Fancy Sax

Fancy Sax is finally out on our label Groove Cartel Records

February is coming to an end, so it’s time for our label Groove Cartel Records reveal our new release. The record is called by ‘Fancy Sax‘ from Mattjax, a new talent from the Netherlands and the young upcoming producer Beatz Projekted. This record already got huge support from DJ’s around the world, including some big names as Dannic, Gregor Salto, Tom Swoon. Melsen, Holl & Rush, Maximals, Dumbers, Anderblast and much more. As the name suggest, the main instrument of this record is the saxophone, build up on groovy driven bassline. Below you can also read our interview with these two talented producers!

You can stream below and download for free here.

1. Hey guys, how are you doing?

Mattjax: I am fine thanks! Finally had some rest after a few busy weeks!

Beatz Projekted: Doing fine (I mean what else was I gonna say?)

2. Can you a bit introduce yourself to our readers and listeners? (activities except music, hobbies, etc)

Mattjax: So my real name is Bram Leenders a lot of people think my name is Matt because of my artist name! I am 22 years old and I have been producing for close to four years now. So besides being a music, producer I love playing games I am a huge fan of most blizzard games and RPGs like Mass Effect and Fable and shooters. Let’s see other hobbies are watching movies and series and twitch I love live streams. Besides that it’s just the standard stuff going out and hanging out with friends.

Beatz Projekted: Real name: Ivan Bondarenko, commonly known as Beatz Projekted. Twenty-three years old and have been producing for about 5 years now. Since then I have topped a few Top 100s on music download sites, Top 40 in Germany, Austria & Sweden and garnered a pretty solid support list. My day job is being a yacht skipper and sailing instructor (teaching people how to sail). I have sailed around the world and have spent most of my life living on board sailing yachts; in fact, I’m writing this as I sit inside my yacht. I am an avid mountain biker, building and tuning my own MTBs. Free-diving, spearfishing and rock climbing are also things I enjoy doing. Everything else is pretty much standard stuff.

3. What is or are your inspirations?

Mattjax: Good Question, uhm. I think my biggest inspirations are Laidback Luke and also Hardwell, both for the same reason. Laidback Luke is kind of my mentor, we met during, ADE 2015 and I showed him some of my tracks. He liked them and asked me to stay in touch with him on Twitter. So since 2015 he has been helping me with tips and feedback. Hardwell is almost a brand on his own with his label Revealed, a label I still want to release on haha. Hardwell does a lot to support small artists as well by releasing there track or supporting them in his radio show. He played one of my tracks in 2016 on Hardwell on Air and it was probably the best day of the year for me. What inspires me is that they are both famous and still take the time to support small artists by releasing their tracks, playing their tracks, giving feedback or helping them in any other way. And, of course, both of them released and still release awesome music!

Beatz Projekted: For inspiration, I listen to tracks from artists that I look up to: Kryder, Merk & Kremont, Tom Starr, Dannic, Shapov are just a few of my current favs. Also a crisp walk or bike ride thru the local forest really clears my head and gives me fresh ideas.

4. Your new track is coming out, can you tell us about the idea behind it and the creative process? ( funny stories, panic moments, anecdotes etc )

Mattjax: So I had this track called Fancy Pants I produced it and wasn’t able to get it right! Took it with me to ADE and spoke with some artists about the track. They all had totally different tips and idea’s and I just couldn’t fix the track after trying out a ton of things. So that’s when I was like IVAN PLEASE FIX THIS! Hahaha.

Beatz Projekted: Bram sent me the track when it was already pretty much finished…the rhythm on it was so dope. We had already collaborated on a few tracks and they all featured a saxophone…so I was like, “Sax makes everything better right?!?” So I opened up the stems, deleted some stuff, added a sax, chopped stuff up and BOOM: we got a hit on our hands!

5. Can you tell us what daw and stuff are you using in the studio?

Mattjax: I have a super basic set-up and I love it! I run FL studio 11 on my Laptop I have a soundcard the M-Audio Fast Track C400 connected to it and I use two Yamaha’s HS5’s. Besides that I have a midi keyboard the Novation Launchkey 61 that I use for uhm well finding the right key for samples and writing top leads, I can’t play the piano I am a drummer!

Beatz Projekted: Rocking Mixcraft 7 for my DAW, Audiotechnica & Sennhieser Headphones and an M-Audio Oxygen keyboard. I produce everything on my laptop and sometimes check my tracks in a friends’ studio when needed.

6. What are your plans to the future?

Mattjax: Well my first plan is to make 2017 a great year with amazing music! And well I’ll keep producing music and see where music takes me!

Beatz Projekted: Nobody becomes a success overnight…so in 2017 I will just keep grinding and improve my production/mixing skills. Producing music is just something I really enjoy and I have a load of new awesome music to release this year!