Artist Spotlight: MusicsWeek
DJ Matrix shares his remarkable journey from a young musician inspired by legendary artists in South Central Los Angeles to a seasoned producer making a powerful comeback after decades away from the scene. He reflects on his early influences, the challenges of balancing military service with his musical dreams, and his inspiring return to music in 2024. With a signature sound that blends Electro Bass, Hip-Hop, House, and R&B, DJ Matrix offers a glimpse into his creative process, future goals, and the passion that continues to drive his artistry.
MusicsWeek: Can you tell us about your journey into music and what inspired you to become an artist?
DJ Matrix: Growing up in South Central Los Angeles, music was all around me, and it's always been in my blood. My mom and step father were very accomplished singers and toured with some of the biggest classic R&B names ever known, like The OJ's, The Spinners, Marvin Gaye and more. I started playing drums when I was only 6 years old and was playing for our church choir by the time I was 9 or 10. But it wasn't until my senior year of high school that the dream of becoming an artist first entered my head. I was learning how to be a DJ at that time, and there was a DJ crew called Uncle Jam's Army that was putting on these amazingly huge dance parties at the LA Sports Arena. One of the key members was The Egyptian Lover, who grew up not far from me. I saw him DJ and I modelled my style after his. But what really inspired me to want to be more than just a DJ, was when Egyptian Lover dropped Egypt, Egypt. After hearing that song, which was unlike anything I'd heard before, I decided I had to make music just like that... I wanted to be the NEXT Egyptian Lover.
But living in South Central in 1984 as a teenager was tough. Gang violence was out of control due to the emergence of crack cocaine and I had friends and family dropping all around me from gunfire. I had to get out of there, so 11 days after I graduated high school, I joined the Navy. While serving, I continued to work on my DJ skills, DJ'ing barbecues on base and eventually being hired to DJ on weekends at the base nightclub. I was stationed at Naval Air Station Lemoore (California), and had to drive to Fresno to a record shop called Jam City Records to buy all my vinyl. Over time, I built a strong friendship with the shop owner Alan Franco, who had just launched his own label, also called Jam City Records. In addition, he was also the biggest dance party promoter in the area, selling out the Fresno Fairgrounds on a regular basis. He eventually hired me to be the opening DJ for all the concerts he promoted, and our relationship grew even stronger. One day I was at the shop and a song was playing by a group called Freestyle. I loved the beat and started playing it with my hands on the counter. Alan walked up to me and asked, "If I give you a drum machine, could you program that same beat?" I laughed and told him of course I could, but I'd never seen a drum machine before, let alone knew how to program one. He had a guy show me the basics, and within a few minutes, I made that beat. He was kind of amazed, and asked me if I wanted to get in the studio to make my own music. The door to my music career was finally open. I signed with Jam City as "Matrix" and just a few months later, Jam City released my first single, "It's Time To Rock."
But then came a tough pill to swallow - being in the Navy, I was unable to go on the road to perform live or promote the song. This created a major problem for Jam City, as they NEEDED Matrix to tour. Unable to do so, the decision was made for Jam City to release me from my contract, and because they owned the rights to the stage name "Matrix," they put other guys in the studio to record a couple more "Matrix" records. I didn't like being associated with the other songs, because they weren't mine. I didn't even like the songs. So, in 1988, just after being discharged from the Navy, I formed my own label (Bad Boy Records) and released "Feel My Bass" under the name DJ Matrix, to make a clear statement that I was not the Matrix on Jam City anymore. While trying to learn and navigate the business of the music business, I quickly realized I was undercapitalized and couldn't run a label without deeper pockets and a great staff. With my second child on the way and very little money in the bank, I made the decision to reenlist in the military, but I joined the Marines that time. The plan was to do the best I could with Feel My Bass while serving as a Marine, but the Gulf War broke out, and that was the end of the music for me. Duty called, and I had to answer.
Fast forward more than 30 years to February of 2024. I was contacted by an artist in the UK through Facebook, asking if I was the same Demetrius Ford who was also DJ Matrix. I told him I was, and he told me Egyptian Lover had an army of people trying to track me down because he wanted to know if I'd be interested in collaborating with him on his upcoming album. I was blown away and told the guy to forward my contact info to Egypt. We connected a couple days later and over the course of a couple conversations, he convinced me to make a comeback. Instead of me working on HIS project, he wanted to simply be featured on MINE! The significance of this cannot be overstated. The guy who was my sole inspiration to make music almost 40 years ago is the guy that sought me out, woke me up from almost a 40-year sleep, and brought DJ Matrix back to the world!
