For Klublife Magazine Spring, 2005.
By: Amanda Connon-Unda
Mathew Jonson is No Opiate of the People; But He Does Makes Music That Moves You
In deep meditation the flow of concentration is continuous like the flow of oil. (Patanjali, Yoga Sutra)
For some artists making music is like meditation; Mathew Jonson is one such artist. Hailing from Victoria, British Columbia, Jonson is arguably the latest techno recording artist from Canada to become renowned for his hits. His tracks such as Typerope, She is He, and Decompression that internationally touring DJs have been playing and charting for the last couple of years have really moved people. Prior to a Wabi party in Toronto Mathew filled me in on his label project called Wagon Repair, stating "I just started a new label with some friends: Graham from Leaf Recordings, Conrad Black who works with 240 Volts and Swayzak, and also Jesse Fisk / Loose Change. Our first release was by Missing Link from Denver, and went really well. The second track is called Marionette [by Mathew Jonson, out now]. The whites for number three by Conrad Black should be out soon, and I'll be doing number four." Furthermore, Jonson continues, "There's a track I have on the Minus label called Rainforest on the Minimize to Maximize tour (happening now)." But that's not all, Jonson is busy with other remixes, "a remix for Chemical Brothers out on Virgin in the next few months, and one for Swayzak which will be out on !K7. The one for Nelly Furtado was out in 2000, so it was a while ago - but a good way to start!"
Jonson has gained the respect of, and has worked with other Canadians including The Mole (doing a Kompact Extra record); and Ben Neville. What's interesting is the exposure Jonson got from other supporters internationally, which Jonson says, "wasn't any networking at all. In Victoria there is a pretty tight group of people that are always doing and playing the parties. So Spencer Drennan started the record label [It Is What It Is Recordings] because he was inspired by Cobblestone Jazz [Jonson's old band] who was playing at his nightclub. Spencer and the guys running the Neptune Bar were involved in bringing a lot of Perlon acts here, from Germany. They brought over Ricardo Villalobos, Martin, Sammy Dee, and Zip. So, when I met Ricardo for he first time he was in my house. Because we met all those guys personally they took all of our records back to Europe. Ricardo and I relate to each other's music, so in a large part it was him that was responsible. We were friends with Jeff Milligan and Mike Shannon, and those guys were touring more than anyone from Victoria then, so they pushed it in Europe. I haven't ever had to think about business. It is not like the pop music industry where you are relying on radio play and expensive magazine articles and Much Music. What your promotion seems to be riding on is the music. So if you write good music and you get it into the right hands, which is the DJs, then the DJs are the ones that do your promotion. So guys that are super famous - like Richie and Ricardo - are playing all my music. People notice what they are playing because there is a lot of hype around them."
So, just what does Mr. Jonson's heart-felt techno music that has impressed so many renowned artists and fans, have to do with meditation? Jonson explains, "The way I got into music was me venting my own emotions and being in my own head. I had problems with my parents as all teenagers do. I would be getting out of all of the happiness or sadness or anger that I was feeling, so it became very reflective. But I am a lot happier now." Jonson admits this process has changed since he started, "Now I really like to focus on the dance floor, because I am playing clubs and people want to have a good time and they don't need Darth Vader landing on the party. When I used to play out live I used to play in the same head space as when I worked at home. It would go all over the place", not the best for the dance floor. As meditation, Jonson explains, "it comes down to a feeling. I am unaware of what is going on around me, so it will even create a whole new world. When I am making that kind of music it is not for DJs anyway. It's something I need now. It's like yoga or meditation. It's a way that I don't think about anything; I have stepped back and I am almost witnessing it, and not controlling it. Time disappears... It is a way of clearing my mind in a way that lets music guide me. I feel like I am on the edge of a cliff, and I'm not quite falling off, but not standing up right. When I start making music it sounds like a bunch of noise. It doesn't have any substance, depth or weight, and once everything comes together it is like it has grown into a ball that starts rolling. That's the feeling when I am getting deeper into whatever that is - meditation." Clearly, for Jonson, this is his way of life that is not about to change, "A lot of musicians will tell you when they are in the zone they don't even feel like it is them playing, they feel like it's another force, like god. I feel like I am surfing on whatever energy is around me, like speed - my body or my brain or how much coffee I drank. It's a very natural flow, very relaxing, it clears my mind and is very rejuvenating, like having a nap. It is something I need to do on a regular basis to live happily now because I have been doing it for so long - since I was 10 years old - so I am very used to it.'
Mathew Jonson at Wabi party, photo by Julia Paonessa, Kick Magazine.
Photo Credit: Mike Boland