Riding high after a massive release with Darin Epsilon on Perspective Digital and a solo EP on Definitive Recordings, Matan Caspi is poised to take the next step with his ‘Kinetoscope’ EP dropping soon on his own Outta Limits label. Here we offer you an exclusive extended preview of the wicked title track, as well as an interview with the man himself.
Thanks a lot for talking to us!
How did you get started making electronic music and DJing?
I started experimenting with music during my childhood, playing the guitar and the keyboard, mostly thanks to my father who pushed me in that direction. Later I played in some rock bands, but it was not always easy to gather everybody to play at the same time as I relied on other people. As for electronic music, I fell in love immediately somewhere late in the year 2000 after hearing a few tracks which made me realize that I can produce a ‘full band’ without being dependent on other players and can compose the entire track by myself. And so, with time passing and constant practice on some music production programs, I knew that this is what I want to do, so I started producing my first tracks just for fun during my free time at weekends. Once I realized that the tracks actually had potential I started to take things more seriously and in 2002 went to study professional sound engineering. After studying I had a long period of time where I produced trance music and only 6 years ago made a switch to the underground scene of progressive house, tech house, techno and deep house where I find myself nowadays.
What have been some of the highlights of your career so far?
I believe that my highlights in my career have been having the chance to explore the world from Mexico to Australia in different festivals, and being give the chance spread the love and the music and get the energies from different crowds around the world. I think nothing can compete with this feeling.
As we’ve noted before, Israel seems to be a hub of hot producers just now – why do you think that there’s such a density of talent coming out of the country just now?
That’s a really interesting question that sometimes I ask myself, and I can’t be sure I have the right answer for that… It could be just a coincidence and it could be because Israel is a small country, with a big population of people who like to party, and when you have a demand for a party you have a demand for music. I would say that music in Israel is an integral part of our national identity. We are in the midst of creating a culture – Jewish immigrants from Europe, Asia, the Middle East and elsewhere, brought with them their musical traditions, melding and molding them into a new Israeli sound and that reflects on Israel’s electronic music scene.
Whose music inspires you just now?
As musicians I love and respect many styles, from jazz music, world music, to the rock and harder styles, and to edge of the all things called electronic music. I can confidently say that the past few years for me were an experimental period, where I was trying to create and achieve a unique sound that I feel is missing in many tracks nowadays and can combine many styles into one production without losing the soul and the feeling in the music. To look at some producers who I really respect, I can say that Stephan Bodzin, for me, is a true maestro, and I’ve also always adored the work of Simon Posford, Olivier Giacomotto, Christian Beat Hirt (Chris Reece), Victor Ruiz, Jay Lumen, Dosem, Chemical Brothers and Ozric Tentacles. The amount of feeling they put into the music is enormous and you can really feel it, regardless of the genre.
One of your biggest releases so far is ‘Thousand Winds’, your track with Darin Epsilon on his Perspectives Digital label. How did that collaboration come about?
My first encounter with Darin was when we played together in Tel Aviv at the Bootleg Club, so we knew each other in person and we had already heard and supported each other’s work through various promos. Some time later, I met Darin’s booking manager in Kiev (Joe Saltiel from Nightlaw Agency) and we spent a couple of days together while we visited the city. So, the idea came up there, I contacted Darin and told him that I was talking to Joe and we had an idea to do the collaboration and he agreed, and that was how ‘Thousand Winds’ was actually born. Things went so well, that we are planning a new collaboration to follow up.
Your ‘Kinetoscope EP’ has already received some stellar support from Above & Beyond, which you must be pleased with. It’s coming out on Outta Limits, the label you set up with regular collaborator Stan Kolev. Can you tell us a bit about the label and its aims, and what else you have lined up in terms of releases over the next while?
That’s true, I’m really stoked to see the early support on this EP, I honestly didn’t even expect it and am really happy to see this. Outta Limits has always been known for its unique catalogue, with its diverse fusion of electronic music styles. I guess our aim is to break down all borders of the ordinary electronic dance music scene today, by giving its followers and fans a fine blend of original material, and of course, to hit the spot of any progressive house, tech house, techno and deep house lover. In the future we have lined up some really fresh and new electronic producers who we really think deserve a chance and sometimes never get it from the bigger labels. So, if we find the music touches us and has soul we are there for them, and that’s what makes this label special for us. Over the years we signed along the way artists such as Dinka, Daniel Portman, Chris Reece, Sergio Fernandez, Dj Lion, Karim Haas, Pete Moss, Ben Coda, Ad Brown, Jon Silva, and there are many more to come…
What else have we got to look forward to from you as a producer this year?
Well… I just had my new EP release out on Definitive Recordings, which is the legendary label of Olivier Giacomotto and John Aquaviva, and I’m very happy to see this release going really well in the charts with #21 Top 100 Tech House Releases & #27 Top 100 Tech House Tracks on Beatport. At the moment, I’m working on an EP for Toolroom Records and Anjuna Deep, and, as mentioned above, a follow up EP with Darin Epsilon. There are also a few remixes in progress: for my friends Weekend Heroes for their upcoming release on Global Underground, and for Rick Pier O’Neil for Particles… Then there are are some more plans for other labels in the future, but one thing at a time, and announcements will be made at a later stage.
Can you tell us a bit about your DJ-ing schedule at the moment? Where can people catch you?
My next gigs are planned for USA in Beverly Hills and Hollywood at the beginning of October, around December there will be a Mexico Tour and Jan-Feb 2017 shows in Sri Lanka and India. All announcements will be made on my Facebook artist page.
What do you do when you’re not working on music?
These are the 3 things I do every free minute I have!
1, Spending time with my amazing wife
2, Surfing
3, Playing Tennis
Current top 10 tracks?
I just made a fresh Top 10 chart on Beatport you can check it here.
Huge thanks for taking the time to talk to us! ‘Kinetoscope’ EP is out on Outta Limits on the 12th of September, and you can keep in touch with Matan Caspi and the label here:
Artist Info:
Tweets by MatanCaspi
https://www.facebook.com/MatanCaspi1
Label Info:
http://www.facebook.com/outtalimits.official
https://www.beatport.com/label/outta-limits/1239
Matan Caspi’s ‘Beat Avenue’ Radio Show: https://www.mixcloud.com/BeatAvenue
Artist Booking: booking@matancaspi.com
