Mathame Ushers In A New Era, NEO
I had the chance to chat with Italian DJ duo Mathame just before the U.S. debut of their new era, NEO, at the Brooklyn Mirage. Brothers Matteo and Amedeo Giovanelli are heading on a World Tour to showcase this new creative journey they’ve been on and share it with everyone open to experiencing it with them.
The Interview
You guys have been making music in Mathame for about 10 years now, so how have you seen the industry change over the years that you’ve been a part of it?
Matteo: I mean I say there’s like a before and after COVID. Before COVID you know there was EDM and post-EDM all that sort of thing. And then after COVID, it’s like everyone became more conscious of the standard and how to put out the best. The fans want to go where there’s the best experience possible. You want to deliver the high quality they expect. So before it was like about like how to be bigger, bigger, and better, but now it’s all just about the quality.
What is it about dance and electronic music’s sound that made you fall in love with it and start making it in the first place?
Amedeo: He (Matteo) started with EDM I started with classical music. So this kind of music I didn’t really have interest in. Then I was listening to him scratching around, and it was growing and growing on me. I played the violin so it was like okay let’s see what we can do with this, now we have Mathame.
Matteo: And Amedeo. started throwing his own parties with EDM, and the big early 2000s music hits. I have stuff that I liked that he didn’t really like.
Amedeo: Yeah I had stuff I liked that he didn’t like, some of the more like reggaeton things I like, he doesn’t like. We share different styles of music with each other that we wouldn’t normally listen do.
Matteo: (laughing) Yeah some of the stuff I listen to he thinks is shit.
Amedeo: But then we get in the studio and listen and try different things to see what we are feeling. What fits and what doesn’t fit.
Matteo: The way I feel is that dance music is freedom music. I mean it really mixes everything together and creates this body language to express yourself.
That really follows into, why is expression of emotion so important in Mathame’s music?
Matteo: Because we speak on a different level than just the meaning. We are speaking with the sound and using a large system, so emotion can bring that powerful level to the sounds. I mean emotion is the basis of dance music.
Amedeo: All the time when we are in the studio we land on closing tracks, (laughing) and like I’m asking myself why but oddly like all the time we land on the closing tracks.
Matteo: And it can just be very emotional like it can sometimes be very sad, it’s very touching. We cannot be good at something like this without any kind of emotional feeling. It’s impossible. I mean we also go like it’s too emotional too sometimes you know.
Amedeo: Yeah, because we also started to say, kind of, in interviews like this music our music is like emo-dance, EDM, but emo dance, sort of emo-tech, something to that.
Matteo: And dance music is like, I want that feeling to be bigger, make that feeling like very present, that’s huge. Emotion is the basis of this movement and emotional freedom.
So, how do you still connect with an audience when Mathame plays such big festivals and venues?
Amedeo: It changes you know. With the connection, it’s difficult in such a big space. On the other hand, I mean like, you have such a big environment, so you can express better what you want to express. So there’s a connection in that way.
Matteo: It’s like on the big stage we are not as connected but you get this huge huge feedback so you understand what is working with the crowd. In the club, it is more than that. It’s a lot easier to search for the reaction in a smaller environment. You are always trying to develop a feeling.
And then what are you excited to show fans in this new NEO era Mathame’s bringing?
Matteo: Rather than conforming to everything, we are being ourselves so we find this kind of feeling to express our aspirations. It’s not like we don’t look for quantity but it’s about making something that’s respected. Create all these different elements and have something for everyone. It would be like a real fiction. And we have this statue now behind us that is 9 meters. This is just the beginning.
Ameodeo: The people they think it’s just a visual, but it’s this actual thing. We don’t need all the different crazy visuals when we have this. (laughing) And the people see all these big visuals everywhere, and then they still think it (the statue) is a visual, they’re like why are you doing the same visual? (laughing)
To jump just a little, how have the influences you looked up to shaped your sound and approach to the way Mathame makes music?
