Sydney’s Matt Rowan has been making a hugely impressive name for himself with a world-class selection of high-quality progressive house tunes already in his portfolio, drenched with both melody and groove. His ever-growing list of achievements includes featuring heavily on Steve Porter’s Porterhouse compilations, regularly getting his tunes thrashed by the likes of Sasha, John Digweed, Dave Seaman, Nick Warren, Hernan Cattaneo and more, playing sets all across the world as well as his upcoming artist album I Play This that’s due for release in September. And this year has been Matt’s busiest year yet, juggling a day job alongside producing and DJing, but his busy schedule hasn’t tempered Matt’s motivation in the slightest.

“I don’t want to be left wondering what would have happened if only,” explains Matt. “So I have no regrets at all. Actually I probably do have one regret… That I didn’t start producing at the same time I started DJing, that would have meant I’d already have a solid ten years under my belt!” Regardless, the last few years has seen Matt make some big leaps as a DJ /Producer, with numerous overseas gigs in both North and South America in particular. A long term move may very well just be inevitable; after all, his production pal Jaytech has already proved extremely successful in his international relocation. “It’s just a matter of getting the right amount of gigs and an alternate form of income whilst I’m there,” he reveals. “It would be difficult to leave Sydney though, as I truly love my life here.”

The partnership of Matt Rowan and Jaytech certainly led to the release of some quality tunes, but with Jaytech now living in London for the foreseeable future, they’re obviously limited in how much time they can spend in the studio together. But Matt confirms the two are continuing to work together over the internet. Otherwise, Matt has recently also been collaborating with Sydney DJ Robbie Lowe, and he describes their recent studio sessions together as a ‘unique experience’, with sounds that cross over a number of genres. “The results have been fantastic.” Otherwise, who would be his dream musical partner? “If Junkie XL wants to go back to his prog stuff, he knows were he can find me! Call me Tom… please,” he laughs.

Getting into the details of Matt Rowan’s forthcoming album I Play This, he confirms it’s an 11-track album that’s due for release on Baroque Records, available in early September as for both digital download as well as in the stores. Delving into a variety of sounds, Matt showcases his repertoire ranging from deep and tech house through to his beloved progressive, with a dash of techno thrown in there too. “With a melodic influence and of course plenty of groove,” he explains, and unlike many artist albums being released, all the tracks will be fully mixable and unedited. He claims compiling I Play This proved to be quite an experience, although the basic production itself took only three months. “Doing the final mix down was a pain in the arse that took longer than the writing itself,” he laughs “I’m now happy with the end result so I can rest easy.”

Taking the #80 spot the inthemix50 poll last year, Matt was so chuffed with this achievement that he even dedicate a tune to the occasion. He does however emphasise what he views as the ups and downs of such a poll. “It tends to encourage voting off the top of one’s head, rather than any thought into what people actually like, and most punters will only scratch the surface of the Australian dance music world.” There are definite benefits in ranking highly though, and he’s adamant that underground acts need to gather their troops. “It would be great to see some of those guys break into the poll,” he says.

As busy as Matt has been, his upcoming appearance at Interview this weekend will only be his second DJ gig in Melbourne. “My mum grew up in Geelong so I’ve had many visits to both there and Melbourne since I was a kid, it’s such a great city and I’m looking forward to just spending some time cruising around the joint,” he says. “I can’t wait to get back and play again!” Bringing a mix of sounds to his DJ sets, the key elements that he looks for in a tune include groove, drive and melodies, and it’s a checklist that sees him troll through endless tunes that cover everything from deep house through to trance, “I hope people just have fun with my music, and it gets them off their bums and onto their feet,” he says.

16th Aug: Interview, Miss Libertines, Melbourne
22nd Aug: Yum Cha, The Laundry, Sydney