Matt Walsh
Matt Walsh
01-04-15
For this Good Friday late-night fun, Homodrop brings not only the legendary Ivan Smagghe to the Superstore basement, but also long-time local hero Matt Walsh! Since supporting Tiga at Shoreditch's much-missed T-Bar in 2007, Matt has carved out a space within London's ever-changing nightlife for himself, from the forefront of the electroclash movement, to becoming a resident at the seminal Bugged Out nights, to founding his own label Clouded Vision. Ahead of the party we posed a few questions to find out what we can expect...
If you had a time machine and could visit any dance floor from your own past, where would you go dancing and why?
I first started going out to house clubs at university, prior to that I was pretty much an indie kid, but the first few nights that I really loved were at The Bomb in Nottingham. I went every Saturday throughout my first year at university. Craig Richards and Lee Burridge used to do their Tyrant night there once a month.
What’s one Bugged Out moment you’ll treasure forever?
Playing the last set and the last record at the last Bugged Out at The End. I was lucky enough to play there quite a few times and even now with lots of new London clubs opening, the main room can still not be beaten for sound quality and the reaction you got from being in the centre of the room. This was my last track...
Okay predication time… seeing as you saw it all the first time round, and all things in life (especially fashion and music) tend to be cyclic… how long do you think we’ve got before a proper electroclash revival?
I think there already has been one to some extent, with labels like Clouded Vision, Phantasy, Correspondant, Cómeme, DOBW etc doing so well. It's just a shame that the fashion part of it hasn't been revived. Clubbing is missing that element now and there is so much great music around, techno especially, but there is a distinct lack in people making an effort to look different when they go out.
What is one defunct night/nightclub you’d happily resurrect?
There was so many great nights in the early Electroclash era, I had just moved to London and went out five nights a week - Trash on Mondays, White Heat on Tuesdays, Nag on Wednesdays, and Fabric, Our Disco, Sonic Mook, Flesh and Return to New York at the weekend....
The one nightclub that has a special place in my heart is T bar, for a number of reasons, as well as being my first real London gig when I moved to Shoreditch 10 years ago.
Who is someone in dance music you find really inspiring (and not just in a like-their-music kinda way) and what is it about them that makes them so inspiring to you? -
Michael Mayer - For his love and knowledge of music, ability to stay on point without really changing his style and for the best dance label of this generation.
Where did the name for your production alias and label, Clouded Vision, come from?
It was Steve Cook, my production partner at the time, that came up with it while we were in the studio working on our early tracks. He is making some great stuff alone now and has so many records about to come out. This one was released last month on Tsuba...
What’s one thing that has surprised you about running your own label?
No surprises to be honest, but I do find that most people are surprised when you tell them that you can't make any money from doing it!
You’re no stranger to Dalston basements… why are you looking forward to playing ours?
Playing alongside Ivan is always fun and inspiring. He is one of the best out there and to play in a tiny basement together will mean we can push the boundaries a lot more than in a large club environment.
Finally, tell us a dance floor banger lurking in your record bag ready for Good Friday’s Homodrop party…
I cant get enough of Factory Floor's remixes at the moment and Gabe from the band has just made a killer solo EP on Drone (Richard Fearless's label). Both of these are killer...
Join Matt Walsh this Good Friday 3rd April for Homodrop at Dalston Superstore from 9pm - 4am.
Matt Walsh