With an itch for music that could never be satisfied with a disc jockey jaunt in college, Matthew James —now a cornerstone name in the New Jersey nightlife —is en route to attaining some well-deserved notoriety through his musical undertaking. With a command over the dynamics of any room he's in, this visionary adapts to his surroundings while never compromising his unique soundscapes. Now, with the release of "Space Agency," the newest offering in this year's summer singles, Matthew James is on the trajectory of up, up, and away.
This song is the amalgamation of Lo-Fi Synth Wave, and a vintage Sci-Fi themed Tech house. Starting with a strong kick and hi-hat for support, "Space Agency" erupts into an intoxicating bounce magnified by the added low-end we experience as the hyperdrive throttle on this space ship starts to elevate. A robotic yet archaic sounding voice—like it's calling out over a radio—is a motif that cowers over the edges of this expanse into Matthew James' single, giving the whole song a futuristic atmosphere. The lead synth oscillates and starts purposefully weaving in and out of the rhythmic cornerstones of each section. As we reach the end of what feels like an ever-evolving joyride, a nostalgic tone creeps up on you before the climax of the final breakdown. With fluttering imploding effect and a thump that crashes down on us as the song resurfaces from its dive, we feel a deep rush of dopamine wash over. As we orbit around this astronomically themed single one last time, we feel a sense of invigoration and wonder. With this audible manifestation of his expertise in producing drive and energy through his music, Matthew James' "Space Agency" is a taste of the sorts of high visceral and dynamic imagery you can expect from the veteran disc jockey's catalog of vibing electronic music.
Listen to "Space Agency" here.
Hey there, Matthew James! Welcome to BuzzMusic, we're thrilled to have you here featuring "Space Agency"! This thing is bumping and has a unique vibe. What inspired the theme of this song?
Thanks for having me & I appreciate the kind words! Glad you guys enjoyed it! The inspiration for this track really just comes from my love of just about everything sci-fi, particularly the 1950s & 60s sci-fi. Lost in Space, The Twilight Zone, all that. I was cleaning out my samples folder one day and stumbled across the sample you hear in the song and it really just came together after that.
Do you always endeavor to infuse each song you produce with a new character? How do you nurture this process?
I guess in a round-a-bout way. Whenever I start a new song I go into it with no goal as to what I want it to sound like but focus more on making sure I produce it better than my last record. I try new techniques or try to improve on the ones I used previously. I never go in with a goal of making the track sound like some other song or some other producer. I feel just sitting down and letting the ideas flow is the best way to create something that in the end you’ll truly love.
You mention college as somewhere you began DJing often, but when did you know you wanted to take your career as a DJ further?
When I locked down my first residency in New York City is when I started to really take music seriously. Long before I even thought about producing my own music my life goal was to DJ in New York & was something a lot of people thought I had no shot at. I ended up holding on to the residency for 7 years along with some other shorter residencies throughout NYC which opened the door for me to play in Boston and in Miami a bunch of times.
Thank you so much for being here with us at BuzzMusic Matthew James! What's next for you musically? Is there you're especially excited about in 2020?
Thanks again for having me! This year I’m really focused on learning and getting some more label signings. 2020 has been an interesting year, to say the least, but it’s also given a lot of us artists a lot more time to hone in on the craft. I have a lot to learn still & I’m really just excited about that. It’s a journey that’s never-ending so every completed record is just a stepping stone to another record being started.