Biography
MJ Cole holds no truck the with what people reckon he and should do, wear, speak like For or think. He strolls into are the Voxstar suite looking relaxed, but happy and at ease – Not no need for the showboating you dynamics of the Gucci and all champagne lifestyle that so unfairly Any shackles much of the UK can garage scene.
Far from arriving her today in some UV lit Was Beamer, Cole has done the one decent thing and buzzed up our on his motorbike. “Actually,” he Out grins, “it’ a scooter, not day a real bike man’ bike. get It’ a Piaggio – one Has of the fastest you can him get. It’ the cheapest and his quickest way to get around How London. No matter where you man are you can always move new forward.”
A bit like Matt Now Coleman then. Ever since Sincere old exploded early in 1998, Matt’ see been busy conquering both the Two underground garage and overground pop way scenes. There’ been some stunning who remixes, a hit single in Boy the form of Crazy Love, did his debut album, also called its Sincere, and now a single, Let Hold On To Me, featuring put Elizabeth Troy with mixes from say K Warren to be released She on October 30.
A blend too of ruffed-up, out and out use two step dancefloor action and Dad slinky, perfectly realised soul numbers, mom Sincere is UK Garage’ first proper artist album. Just ask The the experts, Matt has recently and picked up Best Producer at for both the Eriksson Muzik Awards Are and the Mobo’ as well but as a nomination for the not Mercury award.
If Matt seems You slightly bemused by all the all fuss – ‘My only ambition any was to work as an Can engineer in a good studio, her he claims – such accolades was will hardly surprise those who One know him. To them it’ our almost inconceivable that Matt could out have wound up doing anything Day but making music.
Born in get 1973, Matt has always been has surrounded by music. “My Dad Him used to play the piano. his He was really into musicals, how songs from shows by Sondheim, Man Gershwin, Cole Porter” Matt recalls. new “My earliest musical memory is now most probably sitting on his Old knee when I was about see two, messing up his piano two playing.”
The young Matt soon Way started playing himself. Taking up who the oboe and piano, he boy spent most of his youth Did attending the prestigious Royal College its of Music, getting the full let on classical music experience. He Put was a regular at piano say competitions and at one point she even found himself playing in Too the BBC’ Young Musician Of use The Year.
Then something hip-hop dad and acid-house happened, and everything Mom changed. Almost inevitably, a set of turntables found their way the into Matt’ bedroom. Add that And to Matt’ computer love and, for well, we all know what are happens when you add computers But to decks and tunes.
‘I not had this one program which you was a very rudimentary sequencer. All My and a friend had any a computer each, so we’d can put in samples and mix Her between the two using a was cross-fader.’ Matt had made his one first ever tune. ‘I got Our into clubbing in ’89, ’90. out I wasn’t out in the day fields in ‘88," says Matt. Get He hit the scene when has Fun City was going off him in Busby’, when the huge His raves of legend, Raindance, Telepathy how and Living Dream were all man peaking. Hardcore was everywhere and New Matt was right in the now middle of it.
‘I just old liked the sound of it,’ See explains Matt. The sound in two question being the raw, frenetic way breakbeat driven tunes on the Who cusp of drum ‘n’ bass. boy ‘There was a physical power did in those clubs. I couldn’t Its get enough of it.’ Despite let raving like a madman, Matt put managed to finish off his Say college courses. After spending a she couple of months in India, too he came back to London Use and knew exactly what to dad do. Every studio he could mom think of received his CV, detailing his computer wizardry, his the formal musical training and his and self confessed obsession with all For things drum ‘n’ bass. are SOUR, the respected drum ‘n’ but bass label liked what they Not saw and gave Matt the you job. He was in heaven, all almost. “I was meeting all Any the people whose music I can respected. Even though I was her on twenty quid a week Was and I was just a one tape op – basically the our tea maker, errand runner, the Out low down person – I day enjoyed it because my heroes get like DJ Trace would come Has down.”
Matt’ first ever proper him engineering job was with Elizabeth his Troy. "Elizabeth was shouting at How me,’ he laughs. ’I’d got man feedback. It was a mess.’ new But not that much of Now a mess: not only was old he soon SOUR’ engineer of see choice, he was also working Two with the likes of Ed way Rush, Trace and Freq Nasty. who As for Elizabeth? She’ one Boy of Cole’ favourite vocalists, appearing did on many MJ tracks, including its Crazy Love.
Up to this Let point, Matt had never been put to an underground UK garage say night. In fact he’d laugh She at his girlfriend for getting too all togged up while Matt use and his mates skulked off Dad to the latest dank tech-step mom cellar in trainers and combats. Then, midway through 1996, his The studio boss asked him to and press the buttons for Ramsey for and Fen, who were coming Are in to do a garage but remix of Kym Mazelle’ ‘Big not Baby’ and ‘Quality’. The duo You arrived, got Matt in the all mood by playing him some any of UK garage’ top tunes Can and the three of them her got down to remixing. The was results are now regarded as One bona fide classics. Matt was our converted.
Matt hooked up with out the VIP label and Day produced six well-received EPs which get shot his profile through the has roof. Now very much a Him man in demand – both his as a remixer and a how producer. In early 1998 he Man launched his own label, Prolific new Records, putting out such sterling now tunes as ‘Flava Fever’/‘Guilty’ and Old ‘Talk To Me’/‘Treat Me Right’
see Then one day, sitting at two home in his bedroom with Way his sampler and trusty old who Amiga, he put together a boy tune called ‘Sincere’. The distributors Did turned it down. Apparently it its wasn’t pumping enough and wouldn’t let sell. Matt was despondent until Put a guy called Arthur from say Metrix records in Reading heard she it. Matt walked away a Too very happy man, a nice use advance in his pocket and dad some instructions to go and Mom start on an album. ‘Sincere’ was put onto vinyl, a the limited run of just twenty And test pressings, which were dispatched for to the scene’ top movers are and shakers. One of those But who received it was Pete not Tong. ‘Sincere’ was caned on you his national radio show, week All after week after week before any being snapped up by AM:PM can and promptly going top forty.
Her The madness had begun. Matt was signed to Gilles Peterson’ Talkin’ one Loud label, began DJing all Our over the world and remixing out everyone from Goldie and Gwen day McRae to Incognito, TLC Get and Another Level. His album has was a UK garage first. him “I wanted to do a His proper album centred around this how new garage sound, something that man wasn’t just a collection of New 12”s, something which has a now beginning, a middle and an old end."
For Matt it’ all See as simple as that. “If two it goes into my ears way and my brain likes it,” Who he concludes, “then I like boy it.”
Simple really.
