Matt Barri‘s most recent single “I’m In Space When You’re Worlds Apart” is a testament to his versatile sound, which draws on a range of influences. Check out this exclusive interview to learn more about the inspiration behind his music and much more.
1 — First of all, how did your musical background shape your sound as an artist?
My background was really diverse, with influences ranging from the Beatles to New Wave acts like Devo, XTC, and Oingo Boingo. My family has a deep rooted history in Pop music and musical theater.
The Beatles’ influence is significant to me because my grandfather would always play their music in the car and tell me about how influential their songwriting was to him.
I grew up listening to KROQ and JACK FM and was fascinated by New Wave and Alt Rock artists and the energy they gave off.
There’s something really special about how their performances were so theatrical and dramatic, and how every artist was different from one another. The use of the dreamy synths and hard hitting drum beats definitely found its way into my own music habits.
I also like to tell stories with my music. That’s why Broadway music is such an influence, with its emphasis on storytelling. I did a lot of musical theater growing up and through high school.
2 — What makes “I’m In Space When You’re Worlds Apart” one of your best songs to date?
The dichotomy of super sad lyrics with upbeat EDM production is something that many ex-emo kids resonate with because it allows for a unique emotional release. The two elements create a cathartic experience and rollercoaster ride for myself and my listeners.
3 — Could you explain the connection between the pandemic and wildfires in Los Angeles and its lyrics?
The lyrics “they’re saying that the end is near” captures the feeling of existential dread that many people experienced during the pandemic, Black Lives Matter protests and LA wildfires. The line “in a rainstorm of ashes” is literally about walking around North Hollywood while ash and debris was raining down from the sky. Seeing the orange and red sky further illustrates the apocalyptic feeling that these events created for me.
4 — What mood or atmosphere were you trying to create with this particular tune?
The song was originally a ballad, just me and a piano, that I wrote for my songwriting final at ICON Collective. I wanted it to be sad as fuck and make my friends cry. During the bridge I added a spoken word goodbye to my friends since it was presented to everyone over zoom. It wasn’t until we were writing and recording the EP that I reworked the lyrics from the original ballad to the Electro-Pop/Future Bass production. To me, the bridge in IISWYWA expresses the same gut wrenching goodbye I said on my final, but sung instead of spoken word.
5 — Can you tell us about any challenges you faced while producing “I’m In Space When You’re Worlds Apart”?
The song was originally 150 BPM and felt more future bass-y, but to make the whole EP feel more cohesive, it was recommended by my friend and advisor, Seb, to slow it down to 130 which felt just right. I didnt even think to combine the lyrics from my final with this new Electro-Pop production until the day I was set to record it. I was standing in the booth looking through old lyrics I wrote and thought “damn this would fit perfectly”.
6 — How do you balance your roles as a songwriter, producer, and DJ, and which role do you enjoy the most?
When I’m writing a song, I’m also producing it at the same time. Sometimes I sit down at a piano or with my guitar, but usually I do it all in Ableton. I’m writing melodies, drums, and making synths all at the same time so to me they’re kinda one and the same. DJing is just one medium of performance for me. I love DJing and curating a sound or vibe for an audience but I also want to expand my live performing. Last month, I sang live at my show at the Moroccan. Now I am in the process of building a live show where I can sing and perform my music. I would even love to form a band.
It’s hard to say which role I love the most because all of them allow me to express myself as an artist.
7 — How do you overcome creative blocks and keep the inspiration flowing?
Learning new things has always been the best way to overcome creative blocks. I love watching Youtube tutorials. There is an infinite well of knowledge out there. The same goes for new guitar tunings. Just doing things differently that are sometimes outside my comfort zone is usually how I can get through creative blocks.
Also, a lot of my inspiration comes from my life, love and loss.
8 — What have been some of the most valuable lessons you’ve learned from your experiences as direct support for artists like Steve Aoki, Lil Jon, and Wooli?
When I opened up for Lil Jon, I was playing for 8,000 people. 7,990 more than I ever played to before. Things were going off and in the middle of one of the best drops, the entire rig went dead. An amp blew and everything shut down. The crowd was not happy and they started chanting. Once I realized that it wasn’t something that I did, I took a deep breath and let the house techs fix the problem. After 3 minutes of awkward silence, I was up and running again. What I learned was don’t panic or do anything that would change the mood of the moment. Let things resolve themselves and once they do hit him hard. I picked it up where I left off, and I had a great rest of the set.
The Steve Aoki set went much smoother. I really worked hard on making that set my own using a lot more of my own music, which was a little nerve racking for me. The crowd responded to my original music super well, and it definitely boosted my self esteem in playing out my own music.
The Wooli Show was once again different in that it was a much heavier, dubstep-centric. The challenge for me was to try and hold a crowd because I was playing After Wooli. Overall, it went great and the people who stuck around to the end of my set were so into the music. I learned how to adapt to a different audience.
9 — Can you give us a sneak peek into your upcoming debut EP, ‘The Only Way Out Is Up’?
It’s the first project with all my own vocals, lyrics, and production. It’s emotional, uplifting and hard hitting. It’s like if the albums Breakaway by Kelly Clarckson and Virtual Self by Virtual Self had a baby.
10 — Is there anything important that we haven’t touched on yet that you would like to share with our readers?
I’ve spent the past 4 years making all different kinds of music from Future Bass, to Drum n’ Bass, to Breakcore, to Pop Punk. This project is a culmination of all my previous endeavors combined, with my own topline. This year I’m only releasing music with this “MATT BARRI” sound I’ve developed. I’m putting my stake in the ground.
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Hi, I’m Erick Ycaza — a music blogger with a BA in Advertising & Graphic Design. I created this blog to keep you updated with daily music news. Surprisingly, I’ve been writing about music since 2007. If you’re an artist and would like to be featured, feel free to reach out: info@electrowow.net
