This week's artist spotlight is another special one for us as we sat down for a chat with our very own Matt Interrupt, the producer, engineer and Dubwise maestro who co-produced both of our LPs 'Turn Up The Heat' and 'More Fire' as well as much more music that you have yet to hear!

Matt Interrupt is a reggae/dancehall producer based in London, UK. He is a core member and music producer for Reggae Roast Soundsystem, and has also put out his own releases on labels such as Scotch Bonnet Records, Raider Records, Cubiculo Records, Chopstick Dubplate and Sound Transmission Records,
as well as his own label ‘Interrupt Music’.

His contemporary take on the classic early dancehall and digital reggae sounds of the late 80s and early 90s has quickly gained him a reputation as an exciting producer, working with vocalists such as Parly B, Daddy Freddy, Tippa Irie,
Courtney Melody, King Kong, Carl Meeks, Derrick Parker, Tippa Lee, Ponchita Peligros, Donovan Kingjay, Mowty Mahlyka, Taiwan MC and Little Harry.

His DJ and live sets are focused on high energy tunes, featuring a lot of his own productions and exclusive dubplates, alongside carefully selected contemporary and vintage reggae and dancehall music.

How did you first get into Reggae?

I first got into reggae as a teenager. I was playing guitar and singing in a band throughout my teenage years which would probably be best described as a mashup of punk, ska and reggae. A lot of my exposure to reggae at the time came through listening to crossover punk/ska bands like Sublime, Less than Jake and Rancid. My dad would also play a lot of reggae influenced stuff such Dreadzone and Massive Attack, which was probably the first time I heard singers like Earl 16 and Horace Andy.

I had a few friends who were more into the original Jamaican reggae and introduced me to artists such as Ini Kamoze, Steel Pulse and Morgan Heritage. What really lit the fuse for me was when a colleague lent me a CD copy of ‘King Jammys the Rhythm King’ when I was probably 18/19. That was really my first time hearing the 1980s digital dancehall sound and I fell in love with it.

Some memorable tunes from around this time:

Ini Kamoze – 'Jump for Jah'

Morgan Heritage – 'Mount Zion Medley'

Eccleton Jarrett – 'Rock Them One by One (King Jammys)'

When did you start producing?

Around the same time, me and my twin brother ran a home studio in our parents house. We would record demos for local bands in Devon as well as our own tracks for the band. That was really my first experience of producing. We both went on to study Music Tech in Birmingham where I started teaching myself to produce more electronic music, and eventually moved on to making reggae and dancehall.

What got you into Dub in particular and what do you like about it?

I think the first Jamaican dub music I heard was probably my dad’s copy of ‘Scientist vs King Jammy – the Big Showdown’, as well as some of the extended mixes on Ini Kamoze’s showcase album. I didn’t really start going to dances until I moved to Birmingham and London, where I was exposed to more of the UK scene.

I was always drawn to the experimental nature of dub music.  I’ve always been interested in hearing totally new sounds and wondering ‘How is that made?’. Dub is perfect for that kind of thing – it gives you an insight into how the tunes were put together.

Who are some of your biggest inspirations?

As I mentioned earlier, one of my biggest inspirations was hearing the ‘King Jammys the Rhythm King’ compilation, as well as listening to newer stuff like Mungo’s Hifi, Riddim Tuffa Sound and the Nessesary Mayhem label.

My all time favourite producers are Steely and Cleevie – the stuff those guys could do using keyboard presets and drum machines still blows my mind!

The first reggae roast Sunday Skank I played at the forge in Camden – I used to go to those nights when I first moved to London before I was introduced to any of the Reggae Roast crew. They really felt quite special!

Playing in Mexico – I went to play a show in Mexico at Carnival Bahidora a few years ago with Natty Campbell. That was quite a memorable gig! We played on one side of the river to a huge crowd on the other side, whilst people danced in rubber dinghys in front of us.

Working with artists like Horace Andy, Earl 16, General Levy – people who I grew up hearing. It’s quite special to hear a voice which you grew up with on a tune which you made! Before I moved to London I was never really part of the reggae ‘scene’. Working with reggae roast has introduced me to a lot of those people and I’ve formed so many friendships through music!

Check out Matt's Live Dub Mix of 'Spiritual Healing' featuring Johnny Clarke in the video below and stay tuned for new releases from Matt Interrupt and Reggae Roast!

Check out Matt's selection of tunes in this month's Reggae Scorchers Spotify playlist.