Watergate family member Matthias Meyer returns with his first original material in more than a year, teaming up with rising Dutch talent Budakid for a debut collaboration.
Matthias Meyer’s contributions to Watergate’s imprint are never short of supreme; from his link-ups with Ryan Davis ‘Love Letters to Sicily’ and ‘Crying June / Cafuné’, to his beloved Watergate 20 mix, the artist has a sublime talent for crafting uniquely emotional music minus the clichés. Having launched his own label Strangely Enough in early 2020, he’s output is notoriously measured, never one to rush the creative process.
The link-up with Budakid – who first debuted on the label last summer with the beautiful ‘Orrery’ on ‘Watergate Affairs 04’ – is inspired. The Dutchman previously caught ears with quality cuts on Lost & Found, Disco Halal and Last Night on Earth and has been on the Oberbaumbrücke radar ever since he played the ‘Thursdate’ party in 2019 for Einmusika.
‘Sweet Ease’ is a straight-up hit, driven by a retro-tinged synth that nail both sentimentality and originality in the space of six-and-a-half minutes. ‘Hybrid Society’ is its gentler companion, made for late moments, as swirls of melody twinkle in the air. No surprise both tracks went down a treat when played at Watergate’s recent open-air parties at Sage Beach.
We caught up with Matthias to talk about his release and more. Enjoy!
WWD: Hello Matthias, what have you been up to?
During the first year of the pandemic, I was getting a little bit depressed because you make all these questions up about what your future will look like. After a while, I was actually getting more and more relaxed because I focused on all the things I was missing the years before. I had a lot of time to focus on my family, myself, and my mental health. In these times, you realize even more that having a girlfriend and soulmate with the same music and food taste is worth more than gold, or 1 BTC;)
Now, I feel like we see the end of tunnel and I am getting back to a lot of new music.
WWD: You have started touring around the world again. How does it feel playing out to crowds after such a long break?
It actually feels super weird and to be honest, I almost feel the same way as when I was traveling to my first gigs more than 10 years ago. Especially going to another country and random people trying to hug you. lol. But yes, it feels so amazing to be back. 2 weeks ago, I went to Moscow and last weekend to Istanbul. Both gigs were just incredible, and I am so looking forward to all that’s coming now.
WWD: Where are you especially looking forward to playing? Are there any new venues on your tour?
Lots of gigs are still getting canceled. I was supposed to play Montenegro for the first time but unfortunately, that got canceled too. I am currently on a big Mexico tour which is always amazing to play. After that, I am going on an India tour which is one of my favorite countries to play as they are always to excited to dance.
WWD: You are about to release the ’Sweet Ease’ EP on Watergate with Budakid – your first release in more than one year. How did the collaboration with Budakid come about?
I was always a big fan of his music, but I never really met him before in real life. One day we were playing together at Watergate, we had a great time and we stayed in contact afterward. We met for coffee and went to his studio to exchange ideas. From that moment I knew we are on the same page.
WWD: We see from your socials that both tracks from the EP – ’Sweet Ease’ and ‘Hybrid Society’ – have been getting a great reaction in your recent DJ sets. Can you tell us the inspiration behind the EP and how it felt being able to finally be able to play your new productions to a live audience again?
I never really stick to one genre, for me, it’s always about vibe and energy. When we made the track together, I already had an amazing feeling. This is the perfect combination of deep, emotional, progress, and rave. Normally the music I produce is way deeper then my DJ sets. This track is exactly what I love to play as a DJ. It feels even better when this track is always one of the best tracks of your set.
WWD: Besides Budakid, which other artists and producers have caught your attention lately?
Biesmans is kind of a new artist I really like. He has been working at Watergate for a very long time and was always responsible for the lights and visuals. Then at some point, he started to release music and playing live and now he is getting a lot gigs and traveling the world. It’s always amazing to see careers like this.
WWD: And what’s coming next? What can people expect from Matthias Meyer during the remainder of 2021 and into 2022?
At the end of October / start of November, I will release my own EP on my label Strangely Enough. Afterward, we will release a Strangely Enough Remix EP with remixes of Budakid, Amine K, and Guy Mantzur. I am also working on a remix for Mira from Kater.
Matthias Meyer & Budakid ‘Sweet Ease’ EP is out on Watergate on 17 September. Pre-order HERE