dance music scene for a long time, but can you tell us how you got involved into music?

I came from a musical background. Everyone in my family, my two brothers and my parents played an instrument. I wasn’t into the idea of being a classical musician, just wanted to be in a rock band. At the age of eleven, it looked like they had a lot more fun. I started as a singer in a band at the age of fifteen, then later on I went to my first EDM event and had a lot of fun, so much that I changed genres overnight and started making drum & bass. That led me onto getting a six album deal with Warner Brothers and Sire Records.

You are a producer, DJ, radio show host and founder of Your own label (Nocturnal Global). How do You balance all these responsibilities without comprising one or another ?

I think the main thing is to get the balance between these things and your personal life. It’s always a juggling act and there’s never enough time to do everything you want to do but the label, Dj-ing and the radio show all go hand in hand so it’s not too crazy. I have some good people on the team that you don’t see out there in public without whom I would never have a life of my own.

If you were to name a particular country which will be the new hot favourite place to go for dance music where do you think it would be and why?

Funnily enough, from what I hear china could be that country. I have to see it with my own eyes . Also E Europe is growing on the club scene and I have a lot of touring planned there also.

When you’re making music, is there any ritual you gotta perform, I mean, like a certain ambiance you must have, a special mood?
Not really, just lock myself away and start playing on the piano to get a good melody, everything else goes out from there.

What’s the worst club you’ve ever been to?

I think probably when I was in a band, We used to tour the universities all around the UK, we played some dingy clubs, but still had fun.

You have been running your regular radio show nocturnal. How has this supported your career and developed your name worldwide?

I suppose it has. I t started as an internet show back in april 06 and now it goes out weekly to over 70 FM stations in many countries. I wanted to do a show because there was no one playing all the great music I was hearing from across the many genres of dance music. I love breaks, electro, progressive , trance, house and so much more. Someone needed to bring it all together and expose the best of what Dance has to offer so I thought I’d take up the challenge. We also bring in some of the worlds best DJs each week to play a guest set.

You have launched your own record label – Mash Up Tunes. Is this going to release your own work or will you be looking to sign new talent?

Mostly my own work and this will be in association with other labels like Incentive and Liquid Assett who released From Russia with Love. When I have got all these records out into clubland I will be looking to take on talent from outside..There is a lot of great stuff out there that I would love to take on but I need to get established first.

You have proven to be a chameleon of sound and have produced a variety of releases from Breaks to House and from Trance to Progressive all the way to Rocktronica. So You are not going to be pigeon-holed for a distinctive style. Is that correct ?

Well, I guess people know me a lot more for Trance than anything else, I was there from the start of that genre and still make some big Trance records. However as a DJ, my styles are so diverse as most listeners to my show or live sets will tell you. I’m always just going to play music I love no matter where that takes me.

Trance is identical with drug-use. Do you expect your crowd to be able to enjoy your music without any help from special substances, or do you have any other views about it?
Yes, maybe a few drinks to loosen up. I find that I see less and less of people in the crowd out of their minds. I think if the music is cool and as a DJ you create the right atmosphere interacting with the crowd all the time, you can have a lot more fun when you have a clear head.

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