As I have grown older it has been a pleasure to see friends and acquaintances become fellow music obsessives. Since leaving University a vast number of my closest friends are passionate about music and have taken up the craft of DJing. Seeing them play at parties, clubs and even take the art form further into producing has made me exceptionally proud. With Hip-Hop, being my first love, it is even more exciting for me to see a friend make rap music.
A very talented young man who I met at University is making some relaxing, soulful and dynamic music. Matthew Muli and I have remained friends since meeting and chatted over Zoom to discuss his music and further influences.
A: Hello mate, what have you been listening to lately?
M: I’ve been enjoying Upsammy lately, she is sick. She definitely is one of my favourite new artist’s I have stumbled on. I read her Breaking Through feature on RA. Really experimental. I have also been listening to one of Four Tet’s alias called Percussions.
A: The other day I was reminiscing about you showing me Knxwledge back in the library In Southampton.
M: Yeah he is one of my all time favourite artist’s. I remember discovering him whilst at college and just being like wow. One of those, I’ve never heard anything like it moments. I have followed him ever since. He is so sick.
A: How has your music making been going lately? In the last week and in lockdown.
M: Not too much lately actually, I’ve been trying to work on a couple things. I am just working on improving stuff before posting.
A: It can be a really difficult process writing thought’s down, in this context we mean lyrics but I mean just anything, I know sometimes I try to write down thoughts and feelings to contextualise them but it is so challenging to break down that barrier. Do you have any suggestions for those wanting to write some poetry?
M: Definitely, I sometimes struggle to be completely honest with the notepad. Writing down how you feel can often make those feelings feel more real sometimes, there might be stuff you don’t wanna see on paper. Sometimes I have written things and then thrown them away; they do not have to go anywhere. But getting out of your system is important though.
A: Sorry completely missed the intro, do you want to quickly introduce yourself?
M: Sure. My name is Matthew Muli. I live in Brighton and am studying for a masters in Criminology. I make music.
Instrumentally Matthew’s music is clearly Hip-Hop influenced with lyrics stretching from fun to serious. Guitar is an instrument commonly featuring within his tracks, the chords of which are muffled and muted alongside his lyrics. His lyrics wonderfully combining rhymes that are relatable, with words deeper and more meaningful.
A: We met in Southampton, did anything about that city and the people you met there inspire your music making?
M: Yeah I guess, the degree I studied wasn’t music related. So that made me make the most of my free time and focus on music.
A: How long have you been making the music you make?
M: I first downloaded Ableton when I was 17 with my brothers license. Before that I had fiddled around with Audacity trying to make stuff on there. I had a Yamaha keyboard and would send sounds into Audacity and arrange stuff. I have only had Ableton since I was 17 but I have always wrote lyrics since I was about 13. I have some old loops and samples on my computer. Lately I’ve been trying to finish and share more stuff.
One of my favourite tracks Matthew has produced is called Fresh Start. A warming and welcoming ode to Matthew’s take on the world.
A: What was the inspiration behind the song “Fresh Start”?
M: There is a lyric where I said: “feeling like a penny can somebody pick me up somebody help me up so i can have a fresh start”. There I was wanting to explore the topic of self worth. Sometimes you don’t really feel valued or that you have much importance. I feel like having someone wanting to help you in any situation, can help you gain that self worth, and the feeling of being given another chance at life.
A: Have you got to the stage with your production where you are starting to feel pretty confident with the sound of your tracks?
M: I am just trying to get better all the time. I do not want to be complacent.
A: You make Hip-Hip focused music, who are some of your favourite rappers?
M: I would have to say Nas, Talib Kweli, Common, Roc Marciano, 2-Pac, MF Doom, theres so many! Blu and Exile too. Some of my favourite producers are J Dilla, Knxwledge, Madlib and Flying Lotus. When I was in year 7 and 8 there was a lot of Eminem and Jay Z floating around too.
A: I am a huge fan of Eminem, the Eminem Show is one of my favourite album’s.
M: Yeah, Haille’s Song on that album, love that song.
A: In Fresh Start you sing “fade my sides, thumbs got chaps used to have jacket like fred perry and chaps, merri-go-round, archangel burial sound, found etched headplate on the ground, red paint, ill paint red paint on these grounds” I wonder what other influences besides Hip-Hop you feel have been important to you?
M: I really love Burial, Four Tet, Mount Kimbie, James Blake. Been listening to a lot of Omar S and Upsammy recently. I like guitar orientated rock stuff too. Aerial M, Fennesz
A: There are some beautiful guitar chords in some of your tracks, do you play much?
M: I wouldn’t say I am a guitarist. But I know a few things, and I like to use it to create and develop ideas. Even just playing one note and then messing around with that one note in Ableton. I really love guitars, such a nice sound.
A: Are there any other instruments that strike a chord with you?
M: Piano is amazing!
A: Do you play that at all?
M: Yeah a little!
A: We have spoken before about the influence of religion on music generally, and specifically on your music. What effects has religion had on any of the music you have made?
M: I feel like Christianity has given me a lot of hope and provided me with some answers. I think with the music I want to express hope. Share it in a way that might, encourage people. Even if it’s sort of subjective, talking about things like creation, colours and stories. I think with any art someone creates, it is a representation of what is going on inside them, and I feel I’d like to share faith, alongside other thing’s going on in my heart. I would want my music to reflect a mixture of thing’s that I think about and what effects me.
A: Who are some artists who make uplifting and Christian focused music, which as you said isn’t solely religion focused but brings together the positivity of religion with other artistic elements?
M: I really like the way the rapper I mentioned Blu makes music. Really thoughtful. He’s got one song called Hold On, which has been really encouraging for me. A band called Switch Foot, really love their stuff. Jonathan Ogden. Kings Kaleidoscope. There are a lot of female vocalists too. Laura Hackett, Kathryn Scott, Steffany Gretzinger. They have all had a really positive impact on my life.
A: Amazing, I think that is a pretty amazing reason to make music. Your efforts to bring hope to other people. Very inspiring. We chatted about “Fresh Start”. Another one of your favourite tracks of mine is; “Don’t Wanna Rush”. I just wondered any inspirations behind that track?
M: I think the idea of not wanting to rush is really important to me. Not just with making music, but with anything. I don’t want to rush things. But at the same time, I don’t want to settle and not try to push myself. Perhaps it’s a sort of balance.
A: Great, I am pretty excited for some new tunes from you. Any final thoughts?
M: One thing I want to mention is, with faith, I am not some perfect person. I think life is a journey of knowing it is ok if you’re not perfect. But Im always trying to find hope, in faith, family and friends.
Give Matthew Muli a follow on Soundcloud, Instagram and a like on Facebook.
Interview by: Angus Whitfield