I’ll go on record by saying there isn’t a Mat Zo song I haven’t liked – whether that’s an original mix or a remix. Sure, some tracks stand out more than others, but I sincerely think each one is a work of art. Furthermore, I think Mat Zo is extremely underrated as a producer. His talents are through the roof, his songs often span over seven minutes (giving them time to develop as true progressive dance floor destroyers), and he has a sound unlike anyone producing in the EDM game today.
Mat Zo – Bipolar
Mat Zo – It’s Yours
Click through to read my review, to hear Mat Zo’s mix of the EP (featuring remixes), and to see when he’s coming to a city near you!
When listening to the Bipolar EP (released on February 13, 2012), you’ll notice the name is very fitting. Each of the four tracks is a solid thumping tune, yet each one has a completely different sound when you compare them all side by side. The official press release about the 4-track collection notes the sounds of Daft Punk, Diplo, and Deadmau5 as influences, blended with Zo’s unique sound to make them “bold big room sounds”. I couldn’t have put it better myself because each track has its own personality.
If I had to pick two favorites from the EP, they would be the title track, “Bipolar”, and “It’s Yours” (see above). I had first heard Bipolar on, you guessed it, Trance Around the World which is hosted by the founders of Mat Zo’s label Anjunabeats. Often when I listen to a mix, there will be a couple standout tracks that cause me to say “holy shit” and immediately look up what exactly it is I’m listening to (I had the same reaction listening to Hardwell’s set from Electric Zoo 2011 when he dropped Tommy Trash’s “Future Folk“). Well, look no further than “Bipolar”. The main drop at about 2:00 makes me go insane and has that hint of Daft Punk in there (for some reason the song “Da Funk” comes to mind). And I love the subtle vocals that repeat the words ask yourself, can you dance?
“It’s Yours” is a funky little track (wait did I say little? I mean huge both in length and sound) that actually takes from the 2001 House song by Jon Cutler called – wait for it – “It’s Yours”. This track, to me, is unlike anything I’ve heard from Mat Zo. The main beat makes me move in a way no Progressive song has and it builds up to a melodic drop at about 5:00 which reminds me that, oh yeah, this is in fact a Mat Zo song.
The other two tracks, “Ring on It” and “Yoyo Ma” are insanely good too so make sure you don’t sleep on them! Do yourself a favor and jump on to Beatport to download the EP in its entirety and to support this 21 year old phenom.
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Catch His Remaining Tour Dates:
February 18 Calgary, Canada @ Republik Nightclub
February 19 Edmonton, Canada @ Shaw Conference Centre
February 24 Chicago, IL @ Sound-Bar
February 25 San Diego, CA @ Voyeur
March 22 Miami, FL @ Bayfront Park Amphitheater