Funkin Matt, a renowned producer and DJ hailing from Oslo, Norway, has been a prominent figure in the electronic music scene since 2007. Known for his ability to seamlessly blend techy electro bangers with future house bliss, Matt has consistently delivered quality music with room for experimentation and genre twisting.
With releases on labels like Tiesto’s “Musical Freedom,” Diplo’s “Mad Decent,” and A-Trak’s “Fool’s Gold,” his tracks have become mainstays in the sets of top DJs worldwide. Funkin Matt is a well-known artist amongst Heldeep fans and followers and Open Your Eyes will be his 10th single on the label.
Over the years, your music has spanned various genres, from techy electro to future house and techno. How do you decide which direction to take with your sound, and what influences these shifts?
I just follow my inspiration and experiment a lot. I’ve always had the approach of just making the music I love and focusing on what I’m best at. The shifts often come after getting really inspired or, conversely, getting bored with doing the same thing repeatedly. For my own sanity, I need to evolve and push.
What can you tell us about your latest single, “Open Your Eyes”? What was the inspiration for this one?
I was playing a bit with triplets; the bassline was the first part I made. I wanted this rolling but deep and dark vibe while being open and epic at the same time. Normally, I don’t release triplet tracks because they are so hard for DJs to mix, but I found a way to make the intro compatible with normal 1/16 notes without sounding too weird.
Listen/download: https://heldeep.lnk.to/openyoureyes
Your track “JOI” marked a new exploration into AI-inspired techno. What drew you to this concept, and how do you see technology shaping the future of electronic music?
It was inspired by Blade Runner 2049, where the protagonist has an AI girlfriend projected in his apartment. I found that super interesting and wanted to create that kind of feeling of being in love with an AI, but in a techno/house setting. I didn’t think people would like that one; I made it more as an art piece for myself. This is one of my personal favorites, and I was so happy that it connected with so many people.
Running your own label, Fjordin, offers unique challenges and opportunities. What motivated you to start your own label, and how has this influenced your creative process?
When I started Fjordin with Gregor Salto, it was because my sound didn’t really fit with any specific labels at the time. I was doing very experimental tunes, trying to figure things out, moving away from 4/4, playing with structures, and trying my hardest to innovate. Then I suddenly hit a nerve with the track “Elephant,” which became the biggest track on Fjordin and ultimately changed my sound in a direction that suddenly a lot of the bigger labels wanted to be a part of. After enjoying that success, we decided to put Fjordin on hold, but you never know.
“Elephant” and “Aurora” have become staples in the future house scene. Can you talk about the creative process behind these tracks and what you think made them resonate so well with listeners?
“Elephant” was this idea of a larger-than-life bassline coupled with a super minimal simple lead melody, where I added layers over layers throughout the track to keep building tension. It was just a very inspired process and was a lot of fun to make. I didn’t think it would be very popular at the moment, as it was maybe released six months too early, but it really grew and became a fan favorite for many years after release. “Aurora” was my attempt at trying to do something more cinematic and be more daring with melodies, not playing it simple. In the drop, the bassline melody suddenly changes from what you would expect, and “Aurora” also has a really interesting and long chord progression, which is the heart of that track. For a long time, I think this was my best melody.
You’ve explored deeper vibes with tracks like “Aeon” and “Phoenix.” How do you approach creating a track with a more melodic or deeper sound compared to your more high-energy tracks?
It demands more out of the melody and sound design to create something that’s not relying on hard bass and ear-piercing highs. “Aeon” was kind of the continuation of “Aurora,” but it’s darker and more textured, and it’s all about holding back and keeping the tension. “Phoenix,” on the other hand, is the dark brother of “Elephant,” much more textured, slower, and lots of filthy distortion. I was playing with how long I could take between notes, how little I could add while still making it big. Also, it should be mentioned that the lead on “Phoenix” is probably my most influential sound design. At that time, that was a very fresh and new sound, but a few years later, you heard that kind of lead design in everything from dance to pop.
The release of “Everybody” as an NFT was groundbreaking. What inspired you to explore the NFT space, and how do you see this technology impacting the music industry?
Working with 3LAU, one of the main forces in the electronic music/crypto scene, was kind of a happy accident for me. We already had that track in the works for quite some time, and he was just starting to do NFTs with Slime Sunday. That way, it made sense to dip our toes and try it out. I’m still not sure how it will or can impact the music industry, as it hasn’t really done so far. I’m excited about the prospects, and I really like the idea behind it, but I think it’s still very obscure for a lot of people, so that barrier needs to come down before it becomes a mainstream thing.
Your remix of Mariah Carey’s “You’re Mine” reached #1 on the Billboard Dance Chart. How do you approach remixing a track from such a high-profile artist, and what was the reaction from fans and peers?
If I remember correctly, there was a quite short deadline on it, so going with what felt right at the moment and not second-guessing things was the approach. This was peak Future House times, so just layering tons of synths to create the bassline, making a shuffly beat, and adding Mariah on top was kind of a no-brainer. The fact that it reached #1 on Billboard Dance was very surprising and probably helped me a lot more than I thought at the time. I felt that this track became much bigger for me in Norway than abroad, but I might be wrong; it used to be one of my most requested tracks.
Your music has been featured in video games and on major radio shows. How do these platforms influence your music’s reception, and do you tailor your tracks differently for these mediums?
I’ve been wanting to get more into video games and movies, but the times I’ve actually made it have just been luck. There’s so much competition in that scene, so just making dance music and hoping it will turn up in a game is like buying a lottery ticket. That said, I definitely think that I could venture more deliberately into that space in the future, but then it would be to tailor tracks specifically to work in movies or games.
With a new release every month in 2023, how do you maintain creativity and avoid burnout in such a fast-paced release schedule? What practices help you stay inspired and productive?
2023 was a very productive year for me, but keeping that kind of productivity for me is impossible in the long run. In a long career, you will have both periods of massive productivity and periods where you sit back, experiment, and innovate. Now I’m in the experimental phase, and that always ends up with the best tracks for me. But then, when you find that special track after a time of experimentation, you get this boost that automatically feeds into a string of tracks where things are easy. The easy tracks are good too, but it’s often the hard-fought ones that are the best.
Open Your Eyes is out now on Heldeep