American singer and DJ Matthew Koma continues to create epic dance anthems as he circles the globe, headlining music events and keeping partygoers on their feet.
On May 27, the Brooklyn-born electronic dance music (EDM) artist delighted a full house of close to 2,000 partygoers as he spun Grammy award-winning tracks at the integrated resort’s trendsetting nightclub, Chaos Manila. In addition, he belted out popular dance hits including “Years” and “Spectrum” – his collaborations with the phenomenal EDM artists Alesso and Zedd.
Since 2013, the 29-year-old musician has been coming back and forth to Manila captivating local music aficionados to an extensive selection that ranges from Pop and Hip Hop to EDM, of course.
“The people are generally nice and the food is amazing, and of course the party scene is so alive. There’s such an enthusiasm here that I’m really thankful for. So, it’s one place to visit that you know you’re welcome when you’re getting in,” Matthew shared with The Standard during an interview prior to his gig.
The first time we became familiar with Matthew was when he broke into the dance music scene in 2010, and has since worked with topnotch DJs and producers currently dominating the industry such as Alesso, Hardwell, Sebastian Ingrosso, and Tiesto. But Matthew’s claim to fame was his collaboration with Zedd for “Clarity”, which won the Grammy for Best Dance Recording in 2012. His collaboration with the Russian DJ and music producer has been his most notable accomplishment. The two also worked together for the chart-topping “Spectrum,” which premiered by Rolling Stone and had spent two weeks at number 1 on the Billboard Dance Club chart.
While most people already regard him an EDM heavyweight, he still does not consider himself a big fish.
“I wouldn’t consider myself as an EDM heavyweight because there are so many creative talents out there. I think I’ve written songs and worked with producers who gave me space and a chance to prove myself. I think we can keep it that way,” the American musician humbly stated.
Inspired by Elvis Costello and Bruce Springsteen, Matthew started his music career in punk rock, later transitioning into a mixture of genres. His musical foundation is acoustic music but he takes inspiration from “singer-songwriter-driven bands.”
“Ninety-five percent of the music I listen to is from other genres, that’s where I get my inspiration and contribution to electronic songs,” he revealed.
It seems that Matthew and his music are inseparable. When he’s not playing music or writing songs, he’s travelling to headline music events. That’s why when we ask what else he does when he’s not playing music, he replied, “I will personally come here and tell you if I found a new hobby. But yeah, I am always writing, I’m constantly writing songs. It’s practically a 25-hour thing. It’s my life which I’m extremely thankful for.”
In addition to his extended plays (EP) Parachute (2012) and The Cherrytree Sessions (2013), Matthew now put his unique touch to his own full-length record. Before flying to the Philippines, Matthew said he has finished recording the last song on his upcoming solo album.
“It’s the first time that I am releasing my own body of work so I think people will have a full snapshot of my music. I think it will surprise people in a sense that it’s not what they are expecting from me. If you’d added up all the songs I released, including my collaborative works [with other artists], maybe you’ll have an idea of what the record is going to be. This is going to be slightly different,” he shared.
He concluded that the record will still feature some collaborative efforts but this time with lesser-known artists, “who are massively talented, nonetheless.”