MusicsWeek: Who are your biggest musical influences, and how have they shaped your sound?
DJ Matrix: As I mentioned above, Egyptian Lover was the most influential, and he definitely had a lot to do with shaping my sound. But there were so many others who influenced me as well, especially on the production side. Dr. Dre, DJ Quick, Teddy Riley and Arthur Baker just to name a few.
MusicsWeek: How would you describe your unique style or genre, and how has it evolved over time?
DJ Matrix: My style is sort of a hybrid; Electro Bass, with Hip-Hop, House and R&B influences sprinkled in. As for evolution, it's been 37 years since I released Feel My Bass independently. Over that span of nearly four decades, I've come to appreciate many different genres, but the challenge now is to figure out how to incorporate a lot of what I've come to love over the years into what I'm creating today, without moving too far away from what made DJ Matrix, DJ Matrix.
MusicsWeek: What is the creative process like for you when writing and producing new music?
DJ Matrix: Making music today is SO different from the way it was in the 80's. The tools available now make the creative process much simpler and faster, especially as it relates to experimentation. For me, it starts with a vision of "feeling" a song. I want the listener to feel immersed in the music, the way certain music in a movie scene makes a person feel like he or she in IN the scene. When I make music for the clubs, the energy has to be such that you never want to leave the dance floor, but it also needs to set itself apart from what everyone else is creating. The "DJ Matrix Sound" is a real thing. It's distinct, and it's mine. My sound is big, and full of different textures that complement each other. And as a DJ myself, I always think about the DJ's who will be spinning my records when I'm creating them. I make sure to incorporate breaks where DJ's can have fun scratching or blending other songs in.
MusicsWeek: Can you share the story or meaning behind your single "Hypnotic"?
DJ Matrix: When I decided to make a comeback, I knew the first single had to be absolute fire. But the fact I had not played a single note on a keyboard or tapped a single pad on a drum machine in almost 40 years caused a ton of anxiety at first, because I just didn't know where to start. I literally had to teach myself all over again how to make music. Music theory, composition, arrangement, writing lyrics, coming up with hooks and choruses, finding or creating the right sounds... so much! But once I started to figure it all out, the music started to come back to me. I recorded a few conceptual songs, all of which were good enough for an album, but not quite strong or powerful enough to be the comeback single. Then, one day while driving, a bassline and melody just popped into my head. I literally pulled off the road to hum it into my phone so I wouldn't forget it. I can't remember where I was driving to, but I made a U-turn and went back to my studio to lay down what was in my head. It was as if I'd just been possessed. It all flowed so effortlessly. In just a few hours, the framework for Hypnotic was built. I sent it to Egyptian Lover, and as soon as he heard it, he was like, "That's it! That's your comeback single!" I asked him if he wanted to be featured on it, and he said yes before I could even finish the question. After we listened to the track over and over, trying to decide what to call it, I told him the song almost puts you in a trance, like you're being hypnotized. As soon as the words came out of my mouth, it hit me... HYPNOTIC!
MusicsWeek: How do you handle challenges or setbacks in your music career?
DJ Matrix: The only real challenges or setbacks I've experienced happened all those years ago due to my military service commitments. They were so significant that I had to walk away from it altogether. Now that I'm picking up where I left off, I expect there to be new challenges and setbacks to deal with in the future, but I'll deal with each as they come, as best I can.
MusicsWeek: What role does your personal life or experiences play in your songwriting?
DJ Matrix: So far, everything that I've written has been about dancing and having a great time in a club or at a party, so my personal life and experiences haven't come into play yet. But I would like to make at least one song that is tied to my service in the Marines.
MusicsWeek: Are there any artists or genres you're eager to collaborate with in the future?
DJ Matrix: My endgame is to become my version of DJ Khaled or Dr. Dre. I want to produce artists across many different genres, as well as collab with as many established artists as I can.
MusicsWeek: How do you connect with your fans and build your community?
DJ Matrix: Obviously, social media is the most effective way to reach the masses, but I'm still learning how to use all the tools that are meant to help me grow my base of followers. I do love interacting with my fans. I never ignore messages they send me and am fairly quick to respond.
MusicsWeek: What are your goals or plans for the next phase of your music career?
DJ Matrix: I hope to release the follow-up single to Hypnotic after the holidays and a full album by the end of summer 2026. I'm also looking forward to live performances and appearances. After I'm done releasing and promoting the album, I will start looking to sign new artists to my label, Bass Bottom Records.
.jpeg)
COMMENTS
Leave a comment