Disconnected Podcast 021: Matthew Kyle

Matthew Kyle

Continuing our on/off theme of podcast perfect for summer time we have a beauty from NYC’s Matthew Kyle

Alright Matthew hows it going?

It’s going pretty well actually. I’m just enjoying my morning coffee and catching up on some emails, now seemed like the perfect time to jump on these questions.

Can you tell us a bit about yourself away from music?

I like long walks on the beach, small animals, and my favorite color is blue….

But beyond the obvious stuff I’m a freelance art director / graphic designer in NYC. Luckily business has picked back up again and I have some steady gigs. Design is definitely my first love and my livelihood. I’ve been drawing since I could hold a pencil and have been lucky enough to make a career out of it.

How did you get into music?

That’s a tough question, as the possibilities are endless… I guess the real “music” bug bit me right after high-school when I started going to warehouse parties in Houston and hearing real house music for the first time. I remember wanting to learn how to DJ and play the type of music I was dancing to all night. I threw myself into the culture and have been DJing as a hobby ever since; roughly the past 12 years.

Matthew Kyle EP – Diner City Sound 05 (June 24, 2011) by Matthew Kyle

Who were the guys DJing and making the music that got you hooked?

I’m comfortable enough to admit this, and keep in mind this was 1998 / 1999. Originally it was hearing Transport by Paul Oakenfold. Then I got into progressive house via Sasha and Digweed, then I got into the whole deep house / west coast vibe. The 6400 Crew, Naked Music, Nightshift Records etc. Most of the house DJs in Houston in the early 2000’s were playing the deep west-coast house so that vibe stayed with me for a while. Its what I played for a very long time. But I always pitched my records down, that “slower” mentality has always been with me.

And production, when did that all start?

I was working for a design agency and unfortunately got laid off due to a down-turn in business about 18 months ago. And given my new-found free-time I started tinkering with Ableton after a friend gave me a copy. I started mainly just chopping up my favorite songs to make them easier for me to DJ with. But the more I got into the software the more I realized I could create whole new songs and really found another outlet to express my creativity. It started as an experimental hobby to fill my days while I hustled for design work, but luckily that hobby of mine has been very well received.

Ah, the classic cracked copy of Ableton… so what’s your production set up now?

It is very basic – Macbook Pro, Ableton, some speakers, and a few plug-ins. By no means a pro set-up. I make music at my desk in my office and will continue to do it this way; it seems to be working. If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.

Matthew Kyle EP – Small World Disco Edits 015 (July 1st, 2011) by Matthew Kyle

Indeed, you’ve released under a few alias’ is there any reason behind that?

When I started posting edits to Soundcloud I needed a name, and being a DJ the long-running complaint of “no requests” seemed like a good alias. I started using “NoRequests” mainly as a joke but it stuck. At one point last year my apartment was robbed and I lost my computer and back-up drive so I didn’t have any of the “NoRequests” stuff anymore. I literally lost all my files. From that point on I started going by my first and middle name – “Matthew Kyle” and “M.K.”

I first came across you on the DCS EP and started following you on soundcloud, have you found the site useful for getting you music over to this side of the Atlantic?

Absolutely. I wouldn’t be doing this interview if it wasn’t for Soundcloud. True, the site takes a lot of heat because of its server issues and being down so often. But honestly I think SC wasn’t prepared for the amount of traffic they were getting. Ultimately the site is very useful and I’ve been lucky enough to have met a lot of great DJs and producers through it. I love SC and so should you.

M.K. EP – Diner City Sound 01 by Matthew Kyle

I do! i’m with you, people should stop the SC bashing… especially if they use it everyday! What’s in the mix you’ve done for us?

The mix was recorded in one take. I planned out the intro and the first track but after that point it’s a free-for-all. I don’t really like to plan out mixes, it takes the fun and spontaneity out of them. I’m sure most folks would call the mix a “warm-up” because it’s pretty mellow and peeks at about 102 bpm. But its the type of music I love to play and ultimately I play what I want to hear. There are a couple of my new tracks in the mix just for good measure. It’s a good representation of my style not only as a DJ but also as a producer.

Cool man, thanks again for the mix and chat…

Now worries

Follow Matthew on soundcloud

Tracklist –

M.K. Soul Down Intro
Superbreak Presents DJ Steef – You’re So Good To Me
Kartell – Love Strike
Patti Austin – Baby Come To Me (Brendon P’s Dubbed Out Edit)
Matthew Kyle – Off My Mind
Anthony Mansfield – My First Mistake
Willie Hutch – Give me Some Of That Good Old Love (Domes Edit)
MannMadeMusic – I Choose You Hutch
Matthew Kyle – Tuff Streets
Mr. Capman – From The Bottom Up
SE62 – Dreaming
Superbreak Presents DJ Steef – Groove On
DJ Butcher – Shake Your Body

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Posted on July 1, 2011 by chris

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