Confidence man

>> Watch Matt Shadetek grow
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BETTER ALL THE TIME: Matt (L) and Zach Shadetek

by SCOTT C

As part of Team Shadetek, along with his boy Zach Zizmore, Brooklyn’s Matt Shadetek is no stranger to mashing up the sounds of experimental hip hop, electronica, D&B and noise. Since the release of Burnerism on Warp Records back in 2004, Shadetek has moved on to include the wide range of grime in his repertoire, as well as continuing to push the boundaries of dancehall. The Mirror reached Shadetek in New York, in anticipation of his set with 77Klash at Ghislain Poirier’s Bounce le Gros.

Mirror: Right off the top, man, how did you hook up with Ghislain Poirier?

Matt Shadetek: I hooked up with him through DJ Rupture, and didn’t actually meet him until I played his party in Montreal. It was really a simple common-friends connection. We also sort of run in the same musical circles, so it just makes sense that we eventually run into each other.

M: Do you differentiate between the shit that’s hot for the moment and music that might be around for quite some time, or does it all get thrown into the mix at the end of the day?

MS: I wouldn’t say that I differentiate between that stuff. I think music of a given time period has value in and of itself, y’know? Even if it’s old in a few years, or you can say that it has some mid-’90s sort of vibe, I don’t really worry about that.

M: As long as it bumps.

MS: Yeah, basically, or as long as I enjoy playing it, or making it, listening to it, you know what I mean? If I can put some other people on to it and have fun, then it’s cool.

M: What’s taking up most of your time these days?

MS: I’m working on a new project with 77Klash and JahDan, producing and recording that. We’ve got a bunch of songs done already too. I’m also doing this thing with reggae singer Johnnie Osbourne, but we haven’t figured out a name for it yet. Right now, we’re just making a bunch of music (laughs).

M: Again, you just get down to the task of actually making the music and then worry about what it is and where it will go once it’s done.

MS: Exactly. I’ve been at this for about seven years now, and now I think people have more access to the music. People can actually get it now, and I feel like I’m connecting with them. When I first started making music, I was really kind of struggling to make anything, let alone express some sort of idea I was trying to get across. I feel like I can do that really clearly now, and people either respond or they don’t.

M: I always talk to people who say it takes one track to gain that confidence in yourself.

MS: Some people really have a problem releasing, and getting to the stage where you actually commit and get it out there. I’m a big believer in finding your confidence. Just grow in the public eye. Maybe you make some bad records, and then you make a good one and people say, “Shit, he got better!” There’s nothing wrong with that.

With 77Klash, Ghislain Poirier and
Erin Macleod at Main Hall on
Saturday, April 7, 10 p.m., $10