DJ Slipmatt - Fantazia Exclusive interview 2005

Interview with the living legend that is Slipmatt!!

Enjoy

Full name, age and birthplace?
Matt Nelson age 38 and born in Loughton in Essex.

Location now?
Harlow Essex

What were your early music influences? What was the very 1st record you bought?
I loved the Beatles and Elvis up until I was about 8 or 9 dare I say, and then moved swiftly on in to Soul, disco, Reggae, Punk, 2Tone, Electro, Hip Hop, House, Acid, and then of course, Hardcore etc…

The first record I bought myself with my own money was ‘Puppet on a String’ but I was only 4 years old!

How long have you been DJing now?
Since I was about 10 = 28 years, but I was playing records at 18 months old. I went professional in 1991.

How did it all start for you? Did you plan to be a DJ? When did you get your first set of decks?
I started with two decks at the age of 10 when I used to wire them up through an old B&O reel to reel which could be used as a mixer. I always wanted to be a DJ and played wherever I got the chance, but my first ‘big’ break was at Raindance back in September 1989.

How did you get your name 'Slipmatt?'
I had a pair of scratch slip mats from a shop in North London called ‘Squires’ in about 1986 and they had ‘DJ Slipmat’ written on them, so being a bit of a slippery character called Matt, I thought I’d use the name.

What do you think are your best qualities as a DJ?
Drinking and getting mashed up… oh, and maybe I play a few tasty tunes now and then!

You're well known for being a very versatile DJ, What music genre do you enjoy playing the most and why?
I love playing it all to be honest, but mainly it depends on what the crowd is into. As long as people are enjoying the music then I’m happy. It’s always nice to play a style that you haven’t played for a while though.

How big is your vinyl collection?
Probably around 35,000

What's you all time favourite tune? And worst?
So hard to pick 1 tune out of so many, but I love tune like Strings Of Life, The Slammer, Everyday (Agnelli & Nelson) lots of Reggae, Funky House etc etc… The worst one, there are loads…

First event you played?
School Christmas party in 1977

Best event you played?
Fantazia at Matchams

Best DJing experience?
Playing in L.A. and finding out ‘On a Ragga Tip’ was number 1 in the National Chart.

Your worst DJing experience, the one that makes you cringe?
Taking the wrong needle off, most DJs have done it at some point!

Funniest thing that happened at an event?
Getting paid double by mistake from one of the tightest promoters I’ve ever worked for.

Favourite promoter?
They are all wonderful.

DJs MCs you rated then and now?
Jazzy Jeff, Cashmoney, Carl Cox, Brandon Block, Charlie B, Fearless, Storm and many more…

Who have you enjoyed working with the most?
I enjoy working with most DJs who are in it for the crowd and who enjoy themselves at the same time. Obviously I have a good laugh with Lime and I’ve had a few good sets with SY and I played alongside Alex P the other week which is always a right laugh.

If you had a time machine what year would you go back to and why?
Probably 1991 as the music was so exciting and fresh, SL2 was really kicking off with chart success and Top of the Pops etc, and also I was only 24 years old.

You've brought quite of few of your own tunes out, which is your favourite?
Apart from the SL2 tracks, probably the SMD series, but I really enjoyed making some of the remixes as well.

What do you think of devvo? (DEVO)
A bit like some people I know!!!

Have u ever jumped naked into the pool at Privilege?
Not that I can remember, but then I’ve had many a night in that place without a clue of what’s happened!

When was the 1st time you visited Ibiza? Was it to holiday or to play?
1994 DJing.

What was the first club u actually played in Ibiza? Do you have a favourite, if so why?
The first club I played at was Kaos in 1994 which is now Eden. Other favorites I’ve played at include Es Paradis, Space, Summum, Amnesia, Nightlife, Play2, and of course Sundance.

Many peeps have always seen u as a hardcore/oldskool DJ, are they surprised when they see u play a house set? What’s their reaction? How different does it feel to play house sets compared to old skool? Do you get the same kind of buzz playing house?
Yeah totally, I love playing house; it is where our scene came from originally, added with many other influences. I have played all sorts of music over the years and it’s weird because some people expect me to play Hardcore and then the next person will expect me to play D&B, and the next Trance. My favourite, if the crowd is up for it, is to play a long set taking the music through every genre possible. The music must have energy though.

How does Pasha in Ibiza compare to Pasha in England?
I’ve only ever seen the inside of Pasha in London during the day when it’s been closed, but Pasha Ibiza is the nuts.

They say Ibiza never sleeps, do you get much time to sleep over there and does it become tiring etc?
Most of the times I fly there early with no sleep the night before or late and stay awake all night and sometimes fly straight back with no sleep. Yes, Ibiza can be extremely tiring. It’s always nice to get a few days at a time over there so you can really enjoy it and relax a little too.

What do you do to chill out away from the music?
Nothing special really, I have two kids so they get a lot of my spare time, I love eating out with the missus, or I go to the boozer with DJ Lime and the crew.

What have you been up to recently?
No good apparently but I don’t agree. Working really hard to be honest and spending a lot of time in the studio on tracks and music for my DJing.

The future of Slipmatt, upcoming events?
Tune wise at the moment I’m working on new Hardcore and I will be re launching my Universal label in January. I’m also working on New/Old Skool tunes, Funky/Tech House, and Trance as well with some new SL2 remixes. Event wise, just the same as ever really, I’m still constantly busy up and down the country and around the world. I run my own ‘Slip Back in Time’ events now and then which are nights dedicated to classic everything from Old Skool to House to Hard Dance and Hardcore depending on the crowd.

Past Fantazia events, NYE 91 WestPoint, Summertime, Littlecote House, etc. Your experiences?
They were all amazing; the one that sticks out for me was NYE 92/93 when everyone went mental over the tape that was released after. Still not been paid yet though!

Fantazia Braehead, your thoughts on the new event, what sort of set will you be playing?
I haven’t been given any proper details yet but I’ve sort of been asked to play a 92/93 set. I’ll probably throw in a few new edits as well as a few new tunes.

What advice would you give to up and coming DJ's?
It can be one of the best jobs in the world, but to keep up there, you have to be dedicated and work f**cking hard. If you’ve got stamina, then go for it.

How would you like to be remembered?
Just as a DJ/producer that brought enjoyment and made people happy, and as someone who cared about what he did.

Anything else you want to say?
Really looking forward to Braehead, see you there!

Interview conducted by Bex
(Copyright Fantazia 2005)
 

Slipmatt's links to Fantazia

DJ Slipmatt has played a many Fantazia events including:

Fantazia New Year 1991
Fantazia Summertime
Fantazia New Year 1992
Fantazia Birthday Party
Fantazia Palace

To buy his sets from these parties please click here