Matt Caseli Interview

BBM speaks to Matt Caseli in light of Pacha coming to Sydney’s Ivy Bar. Bringing a little slice of Ibiza to Sydney, the House music scene is about to up its game. Here’s what Caseli had to say…

How are you?
Very well thanks, especially after just witnessing the Solar Eclipse here in Cairns! Amazing…

You are set to play at the opening for Pacha at Sydney’s Ivy Bar, bringing Ibiza straight into the heart of Australia, how do you think Pacha will be received in Sydney?
I think Sydney’s been waiting for something like this for a long time and I can expect it being received with some massive hands in the air treatment! Met so many people from Sydney in Pacha Ibiza over the years and they all love the quality of Pacha’s high-end sound.

You have been a resident at Pacha for fifteen years, that’s a huge dedication, what is it about Pacha that you think is so special?

There’s no other club on the planet that is so dedicated to decor, sound, visuals, VIP and over all clubbing quality that I’ve ever come across. Back from when I stared in ‘97 the style and decor was always breath taking and ever changing, never did the club look the same 2 nights in a row! Also the maze of corridors and walkways to different rooms and terraces is very unique. There’s so many great dance spaces giving a massive range of DJ’s and music styles and that’s what the Pacha franchises all recreate. Not to forget the incredible line up of quality nights from Subliminal to Defected to Vagabundos…Luciano’s night!

How did you first become so involved with the electronic music scene and when did you progress from D&B to House?
I started as a young producer/tea boy at a rave label called Production House Records back in ‘93, home to the legendary Baby D! Produced many D & B trax and ended up producing Baby D’s album for Polygram, all before kicking that sound in the butt for real house music in ‘96! I then decided to go to Ibiza to promote my new House music productions, which was supposed to be a one month trip which turned into 15 years! Haha…I had a lucky break with Pacha, they fired the resident DJ for being naughty and I got the slot…shit my pants cause I’d only been playing House for one year, had only one box of records to my name to play five nights a week! But managed and lived to tell the tale…

How would you best describe your music and who inspires you from the past? Do you have a favourite producer at the moment?
I like many styles of music from House to Tribal to progressive…I don’t like to pigeon hole myself and same with my productions. I recently signed a groovey House EP to Milk & Sugar same time as signing a progressive banger to One Love! Past inspirations came from people like Grant Nelson and Masters At Work, they got me into House back in the mid 90s. As for people over the years that have kept rocking it for me, of course Axwell. He used to be signed to the same label as me Soulfuric Records from Miami, so I went through the years and changes always loving his style. He’s for me one of the best producers along with people like Mark Knight, Paul Thomas, D.Ramirez and Dirty South!

‘Sign Your Name’ was immediately signed by Axwell for his label Axtone Records, & reached the desirable Number 1 spot on the ARIA Club Charts- what more do you want to achieve over the next six months and into the Ibiza season?
Yeah the ‘Sign Your Name’ story was amazing! Ax agreed to sign it while I was boarding the plane to the Miami Music Conference, I was like I might as well get off the plane now and go home…I can’t really get any better than Axtone! As for future achievements, to keep going on the same lines as now with more record releases and hopefully a few more number 1 spots! Now being based in Australia I would like to build my name here and deliver some rocking sets and quality music to the people of Oz! In regards to Ibiza…mmm 15 years of rocking and rolling on the white island and still standing….let’s see….watch this space….lol.

In no more than three words how would you some up what people can expect from a Pacha Sydney experience?
ROCK. AND. ROLL.

Check out the BBM Dance Music Podcast Featuring So Called Scumbags.