Welcome back Mat Zo onto Above & Beyond‘s imprint, Anjunabeats. The artist released ‘The Next Chapter‘, featuring drum and bass MC, GQ. Mat Zo’s last appearance on the label was back in 2018 with his No Words EP, so it’s nice to have him back producing more trance. The new track was one of the highlights off Above & Beyond’s Group Therapy 350 set and Genix‘s Anjunabeats Worldwide 09.
‘The Next Chapter’ features distinct crispy and crackling percussive shots amidst grumbling bass and tangential moody notes. Overall, it brings to the table a darker emphasis on trance with a powerfully moving backbone. Pertaining to the release, Mat Zo spoke on what influenced it:
“There was a period in the mid-2000s when trance was starting to get really dark. For ‘The Next Chapter’ I wanted to rekindle that dark trance energy. I added the GQ sample (of him MCing at Westfest) because it reminded me of a drum and bass roller, but in trance form.”
Fortunately, the artist never bound himself to genre restrictions, and he has maintained an ethic which is true to himself. This actually makes each release all the more exciting to hear, since there is no choice but to approach with open ears.
Tour
Alongside the release of ‘The Next Chapter,’ Mat Zo announced an accompanying 8-show tour. It will be taking him through the U.S. and Canada, as well as France for the label’s ski holiday, Anjunabeats Elevations. For all details including ticket purchases, refer to his website here.
Happy to share The Next Chapter tour with you all! Tickets will be on sale this Friday, Feb 7th at 10AM. More dates to come – https://t.co/TdNlSr1I9b pic.twitter.com/9qg6qGCA8x
— Mat Zo (@Mat_Zo) February 3, 2020
Listen to Mat Zo ‘The Next Chapter’ featuring GQ on Anjunabeats below!
Cover Photo by: Nicole De Khors