Matt Harper Returns With a Fresh EP

A brand new EP release from Matt Harper brings together some of the best elements of cinematic and spacious electronic and indie-pop tonalities with expansive synths and keys, along with these open and sort of freeing percussive approaches, lending a hand to classic electronic music but giving things that pop overtone and breeding a soundscape that you can get swallowed up by.

Of course, I mean this in the best way possible. This is a record that you're getting golfed in quickly, and once you're there, you don't really want to leave.

The record starts with "Aftermath", which focuses on that cinematic pop underbelly but also brings in elements of post-punk along the way. There are bass tones that give me nostalgic feels, and the way that he blends the percussion and drumming into it gives the whole thing a very forward-moving kind of flow.

Sizers on this track are huge when they come in. They are meant to add depth to the single, which is exactly what it does, and the whole thing gives you this massive atmosphere that works amazingly with the vocal approach.

The vocals follow the intensity and energy of the song itself. When the music gets big, so do the vocals. Those intensity levels swell and sway, which lets the song feel alive and breathing, in a sense.

I absolutely loved how this one came across, and it's an amazing track to sort of introduce the EP with because you're getting some of those staples that you'll hear throughout the entire thing, but each track stands on its own two feet.

This is an EP you want to listen to all the way through so that you can really soak in everything it has to offer.

There's something about it that is fantastical or otherworldly.

"Moving On The Dancefloor" gives you something fresh. This track has more of an upswing to it. It is bright, colorful, a bit vivacious, and absolutely inspired by '80s pop music all the way through.

Once you get to this track, you start to get a feel for some of the many influences Matt Harper holds dear to his heart.

As a producer and songwriter, he's always pulling from different musical genres to create something a little bit new while keeping everything under the electronic and Indie pop umbrella, but veering in different directions when he feels like it.

This is one of the more refreshing aspects of this record as a whole.

It's a bit of an escape. The music is all very cinematic, no matter which track you're listening to, so it gives you a sense of adventure in a way.

The songs each have a different story behind them; the vocals are always a bit robust, very melodically driving, and have a tone and texture to them that blends with the electronic factor of the music extremely well.

This one was definitely a fun track, and it came in the perfect time after that first single.

Perhaps the most catchy and pop-oriented single throughout the entire record is the third track called "Revolution Baby", which starts with classic and vintage synths, and moves into layers of vocals that are performing hooks right from the start.

Not only is this one super poppy, but it is also a little bit experimental as he's going off with his vocals in new directions and is less afraid to layer them on as he sees fit.

This was definitely also quite bright but felt like an early 2000s indie electronic-pop song that you would hear on the radio.

I can hear those inspirations and influences coming through in different parts across this record, but this track really encompasses and embodies that damn near perfectly.

The title track of the record, "The Truth", is one that takes a turn in a different direction without straying too far. It is a song that feels like an '80s kind of track, but it's deeply rooted and has that heavy-handed use of synthesizers and keys, helping it still breed a cinematic feel, with a tone and approach in songwriting that feels almost like Tears for Fears.

It's those kinds of bands and artists that you can tell really had an impact on Matt as a songwriter, and this song really takes that to a new level.

Again, listening to the full EP in one shot is the best way to go because it's four tracks, and it gives you this great spectrum of different approaches and electronic and pop music that are both refreshing and nostalgic at the same time.

I love a producer and songwriter that is not afraid to bring vintage synthesizers and keys into the mix to give songs a tasteful sort of flair.

After listening to this record, I realized I needed to have a chat with Matt.

I definitely wanted to find out where this new record came from, how it came together, and what may be coming up next for him.

So, while you listen to the EP, have a read through of our interview with Matt Harper below.

Do not forget what you heard it first.

Hey and welcome back! Let's start with The Truth record and how that came to be! This EP feels like it focuses on some emotional backbone and how we deal with life as people. What is this EP about and how did it come to be?

Well it’s exactly that to some degree. The world seems crazy this year and I’ve been struck many times by how people behave in different ways in response to what’s going on. I’ve tried to explore from the outside how actions are taken whether I agree with them, or as is often the case, not. That isn’t true for the whole EP though. I wanted to throw some positivity in there too. Moving on the Dancefloor is just a track I wanted to do as a form of escapism from the politics. Not everyone let’s politics affect their lives.

So, for this record, what are you performing?

I perform everything myself. I use drum machines, samples, synths. I’ve really gotten into recreating guitar effects on synths with arpeggiators and delays. It’s great fun being experimental in this way. The vocals are recorded in a studio local to my home and as was the case with this EP the backing vocals are literally thought up in the studio as we listen back to the tracks.

Do you also mix or master your own stuff?

I prep everything at home then go to

the studio to record the vocals and get a mix for listening back. If I’m happy with the sounds and content i send the stems off to a producer I’ve worked with for some time named Ryan Davies. Ryan has a great ear for creating a mix of his own and I only intervene if I feel the need to change something. Those mixes then get mastered by my record label in San Francisco.

Is this mostly done at a home studio?

Pretty much yes. I use Cubase for my DAW and Arturia V collection as a sound source.

I have an Arturia midi keyboard with sliders and knobs which are great for manipulating the sounds as I overdub edits to the midi tracks. It’s just like using old analogue synths and adds a human touch to the finished sound.

Do you ever go out and perform live, and if so, how do you pull that off?

Yes i perform live as often as I can. I also run a monthly electronic night at a venue. I try to do 2 or more gigs each month. I use a backing track, play a little and sing. It’s great to get an audience reaction to the tracks and to meet other performers. You learn a lot by gigging.

What kind of things inspire you to write music and lyrics?

Music just happens, I don’t try to write, it just appears in my head and I try to make something of all these ideas whenever I get the chance. Lyrics are the hardest part. I guess the music is influenced by everything I like and my knowledge of what you can do with synths. I am very experimental though when writing. I love finding new ways of creating a sounds or rhythms and trying to

Incorporate them into a track.

Do you find it more difficult to write the lyrics or to build and produce a full track musically?

As I said the music happens very naturally but lyrics take a lot of thought. I find I’m pulling lots of snap shots of ideas for lyrics into each song. I believe that the sound of the lyrics is just as important as the words themselves. The way they flow, or phrases that just allow the listener to imagine what the origin of the idea might have been.

What bands or artists are you listening to right now?

Radiohead is number 1. I was lucky to get to see them a few days ago in London. I also Love Aurora, Ladytron, Goldfrapp. Duran Duran’s Rio album was a recent revisit and inspired Moving on the Dancefloor.

As an artist putting out a pretty steady stream of independent releases, what are your thoughts on Spotify? Be honest. 

I agree it exploits artists. The return for streaming is pitiful. I don’t know the answer but things need to change so artists can see more reward for their efforts.

Is there any advice you would give to another artist that is starting out right now?

Firstly, don’t give up when things are not going your way. Perseverance is as important as anything else in this business. 

Are you working on anything even now?

I’m focusing on the live scene next year, looking for festival slots to play. And I’ve been asked by some friends to work on an album. We used to be in a band together and live all over the country and one is even abroad so it won’t be easy. Would be fun though to do something.

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