Matt Hellewell is a 24-year-old, multi-genre electronic music producer from Rotherham, UK, currently signed to Deadbeatz Records. Since his his first full label release in 2009, entitled ‘Come Home’, Matt has explored a raft of styles, ranging from dubstep & dnb to 80s funk and glitch hop. His track ‘My Girl’ (which can be found at the end of this interview) grabbed airtime on Radio 1, Capital FM and numerous other radio stations. Harry Critchley managed to pin him down for a few Qs…
Matt, what originally got you into producing?
When I first heard Speed Garage in the 90s I was instantly hooked, I knew I wanted to make music from that point on. I started at a young age, playing with some basic music software and later discovered Reason. Reason really helped me to learn all the fundamentals of music production although my work was fairly basic. As I began to learn more about processing and effects I started to achieve a more polished sound than before.
Fast-forward a few years and I took a music technology course at college where I really got into the technical side of DAWs and was introduced to recording techniques for the first time. I was using Cubase to produce music at this point because it allowed me access to VSTs, which really changed my sound. I then felt I was going in the right direction with my music.
How have you been funded to get this far?
Up to this point I have been working a day job to fund my music career. Every piece of equipment I own is a product of saving every spare penny I have. I’m at University at the moment studying Creative Music Technology which is giving me the knowledge to make educated decisions on what to buy for my studio as well as helping to develop my productions. As far as music releases go Deadbeatz have sorted that side out for me and I’m very happy to be working with them.
Where do you see yourself in the next 5 years?
I would like to think that within the next five years I will have become an accomplished artist, having made an album and worked with sound for video games or moving images, as well as releasing singles and an EP or two. My long term goal is to have a fully fledged music career working with various employers and collaborators – collaborating with others is something I want to do a lot more of in the future and in the process hopefully meet some of the people that have inspired me so far.
What track are you most proud of?
It’s hard for me to be proud of my music as I’m my own worst critic, but if I was to pick one piece of music it would have to be My Girl. Out of all the music I’ve made this track still stirs up some emotion in me, even though I have heard it over and over again.
What’s your favourite DAW, and why?
I would have to pick Cubase as my favourite DAW. I do use other DAWs, such as Pro Tools and Logic, but over the years my workflow has always been better in Cubase. I’m still learning just how much Cubase can do, even after years of using it, which is great because a new technique I haven’t come across before can really help set a track off – especially if I’ve been struggling with it – or perhaps inspire me to try something I wouldn’t normally.
What’s been the best show you have preformed at and why?
The best show I’ve played was at Sound Control in Manchester with special guest Rednek. The crowd was absolutely crazy and when my track dropped it was such a good feeling seeing everyone react to it. The atmosphere was incredible that night.
Do any of your songs relate to a person in your life?
I don’t think they relate to any particular person; more mood I’m in and the music I’m listening to at the time. Recently I’ve found myself listening to a lot of 70s disco and funk tracks, which has definitely emerged in my productions. I try to listen to as many different types of music as possible, because as I think all genres can teach you something or help you bring a new approach to your own music, whatever style it is. I also find myself picking out elements of soundtracks to video games I’m playing or films I’m watching, and trying to replicate or create a variation of these sounds in my studio.
What genre do you most enjoy producing and why?
It has to be Drum & Bass. It may not be my strongest genre but it’s full of energy and excitement and it really gets my heart rate going when I listen to it. Making a nice drum beat with some breaks samples is very satisfying! I think whatever style of music I end up making always has a Matt Hellewell touch to it, though. It may seem lazy but I like to use similar sounds in all the genres I produce. Those are the sounds I like and are sort of my signature, without making all my music sound the same.
What’s the next step for Matt Hellewell?
Next it’s a case of keeping on making music I love – whether it be dubstep, disco or didgeridoo – listen to as much music as possible and take every opportunity I’m given. With that said i would like to give Deadbeatz a big thank you for helping me this far: cheers guys!
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