Matthew Anthony
Origin: None
Donning a bright smile, bass-heavy crate, and occasionally, a t-shirt that reads “Wiscompton,” Matthew Anthony is impossible to ignore, both on and off the decks. With his finger on the pulse of today’s bustling house music scene, it’s because of Matthew Anthony’s creative thinking, keen ear and talent that has seen him gaining worldwide attention.
Matthew Anthony’s journey began at an early age in his home of Green Bay, Wisconsin, making beats since he was two years old – granted, that first drum set was coffee cans and kitchen utensils, it was, nonetheless, the beginnings of an avid, life long love of music.
Growing older, like any self-indulgent crate-digging teenager in the Midwest living in a pre- Napster era, Matthew subscribed to CD services like BMG and Columbia House, filling his library with mainly 90s hip hop and other genres that had “little to do with Wisconsin.” Amidst his rural surroundings, he discovered a static, out-of-range radio station from Milwaukee whose eclectic playlist piqued Matthew’s interest in musical exploration, “It made me want to move to a bigger city and broaden my horizons.”
That notion led him to his first rave in 2001. Mesmerized by electronic music and DJing culture, he learned how to beatmatch on “two turntables and a crappy mixer,” he remembers. Matthew scored his first residency later that year, playing hip hop early in the night followed by his new love, breakbeats, until close. Though being an open format DJ had its perks, frequent trips to Chicago (and a chance meeting with Derrick Carter), eventually led Matthew to fall in love with house and its many forms.
An advertising job spurred Matthew’s move to Los Angeles in 2009 and a friendship with Potty Mouth Music founder James Amato fostered a musical awakening. Playing out as new artist moniker Perfect Driver, Matthew delved deeper into production and in 2011, released his first single. Quickly by 2012, Perfect Driver the artist blossomed into Perfect Driver Music the label, while Perfect Driver the artist, became known as Matthew Anthony.
Matthew Anthony’s aesthetic is a groovy fusion of his passion for drums, obsession with 90s hip hop, and affinity for broken beats. As his sound continues to evolve, Matthew loosely defines it as “House music with extra bass.” Even that simple phrase requires some studious examination as perfectly driving basslines, quirky samples and all-around good craftsmanship are the backbone to his catalog. Whether it’s the absolute oddity of his breakthrough track “Circus,” the insatiably catchy “Headlights,” or the resonating low ends of “Do It Again,” Matthew Anthony’s production compels you to get up and dance with each passing measure and demands respect from peers with an understated grace.
Never one to sit idly by, for 2016, Matthew Anthony is expanding his presence outside Perfect Driver Music through forthcoming releases on select international imprints. Strapped in a heavy artillery of bass-fueled weapons, Matthew Anthony knows exactly how to breed his own personal brand of dance floor destruction.
