Vinyl Pimp. Matt Tolfrey. Was On Thursday, November 29th. @ Vinyl Pimp Record Shop, 14 Felstead Street, Hackney Wick, London, E9 5LT, 7pm - 9pm
Celebrating his first album 'Word Of Mouth', Matt Tolfrey will return to Hackney Wick where he discovered Vinyl Pimp 2 years ago to showcase his take on house music.
Matt Tolfrey is a fixture of modern house music that can feel a definite sense of pride over his achievements. Once a young upstart who was championed by DJs as diverse as Craig Richards and Pete Tong, he’s now a mentor to many via his various Leftroom imprints while still retaining the obsessive and energetic enthusiasm for music and it’s machinations.
Featuring a rich selection of talent, from the relatively new such as James Teej, Jem Cooke and Kevin Knapp, to legends like Marshall Jefferson and Ya Kid K, ‘Word Of Mouth’ is a return to the feel of classic house albums of old where collaborations with vocalists, engineers and mix engineers were worn as a badge of honour.
A recording artist who has released on Cocoon, Rekids, Crosstown Rebels, Saved, Culprit and more, Tolfrey’s touch in the studio is undoubted but with ‘Word of Mouth’ we’re treated to a unique insight into his influences, working methods and what makes him tick. 'I cannot play the piano and I am not professionally trained in any way musically, but through years of DJing I know exactly what I like, and I have great tracks in my head that need to get out. While searching the Internet for alternate ideas of making music, I came across some amazing software that enables you to simply sing or hum into a mic, which then translates into midi notes, which you then use as the basis of your tracks. In essence, it means that while I am walking the streets, or away travelling, and I come up with an idea for a bassline, or a melody, I can simply record it into my phone, return home, and sing it into the computer. In other words, ‘in theory’ the album is mainly going to be written with my mouth, not my fingers, and then fully realised with the help of engineers and guest vocalists - hence the name ‘Word Of Mouth’.