Mat/Matix - On Lock (2020)

Los Angeles native Mat/Matix has soaked up, breathed, internalized and reimagined the west coast sound…championing G- Funk Basslines, Wave-y Jazz & Hip Hop Feels, Boogie-Funk Street Sounds, Underground House parties and RnB jeep-beats to create his own sound to perfectly accompany the beach-lined West Coast of California with the On Lock LP. A studio sound engineer by trade, Mat/Matix has perfected an ultimate LA street LP, perfect for any throwback, club or classic ride cruising the streets with a proper system. Born and raised in the palm tree mecca known as Venice, California, Mat/Matix took to music as a youngster, playing guitar, bass and jazz piano. Inspired by his friends to take up music production, he dove into the realm of G Funk and west coast hip hop. Over the years he developed an ear for the array of synths and drum machines sampled in his favorite rap songs and discovered a world of mysterious vinyl and tape treasures. You can find him today hovering over dollar bins, in dope spots, and occasionally shuffling cards in the players club.

Purple Drip creeps right in with a drippy rising high, blessing the senses the same manner as a freshly rolled and dusted joint. So Rite follows form straight to the dancefloor, with a glazey instrumental palate of smooth jazz proto hip hop, bouncy g funk bass, and sexy robotic siren calls. Yes, My Guy takes the vibe straight to the coast with the top-down, for the perfect day of tropical chill and cooler-wave buoyance. Freakin’ (With You), the most radio-friendly of the bunch introduces Northern California-based singer Zyah Belle to the LP, and delivers the most anthemic chilled-groove RnB jam to make any situation soft and wet.

The B Side starts with the vocal stabs of Contact Smoke, and hits full stride as the bass starts to pump… a perfect tune for a laid-back cruise. Flex 4 Me feels about as glued to the couch as the heaviest indica dab, bringing the roll to serious slow. Iman Europe makes her On Lock appearance in Calling Me, which is a radioesque tribute to the drive and pull and of the California/Los Angeles lifestyle as it feels to travelers, transplants and residents. Dial Tone is a house-y animated attack, guaranteed to hype a dancefloor with its pulsing bass and pushing drums. Closing out the LP is Sonata, an RnB serenade with soothing soulful vocal howls echoing throughout and providing those final chills.