Amedeo: I mean our family, our friends, they of course motivate us and inspire us to make music.
Matteo: We are always looking for influence wherever we go. You want to be inspired by different people. You go to the underground scenes and find new sounds. Like when we come here we are looking for inspiration, we were just in Ibiza and there was inspiration everywhere. Especially with NEO, we’ve taken inspiration from many places. I think there’s a sort of punk influence here that we added.
What’s one misconception you think people have about EDM, and why do you think it’s wrong?
Matteo: That it’s cheesy. It’s not cheesy. On every level, this music is not easy music. People think by just making sounds louder and louder that’s how it works. The truth is that it requires technical skills that very few in the pop industry can do. It’s like a weightlifter doing CrossFit you know, it’s nothing to them, so it’s not easy it takes a certain expertise.
Amedeo: It is not easy. And then you know there’s also this dark side getting messed up like the drugs, girls, and partying, but you can’t. You have to be focused.
Matteo: It’s like Axel Rose had this bottle of whiskey on stage, but it was actually apple cider. It was just to keep the rock star apperance. It’s the same for DJs.
Tracey Manner, Founder, SEQUEL Agency: Yeah like 95% of the guys we work with are in serious relationships, or sober.
Matteo: Exactly, I mean you can’t run a business if you’re always drunk or high or whatever, it just doesn’t work.
I think there’s also that misconception that dance music is devoid of emotion, what do you say to that?
Tracey Manner: I think one of the stats is like, dance music is one of the few categories where fans cry more than any other category actually.
Matteo: Oh yeah I see fans crying LOUD.
Tracey Manner: Cause you feel actually free.
Matteo: There’s this overwhelming feeling of emotion. What the difference is like when you go to a concert, you act like a fan. You want to sing all the words and be the biggest fan there. Dance music fans can just be themselves. It’s not like I have to know the words to every fcking song or sing the loudest. You can just be free.
I love how you put that. Is there anyone Mathame has been particularly starstruck at this point in your career?
Matteo: Oh yeah Tiësto. I mean to me he’s like a legend. Maybe he’s a bit younger to see as a legend but I knew a lot of his early 2010s stuff and for it was just like “Really?! I’m meeting Tiësto, like I’m making a track with Tiësto”, like damn.
Amedeo: I mean most definitely loved Tiësto yes. I don’t know if there’s been anyone that I was like I’m going crazy.
Matteo: (laughs) Well, we saw Drake, and he was a bit shocked. We were in a shoe store in Miami and they were in a rush to get us out of the store. But it was like, they closed at 5, and we look at the time it’s not even five yet. And so we went out and then here comes…Drake.
What was Mathame’s “I made it moment” in the industry looking back?
Amedeo: I think for us it was like when we put out Tomorrow, that was like our real turning point.
Matteo: It’s been a long journey.
Amedeo: After that it was like we’ve realized we made our own path.
Just a couple more questions for you guys, Who’s someone Mathame would love to collaborate with that you haven’t already?
Matteo: Wow we were just talking about this like two hours, or an hour ago. I mean we are talking dream no?
Yes! Dream!
Matteo: I mean I have a dream and then there’s like impossible. Like Tupac is impossible.
Amedeo: The Weekend, or something, Sigur Rós, Method Man, Kanye. It’s like you have dream producers and then dream artists.
Lastly, I’m going to end it with a bang, what’s the most memorable live performance Mathame has given at this point in your career?
Amedeo: Oh wow the best??
Tracey Manner: What’s one you guys keep thinking about?
Matteo: I mean we have a huge fanbase in Argentina, Lebanon, Mexico, in France. Ultra Miami was a really fun show.
Amedeo: I mean the best is very difficult, we have so many shows. It’s like on Uber Eats or something, there are too many things to choose from, but it’s always the most recent one that’s the best.
Matteo: Like the Cercle show in Mexico was great, Tomorrowland, Coachella, they’re all I guess considered the best.
Amedeo: I say the best is yet to come.