A producer, DJ, designer, composer and musician in one. One of the leading figures on the European dance scene. What he doesn’t like in progressive? What is his recipe for innovation? Who is genius in his band? Why he rejects remixing and what pushes him in pop direction? You’ll know all of these from the reading.

Thanks to Gross & Robak from Fructi for giving us ability to have a chat with Matthew. It was a real pleasure.

Interviewers: Sebastian and Lucas Napora.

Sound Revolt: You prefer to be called producer or musician?
Matthew Dekay: I’m more like a musician. I was taking piano lessons when I was only 5, so I started as a musician. Being a producer is some other job and you’re not the artist then. It’s all about sound and arrangements... I chose both but in the first place I’m a musician.

Sound Revolt: You mean that being a producer does not require musical background?
Matthew Dekay: Yes, that’s what I mean. These are two different challenges. I can play the piano and I can write music for other people as well, which makes me distinctive.
It all started a couple of years ago when home studio was born. A producer of today is making music together with his computer at home. You can do it with your basic desktop set and without the ability of writing notes. Here’s the difference between producing and songwriting.

Sound Revolt: Do you think it’s fair?
Matthew Dekay: No. I’m sure that people who are not musically talented can still make good records with a lot of energy. I know some people who can’t read any note and who can make all those big tunes. It’s all about creating good atmosphere in a track.

Sound Revolt: Was it your decision to take piano lessons or you parents forced you?
Matthew Dekay: No, it was my decision! It’s funny ‘cause I can’t remember a thing to be honest.
I grew up in a very musical family and my parents supported me really, really hard. One day I tried the piano and from there I was asking my mother every morning if I can play that instrument. I know it’s kind of weird. When you’re a kid you start doing things and after few days you simply quit. I didn’t quit playing the piano. After 5 years, when I was 10, I learned the classics.

Sound Revolt: And one day you asked for a keyboard...
Matthew Dekay: I always loved technology. I’ve been to a couple of conferences like in Frankfurt, because I was really interested in all new ideas, in new ways of making music. All that equipment, like TR-909 was very new and unknown so I started working with it. My parents bought me some stuff and all started from there.

Sound Revolt: Your parents were rich?
Matthew Dekay: Not at all! I owned only one synthesizer! Two years after they bought me the new one.
We were all focused on music playing together, which was quite funny. And right now my father did some stuff on my new productions, you know? He did the bass line on “Higher Thoughts” together with a friend of mine. He’s really open-minded about music and he thinks my tracks are very cool. He can hear the difference between a good record and a record which was made for money.

Sound Revolt: How about difference between making classical music and electronic tunes?
Matthew Dekay: A lot of my records are very musical with lots of melodies in it. Most of the time I just play the piano trying to find some interesting chords and then I strip it down to house music. I always start from the classical side of music, that’s how I work. I know it’s different from other producers’ approach who usually start from making beat. I’m looking for a song in a track as well. I think it’s very important ‘cause we already have this John Digweed’s very dark, very linear, very straight progressive house. Now it needs some musical influences from many different styles to get the whole idea of progressive. Progressive is now like a label, but it’s not. For me it’s just forwarding house music.

Sound Revolt: I wouldn’t call progressive every new state of house music.
Matthew Dekay: Me neither. In the UK they call my records “trousy”, which means tribal housey music. People just want to pigeonhole you; it’s always been like that. But when I say that I play progressive house, people think that’s deep, dark, linear and boring. Progressive should be forwarding house music.

Sound Revolt: I don’t know... With such an approach in ten years we’re gonna be lost.
Matthew Dekay: I don’t care. I did a track which is more like a rap song but with my kind of sound and it’s a bit weird; like the KLF of today. There are some people who don’t like it, who say it’s too experimental but I think we can’t invent new different style so the only way is to mix the styles together. I think this is it.
The sound quality is better and better everyday. For example right now we’ve got the DVD players which are a big step forward on the whole technology. I mean that technology and music has become one and the sound will get a silicon soul. It will be more organic, more plastic but still made on a computer.
And there’s no underground anymore. Sasha’s playing progressive house and also he’s telling people it is underground music. Come on, he’s in front of 20 thousands of people and they all are going nuts so where’s the underground there?

Sound Revolt: Last year you announced to release an album from Matthew Dekay Band. Where is it?
Matthew Dekay: We’re still working on it. I am the song writer there but I don’t have much time because of the traveling and DJing everywhere. The other member of the band, our singer, had some problems with his ears so he couldn’t do anything with music for half of a year which was quite frustrating. That’s not even a good word about it. Right now we’re working on different tracks and it will take some time. I don’t know when but probably this year it’s gonna be finished because we wanna do a tour in the US next year with the band. I think we’re ready for the big action.

Sound Revolt: Don’t you feel more comfortable working alone? Being a part of a band requires some patience.
Matthew Dekay: Last year it was just the kick-off of the band, to get know each other a bit better. To work as a full band is like being a part of an organization, it’s not like DJing. With all the different personalities, all the egos it’s very difficult sometimes. We switched a couple of musicians in the band a couple of times which was very annoying. Finally you want to finish your project and show it to the people. It’s such a shame but it’s gonna take time.
Now I’m very satisfied with the people who work with me in the band. We have a percussionist, a guitar player, a bass guitar player, two singers...

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