Matt Moroder, also known as Mikrodizko, is invited by Mirage team for their "anger" party on Saturday the 19th of March at Yoga Bala. Matt knows how to mix fluently disco, italo, early house music and afro beats. He also owns "Little Leaf" label and his "Glossy" project is fully respected from all producers and DJs in the disco scene. 1. How did you get involved with music?
- My parents had a versatile record collection when I was a little kid, including Stones, Beatles, Santana, Space's "Magic Fly" album and Kraftwerk's "Mensch-Machine". Us, kids were allowed to use the stereo and the records from an early age and so we listened to all this stuff while playing with our toys. I guess that had a big impact on me. In the mid-nineties, I started DJing in the golden era of hip hop and started to dig the funk soul and jazz essentials. Sampled by my favourite artists like A.T.C.Q, Pharcyde, etc.
2. What is so fascinating to you about making edits?
- Rap music was the first club music I fell in love with, so I'm still fascinated by the concept of using and sampling parts from tracks and put them in a new context. It is still and always will be an artform to me.
3. You became really known with "Glossy". Tell us a few words about it.
- It was just a spontaneous idea to play around with some samples and acapellas in 2006. I did this with a friend who had been already into producing music now known as Tensnake. We did a Space remix got played by Gilles Patterson on BBC, after that we had to do a "b-side" to put it on wax and it went pretty good. It turned out people liked the b-side much more ("Try Try"), so never underestimate the b-side, kids!
4. Now you have a new label called "Little Leaf". What's different now and what kind of artists are you looking for?
- "Little Leaf" is following the idea of Glossy, but much more sophisticated. The dancefloor is not the number one priority. With the first two releases we not even crossed the 110 bpm mark. Also, I am not interested in just choping up dance hits, that already work on the floor for 30 years. I am more fascinated for example, by using tracks and samples that on first sight don't work in the club context, like the "Porque te vas" edit by Nelue or taking a ballad and put it in a new context like Erobique did. I am searching for stuff like this. I love boogie and disco, but why don't try folk, rock, afro, whatever you can find? Also, the artwork is very important to me as a vinyl addict. How should I show my dad or grandma what I do? A record sleeve is something they know, they can touch and watch it. How do you touch a soundfile? It has no body, no visual life at all. The "Little Leaf" artwork is done by a really talented and upcoming illustrator from Hamburg, Anna Verhoja. She always listen to the tracks for a few days and after that we meet and discuss the visual concept before she starts drawing and painting. Analogue again, hahaha...
5. Which is the best thing you've ever experienced through DJing?
- Definitely travelling and meeting interesting people all over the world. So far I've played in the US, France, Austria, Netherlands, Australia and Germany of course. The weirdest gig/place I played so far, was an illegal rave at the end of the nineties in a cave formely used by the nazis for manufacturing parts of the V2 missiles in WW2. A really morbid and special place.
6. Do you admire any greek artists?
- Yes of course, Vangelis is a legend. I bought the "Blade Runner" soundtrack when I was a kid and I can still listen to it. Demis Roussos did some serious disco tracks but I also admire directors and movies from Greece by Nikos Nikolaidis, Costa Gavras, Giorgos Lanthimos. I am a big fan of the cinema I have to admit.
7. What is inpiration to you?
- That can be everything that touches me. A person, a place, a vibe, art... just everything!
8. What are your future plans?
- Keep the "Little Leaf" growing and contributing my small to save the vinyl. Soundfiles don't have a b-side you can discover!
9. What can really make you angry and what is usually your reaction?
- Intolerance and betrayal! Reaction: I let karma do its work, but maybe some ANGER comes up too...
10. What should we expect from you at the Mirage party in Athens?
- A unique journey into sound that will move your bodies and put a smile on the faces of the Athens people.
Listen to Matt Moroder's music here.
