The name Matt Kitshon is surely familiar to anyone who’s stepped foot inside a Brisbane club in recent times. He’s played alongside some of the biggest names in the business and drew a dedicated crowd at his last Brisbane residency at The Monastery. He also came in as Queensland’s third favourite DJ in last year’s ITM50. But then he dissappeared… only to resurface in Shanghai, China. An strange place for a DJ to find work, but not quite as strange as one might think, as ITM found out when they caught up with Matt to get the lowdown on Brisbane dance music’s China connection…
What was it like to get a placing in last year’s ITM50? Was it a surprise?
It was a bit of a surprise. I’m not really that caught up in the whole DJ poll thing, my music has always been on the fringes of styles. I play music because it’s what I love, not for the recognition. But hey, I won’t say no to another spot this year if anybody remembers to vote for me.
What have been some of your favourite moments behind the decks in the year since you took out the third placing in the ITM50?
The best night without a doubt was Christmas night at the Monastery, it was my last gig before [travelling] overseas. Played the whole night, loads of my favorite tunes from over the years as well as an up for it crowd that included my closest friends that were as into it as I was, even went out and had a boogie for a trax or two. A night I will never forget… even if it is blurry in parts, thanks Jimmy and Jason!
You’re currently in China, right? What are you doing over there, and are you enjoying it?
Correct, I’m based out of Shanghai, DJing in what can be described as electronic music’s new frontier. It’s a love/hate relationship so far. But I find that every day I fall more and more in love with it.
I have a couple of residencies, as well as touring with the “China DJ loop” playing gigs all over the country, as well as flying back to Oz every 3 months or so.
What is the dance music scene like in China?
It’s in its infancy in a lot of aspects, no electronic dance music radios or even print media, but the venues are world class and the people are taking to it more and more. Musically, it can be a hard task ,but bringing dance music to the people has always been a passion.
What were the couple of shows you played while briefly back in Brisbane like? Did your fans come out to see you?
Yup, they sure did, it was a hectic amount of gigs, every one of them was jammed. I had a great time, it was a little sad to say goodbye, but I’m back in August.
You take a time machine 5 years in to the future of Brisbane dance music. What’s it like? Are you still there?
Australian dance music is ruling the world at the moment, the amount of talent coming out of Brisbane and the rest of the country will continue to grow and grow. Every international I meet here loves playing to Australian crowds, and I agree they party like no others (even if my opinion is a little biased ). Brisbane will always be home, and I would never dream of not being part of the dance scene – I will still be popping in and out.
What are your immediate plans for the future? Any production work in the pipeline?
I’m staying based in Shanghai with more touring gigs around China every month, plus plans for tours of Japan, Hong Kong and the rest of Asia in the coming months. Add to that 3 more trips back to Oz before the end of the year and I’m not sure where sleep fits in!
As for production, remixing is more up my alley rather than straight production work, but the fruits of those labors are more designed for use in my DJ sets only, not as release material – but who knows what the future holds?
To vote for Matt Kitshon (or any other DJ) in the 2005 ITM50 Poll, visit the voting page: http://www.inthemix.com.au/50/2005/
