ON THE RISE
California-born musician and electro-bass legend DJ Matrix makes a striking return to music after nearly 37 years with his new single, “Hypnotic”. Known for his pioneering work blending electro, Miami bass, and ambient textures, DJ Matrix’s latest release channels a lush mix of ambient-pop and electronic soul – a sound that nods to his early days while landing squarely in today’s ‘80s revival. The track’s rich, atmospheric layers emerged almost instinctively, with the bassline and melody arriving in a moment of pure creative flow – a state that would ultimately inspire its name.
“The bassline and melody came to me when I was driving. It just jumped into my head. I had to get off the road and hum into my phone so I wouldn’t forget it. I was so excited, I did a U-turn and went back to lay it down in the studio. Then when I shared the instrumental track with Egypt, he said, ‘That’s the one! That’s your comeback single! But what are we gonna call it?’ And that flow just spoke to us – it was hypnotic, it puts you in a trance,” shared DJ Matrix.
After more than three decades away from the keys, the drums, and even a lyric sheet, the music returned to DJ Matrix as if it had never left. With the exception of The Egyptian Lover’s verse, he wrote, mixed, and produced “Hypnotic” entirely himself. The track carries his signature electro-Miami bass foundation, but if you listen closely, there’s also a subtle hip-hop flair to the flow of the lyrics.
“In the 37 years since I released “Feel My Bass,” I’ve listened to all different types of music and fallen in love with all of them. I’m not that same 19- or 20-year-old guy who was only interested in dance music; I’ve matured and wanted to include some new elements. I do have a huge fan base, but a lot of those guys are my age. When I put that music out back then, it was a time when you had a lot of different styles of music coming out and competing – hip-hop was just starting, neo-soul, new jack swing, house. I want to keep that audience, but I also want to bring in a newer, bigger audience,” said DJ Matrix. “Those who weren’t around to enjoy the awesome sounds of the 80’s in real life, I want them to get a taste of it now, but with splashes of what’s hot today layered in.”
Although “Hypnotic” feels like a long-awaited homecoming, DJ Matrix hadn’t planned on returning to music at all. If not for an unexpected Facebook message, the song might never have been born. About a year and a half ago, an artist from the UK reached out to him, asking if he was the same DJ Matrix who recorded “It’s Time to Rock” and “Feel My Bass” — and if so, could he pass along his contact info to The Egyptian Lover, who had an entire network of people trying to track him down. Intrigued and flattered, DJ Matrix agreed immediately. After all, he’d been a massive fan of The Egyptian Lover since the mid 80’s. They had even come from the same neighborhood in Los Angeles, though their paths only crossed once. So, when the legendary “King of the 808” reached out to collaborate, the answer was an easy yes.
“I felt a lot of excitement, but also anxiety. I hadn’t played a single note, programmed a single beat, written or produced anything in 36 years. I didn’t want to disappoint Egypt or my fan base. 36 years is a long time to be away from anything if the goal is to pick up right where you left off, especially when the tools of the trade have changed so much. But when I realized I had the chance to do again what I loved all those years ago, it just felt right. My kids are grown now, and they didn’t even know DJ Matrix. They never had a chance to see me perform or hear my music playing on the radio. When I left the industry because of my military commitments, I walked away from music completely and never looked back. I didn’t even talk about it, but now I have been blessed with the opportunity to show my kids that side of me,” continued DJ Matrix. “So, I built a studio in my house and taught myself how to make music again. Back then, everything was analog, so the learning curve was huge. I lived on YouTube tutorials, but eventually, it all started to come back to me, and before I knew it, DJ Matrix was reborn.”
Music has always been in DJ Matrix’s blood — his mother and stepfather were both singers who toured with legends like The O’Jays and The Spinners. He grew up surrounded by music, from playing drums in church by the age of six to enjoying the music spilling from porches and street corners throughout his neighborhood. Inspired by The Egyptian Lover in high school, he began DJing neighborhood house parties with his crew “Intense Heat” and carried that passion into his Navy years, spinning at the base nightclub and as a headlining DJ at major dance parties sponsored by independent record label Jam City Records nearby. That connection led to the release of his debut single, “It’s Time to Rock,” in 1986 — all while serving in the US Navy. After serving four years in the Navy, he enlisted into the US Marines. It was during this transition that he left Jam City and formed his own independent label, Bad Boy Records, and in 1988, released “Feel My Bass.” Unfortunately, due to Desert Storm and the Gulf War, DJ Matrix could no longer promote or support the music, and he literally disappeared without a trace, leaving fans all over the world scratching their heads and wondering what happened to him.
“It wasn’t me who chose to come back; it was the guy who got me started in music almost four decades ago who pulled me back in, and I can’t tell you what that means. When Egypt said, ‘You need to come back. People all over the world still love you. Let’s launch you and feature me,’ it was surreal to have this guy want to be featured on my song, instead of me just collaborating on one of his. During our first conversation, I told him I didn’t know if I was the same guy anymore, then he sent me some YouTube links to my old songs, and I saw people all over the planet still vibin’ to them, comments going back 15 to 20 years. That brought me to tears – before he proved it to me, I didn’t even know I had a fan base like that. I had no idea my music had touched the lives of so many. Egypt’s music made me want to DJ and emulate his style as an artist, and now he’s the one bringing me back? It’s a full circle moment; it felt preordained. I had to jump in with both feet. Who knows where this goes from here?” enthused DJ Matrix.
