Exclusive Interview with 'MATTHEW COBIS'

Matthew Cobis was born in Brockton, Massachusetts, in March of 1979, and grew up loving NoFX and Metallica as much as Cypress Hill and Wu-Tang. Went to St. Casimir School for nine years, grades K–8. Xaverian Brothers HS followed. After graduating from college, he eventually relocated to Florida, where he now resides. He attended college in the Hampton Roads region.
Matt made the decision to start making music on March 17, 2021. Before that day, he had no experience at all. Hadn’t sung since his days in the St. Casimir’s choir, couldn’t read music, and couldn’t play any instruments. He began by creating his first beat on a Chrome extension, unfazed. It was terrible. However, he was intrigued by the pleasure that went into its creation. He kept going. creating and eventually releasing a number of subpar EPs on the main streaming services. Despite how awful they were, they belonged to him. He then started making albums that got better as time went on, starting with “Something More,” “Neoterics,” and “The Unintended Consequences of Time Travel.” Matt has been working diligently on the subsequent stage of his creative development.
In May and June 2022, three brand-new albums will be released. A trippy, trippy fusion of rock and dance called “BlackStar” “Chaotic Good” combines dance and EDM with rap. Rock/metal album with EDM elements called “ZEROTIME.”

The third of his three albums, BlackStar, was put together over the previous six months or so. My most commercial album to date is BlackStar. The opening track serves as something of an introduction to the album. Compared to his earlier work, this album is less somber and generally more enjoyable and approachable. By using this, he attempted to create music that people other than himself would find enjoyable. His favorite books are “Eye of the Centerfold,” “The Sun Also Rises,” and “Huxley’s Door.” He feels that “Lies” has legs. Check out the album and the exclusive interview below:

1. Can you tell us a bit about where you come from and how you got started?
MATTHEW COBIS: Hi, yeah sure. I grew up in Brockton Ma in the 80’s-90’s. Tough place to come up. I live in Fort Myers now. Reminds me a bit of Brockton. But the weather is much nicer. As for how I got started, on March 17^th of 2021, a few days after my 42^nd birthday I was up late. I felt this strong urge that I needed to do something. Without any real thought behind it I grabbed my laptop and opened up a beat maker online. Those first beats were pretty awful but they were really fun to make. So I kept at it. I just finished writing my 7^th album, which will be out for release within 2-3 months max.

2. Did you have any formal training or are you self-taught?
MATTHEW COBIS: I am completely self taught. Still can’t read music. I still write melodies thugh. I wrote the chello stuff on ‘Hymn’ on a piano roll. Its not all samples. And no sample is added as is. The usually sound terrible out of the box. I suspect thats on purpose.

3. Who were your first and strongest musical influences and why the name
‘MATTHEW COBIS’?

MATTHEW COBIS: My first album was a hand me down copy of The Police’s Greatest Hits. I wore that thing out, literally, the tape broke. But for overall influence… I like a lot of different music man. If I had to pick just one though it would be Josh Homme. Dude just has this toxic swagger and everything he touches is great. ‘Like Clockwork’ is probably my favorite album all time. And the name? MDK are my initals and FLA is where I live. Easy.

4. What do you feel are the key elements in your music that should resonate with listeners, and how would you personally describe your sound?
MATTHEW COBIS: Electric guitars, synths and bass. That’s what I do at it’s very heart. I like funky groves underlying sharp guitars. I try to write songs with stories. They can be difficlut to discern, I am limited by my equipment, which includes: A laptop and a pair of headphones. That’s it. My sound is a mix of my influences from Wu-Tang to Metallica to Daft Punk to Led Zeppelin to Pink Floyd to QotSA to Tu-Pac, I could fill the page. I do love synths though.

5. For most artists, originality is first preceded by a phase of learning and, often, emulating others. What was this like for you? How would you describe your own development as an artist and music maker, and the transition towards your own style, which is known as EDM?
MATTHEW COBIS:
I think its impossible to not ’emulate’ others. We are awash in influenes everyday. Its impossible for that not to seep into our own creative process. And if the art is the true goal then not only is that not a problem but it is a good thing.I do not consciously sit down to write a song that sounds like anyone else but others’ works will surely influence it in ways I do not intend. After sometime I might be fortunate enough to influence other in such a way.
I have refinded my sound quite a but in the past year and half. The deeper I get into the sound the better my sound gets which is motivation to get even deeper. Its a positive energy machine. Wish I found it sooner.

6. What’s your view on the role and function of music as political, cultural, spiritual, and/or social vehicles – and do you try and affront any of these themes in your work, or are you purely interested in music as an expression of technical artistry, personal narrative and entertainment?
MATTHEW COBIS:

If I can help bridge gaps I would be very pleased by that.

7. Do you feel that your music is giving you back just as much fulfilment as the amount of work you are putting into it, or are you expecting something more, or different in the future?
MATTHEW COBIS:

I have already achieved far more than I thought I could. I am sitting around 300,000 listens on Spotify as of now. Thats just crazy to me. I feel zero pressure I am just making music. And that process of creation is as fulfilling as anything I have ever done before. To know I have created thing that will outlast my existence is a gratifying feeling. Sure, I want more people to listen, and it’d be nice to, you know, make some money but I won’t poison the process to do so.

8. Could you describe your creative processes? How do usually start, and go about shaping ideas into a completed song? Do you usually start with a tune, a beat, or a narrative in your head? And do you collaborate with others in this process?

MATTHEW COBIS:

The only part of the process thats consistent is I have to sit down to write. I have been fortunate so far in that desire has driven most of my creation to this point. Meaning, I want to do it. I know it may not always be like that. Sometimes things you love becoe a chore. Hopefully that never happens with music. But more often than not I jiust sit down and either play with a synth or guitar or look for sample. That sample could be anything from a bassline to a drum fill to a weird little vocal. When I’m looking for samples I am, I hope this doesn’t sound stupid, looking more for what it could be than what it is. I never just copy paste them. They all get altered in some way.

9. What has been the most difficult thing you’ve had to endure in your life or music career so far?
MATTHEW COBIS:

Well. 7 or so years ago I got very sick. I ended up having major surrgery, my long time girl frind left me and my house was robbed. I remember laying on the floor of my house gutted physically and emotionally. I don’t know how I ever stood up.It was the second time my life completely fell apart. Yet somehow I did and here I am.

10. On the contrary, what would you consider a successful, proud or significant point in your life or music career so far?

MATTHEW COBIS: When I gave my dad my last three albums. It meant a lot to me.