At just 25 years of age, DJ Matik may just be the most famous producer you’ve never heard of. Matik – aka Steve Mowat – is the man behind Pez’s debut release A Mind of My Own. Preferring to let his beats do the talking, Matik has quietly cut his teeth DJing the clubs of Melbourne and meticulously crafting one of the defining albums of 2008.
Feasting on a steady diet of Pearl Jam, Nirvana and Silverchair in his formative years, Matik’s love of hip hop was formed watching skateboarding videos with his brother – it would be an activity that changed his life. Immediately connecting with the sounds of Gangstarr and Jurassic 5, Matik was now exposed to style of a hip-hop he could relate to, and the rest as they say is history.
Matik is a producer of significant talent, yet it was his DJ exploits that would initially connect him with the Australian hip-hop and music community. Matik’s first serious DJ gig was supporting DJ Peril (1200 Techniques) at iconic Melbourne music venue, The Laundry. Impressed by the then teenagers set, DJ Peril began booking Matik for his regular hip hop nights, Soul Clap and Street Soul. Playing alongside DJ Flagrant, A-Style, MAFIA and Peril, Matik garnered a reputation as one of Melbourne’s most divergent DJs; blurring the musical boundaries between funk, soul, hip-hop and electro.
An avid admirer of the ‘New York Sound’, Matik’s production is informed and inspired by the likes of The Large Professor, Pete Rock and DJ Premier and in more recent years the production of Kanye West, Just Blaze and the Neptunes. Yet, it was reading an article with DJ Shadow that inspired him to purchase his first MPC. As his beat craftsmanship continued to improve, Matik sought collaborators to rap over his beats. Enter Pez – the two began working together, initially to improve their respective skills, get gigs and one day create an album. 5 years later, they realised their dream releasing A Mind of My Own.
As a Producer and DJ, Matik is quickly developing a prolific back catalogue. Having produced Pez’s debut A Mind of My Own (Winner of the AIR award for Best Hip Hop Album and ARIA nominated for Best Hip Hop Release), Seth Sentry’s EP Waiter Minute (featuring the Waitress Song which came in at #31 in the 2010 JJJ hottest 100) and yet to be titled full length release, remixed The Herd’s classic The King is Dead for Elefant Traks as well as taking out a coveted top ten spot with The Festival Song in Triple J’s hottest 100 of 2009.
Matik never limits himself to any genre, he listens and samples from a broad range of music and styles. His beats are organic – a combination of live instrumentation and sampling inspired by funk, soul and rock, yet always interspersed with a traditional hip-hop sensibility.
2009 was a massive year for Matik, playing alongside acts such as: Lupe Fiasco, Public Enemy, Atmosphere, The Streets, Muph N Plutonic and Bliss N Eso, as well as playing main stage at Pyramid Rock festival; taking a break from all the touring Matik is now hard at work in the studio with Pez’s follow up LP and Seth Sentry’s debut LP. Blink and you’re going to miss the rise of one of Australia’s brightest musical stars, close your eyes, and we’ll be the ones telling you I told you so…