Released in early August, “Hypnotic” was originally planned as a standalone single, but the global fanfare, critical praise, and interest from multiple legendary artists now have DJ Matrix committed to a full album by early 2026. A new single is already in the works for release in the coming months, and according to DJ Matrix, it might be even better than “Hypnotic.” He recently appeared in-store with The Egyptian Lover in Miami on August 9 and will follow with another in London on August 29. So, stay tuned to his socials for all the latest updates, and in the meantime, enjoy “Hypnotic” on all music streaming platforms.
“I can’t express how much it means to me that the man who first lit the fire in me is the one who brought me back. I’m not just here to honor my fans, but to introduce a new generation to this sound, including my kids, the same way he inspired me. And, if I can open some new doors for him this time, it would rank as one of my biggest accomplishments.” said DJ Matrix.
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Pop and soul singer Sharon Watkins is preparing to share her very first album in 2023. Working alongside producer Sam Miller (known for his work with The Hoosiers and One Direction), she is following up with her newest release, The One That Got Away, which arrives on 18 November 2022. The track is a tender acoustic ballad that tells the story of leaving behind a harmful relationship, finding strength, and welcoming a fresh start. With gentle piano arrangements and Sharon’s unmistakable soulful voice, the song captures an intensely emotional journey.
Her earlier singles, Proud and Stranded, have already connected with listeners in a big way, reaching more than 250,000 views on YouTube and 150,000 streams on Spotify. With this momentum building, Music News sat down with Sharon to talk about her music and what comes next.
Hi Sharon How are you?
Doing really well thanks! So excited about all the momentum we’ve had with our first 3 singles, honestly, it has been insane to have had BBC radio interviews, rotations, global press coverage and to have won an international song contest in such a short space of time!!
Tell us about your latest release ‘The One That Got Away’?
Well, it starts out as a real wintery piano ballad, portraying that moment when you suddenly realise that someone you're with is messing you around. Then, with the help of big strings and orchestral percussion, it develops into a powerful "I'm over you" song…. It is really a defiant two-fingers up at the ex that never appreciated you until it was too late. It moves from the turmoil of still having feelings for that person, cutting lose and moving on to triumphant recovery, knowing that you made the right decision.
The music video is visually stunning and the dance is beautiful, talk to us about the filming of this video and the creative decision to use dance to express the meaning of the track.
Thank you, that means a lot! We’re really pleased with the way the video came out. Me and my brother, Sammy J Stopford, who has been my partner in crime on this whole album project, knew very early on that we wanted a contemporary dance that portrayed the turmoil in this song. I also knew I wanted the video to express the mental turmoil you go through after finishing a relationship and the underwater medium just seamed such an ideal metaphor for that. We put out a request for dancers and choreographers on Instragram not thinking we would get much interest. One of our lessons on this project is that you can’t pore the right energy into a project if you don’t love the music and so this was the main pre-requisite for dancers…. “please only contact us if the song inspires you!”…. we couldn’t believe the response!! We ended up watching so many amazing dance videos from such talented people. Our album is about adult life lessons and so we knew we wanted a believable couple, that had a great connection and were old enough to have gone through an adult relationship and breakup. We chose Florivaldo Mossi (Michael Jackson in West End Show “Thriller”) & Ashley Cavell (Star of many shows, including ABBA Fever) as they are both incredible dancers but also fit the storyline so well. I couldn’t believe it when Choreographer, Stewart Arnold (choreographer & dancer to Kate Bush) agreed to work on the project!!
The writing in the song is very personal. Was it emotional pouring these emotions into lyrics?
Honestly, it is like an exorcism. Songwriting is how I process and deal with life’s ups-and-downs and so I would be lost without that outlet. It forces me to really dig deep on my emotions towards things. You can’t write songs about superficial stuff, otherwise it just sounds cliché.
What do you hope people take away from ‘The One That Got Away’?
I feel like it’s the song you need a friend to play you when you have broken up from someone and are feeling injured and unsure. You need someone to tell you that you missed a bullet and one day that ex will look around and realise that they lost something very special. I have had people reach out already and tell me how relatable the message is and that it has helped them… this is the biggest compliment of all!!
Talk to us about your influences as an artist.
I grew up in Manchester surrounded by an incredible 90’s music scene, in a house where my dad played everything from The Beatles to Zappa. I then spent 8 years living in the states, picking up some great American influences like Carole King. I have now made Nottingham my home, which is where I recorded the album and I have honestly really been enjoying the return in popularity of singer-songwriters like Lewis Capaldi and Tom Odell …. So all-in-all a pretty varied range of influcences… making for an eclectic pop album that I hope you all like.
Going back briefly on the video, you collaborated with some great people on the video such as Stewart Arnold who worked closely with Kate Bush and Florivaldo Mossi, noted for being Michael Jackson in Thriller Live. Tell us about your experience working with them.
It's been the stuff of dreams really. I am a massive Kate Bush fan and to work with Stewart was like a dream come true. He and I had some long conversations about our vision for this video and the turmoil I wanted to portray. His ability to translate that into dance is something amazing to watch. I had the honour of watching him choregraph the dancers on the morning of the shoot and it was like watching a master at work, the artistic ideas that he brought to this project were incredible. Flori Mossi and Ashley Cavell are both experienced dancers but seeing the way they clicked together, and their interaction and interpretation of the song just blew me away.
What can we expect from you next?
Well, we have 3 more singles coming ahead of the album launch in 2023, so make sure you follow me on Spotify to keep up with those (Sharon Watkins) and we’re also going to be doing a series of “Live Lounge” performances of our tracks ahead of the album release so follow me on socials @sharonwatkinsofficial to keep an eye out for those.
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