Mattafix
Encyclopedia
Mattafix are a UK
duo
, made up of Marlon Roudette
and Preetesh Hirji. Their sound is a fusion of hip hop/rap
, R&B, reggae
, dancehall
, blues
, jazz
, soul
and world
. They won the Sopot International Song Festival
in 2006.
and is the son of Cameron McVey
, a British music producer, and Vonnie Roudette, a designer and artist from Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
. As a young child he moved with his mother and sister to St. Vincent, where he began his music career, and returned to London when he was 18. Preetesh Hirji was born in London of dual-India
n parentage and grew up in the heart of West London, where he started at Eastcote Studios on Kensal Road.
" as a limited edition on Buddhist Punk Records on January 13, 2005. However, the song never charted.
Their second single, "Big City Life
", was released by EMI
on August 8, 2005.
It was a considerable hit, managing a number 15 in the United Kingdom
and a number 1 in Germany
, Poland
, Austria
, Italy
, Switzerland
and New Zealand
.
It also had considerable success in other European countries where it reached the top 20. It can also be heard on the soundtrack to the hit video game FIFA World Cup Germany 2006, designed by EA Sports, and was included in the NOW! 62 UK compilation, the duo's first and only song to date, to be included in the series.
Signs of a Struggle
received positive reviews and had success in Europe where the band toured extensively throughout 2006-2008.
Signs of a Struggle was a Triple J
feature album in April 2006.
The duo toured with the likes of Jem
and Joss Stone
on their UK tours to promote the album, and have also opened for Sting, in Milan, before a crowd of more than 100,000 people.
Their fourth single, "To & Fro
", was released on March 13, 2006. The single was released as a download only in the United Kingdom
.
", taken from their second album Rhythm & Hymns
. It was available as a download only.
The single was released physically on October 22, 2007. The video features Matt Damon
in the intro.
The track was featured as part of the Save Darfur Campaign. Working alongside humanitarian agencies operating in the region, the band filmed a video for the song in the refugee camps in the region. The video became extremely popular on YouTube and to date is the only music video by an international group to be filmed in a war zone.
Speaking in June 2008 to noted UK R&B writer Pete Lewis of the award-winning Blues & Soul
, Roudette explained the musical background to 'Rhythms & Hymns': "With this album I wanted to bring through more aspects of the live show, which is something maybe the first album lacked. You know, we do go out with a seven or eight-piece band, and that has become a big part of the Mattafix sound. So, in addition to keeping the hardcore element and programmed beats from last time round, with 'Rhythms & Hymns' we've also used a lot of live drums. Also, we've added quite a lot of influences that we got from the road. Particularly in places like Johannesburg, where we played a couple of great shows."
The album was released on November 23, 2007 in most European countries. In Australia, it was released on November 17, 2007.
Mattafix remixed Lady Gaga
's song "Eh Eh (Nothing Else I Can Say)". Their remix appears on her iTunes Remix EP, however, not in the UK version.
On September 13 2011, Marlon announced that he signed to Warner Music Group
for the UK.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
duo
Duet (music)
A duet is a musical composition for two performers. In classical music, the term is most often used for a composition for two singers or pianists; with other instruments, the word duo is also often used. A piece performed by two pianists performing together on the same piano is referred to as...
, made up of Marlon Roudette
Marlon Roudette
Marlon Roudette is a British/Vincentian musician. He was a former member of the band Mattafix. He is famous for his song New Age, which was number one in Austria, Switzerland and Germany.-Biography:...
and Preetesh Hirji. Their sound is a fusion of hip hop/rap
Hip hop music
Hip hop music, also called hip-hop, rap music or hip-hop music, is a musical genre consisting of a stylized rhythmic music that commonly accompanies rapping, a rhythmic and rhyming speech that is chanted...
, R&B, reggae
Reggae
Reggae is a music genre first developed in Jamaica in the late 1960s. While sometimes used in a broader sense to refer to most types of Jamaican music, the term reggae more properly denotes a particular music style that originated following on the development of ska and rocksteady.Reggae is based...
, dancehall
Dancehall
Dancehall is a genre of Jamaican popular music that originated in the late 1970s. Initially dancehall was a more sparse version of reggae than the roots style, which had dominated much of the 1970s. In the mid-1980s, digital instrumentation became more prevalent, changing the sound considerably,...
, blues
Blues
Blues is the name given to both a musical form and a music genre that originated in African-American communities of primarily the "Deep South" of the United States at the end of the 19th century from spirituals, work songs, field hollers, shouts and chants, and rhymed simple narrative ballads...
, jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
, soul
Soul music
Soul music is a music genre originating in the United States combining elements of gospel music and rhythm and blues. According to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, soul is "music that arose out of the black experience in America through the transmutation of gospel and rhythm & blues into a form of...
and world
World music
World music is a term with widely varying definitions, often encompassing music which is primarily identified as another genre. This is evidenced by world music definitions such as "all of the music in the world" or "somebody else's local music"...
. They won the Sopot International Song Festival
Sopot International Song Festival
The Sopot International Song Festival is an international song contest held in Sopot, Poland. It was the biggest Polish music festival altogether with the National Festival of Polish Song in Opole, and one of the biggest annual song contest in Europe...
in 2006.
Biography
Marlon Roudette was born in LondonLondon
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
and is the son of Cameron McVey
Cameron McVey
Cameron Andrew McVey is a British music producer, best known for his work with Neneh Cherry, Massive Attack, Portishead, All Saints, and Sugababes.-Family:...
, a British music producer, and Vonnie Roudette, a designer and artist from Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines is an island country in the Lesser Antilles chain, namely in the southern portion of the Windward Islands, which lie at the southern end of the eastern border of the Caribbean Sea where the latter meets the Atlantic Ocean....
. As a young child he moved with his mother and sister to St. Vincent, where he began his music career, and returned to London when he was 18. Preetesh Hirji was born in London of dual-India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
n parentage and grew up in the heart of West London, where he started at Eastcote Studios on Kensal Road.
Signs of a Struggle (2005-2006)
Mattafix released their first single "11.30 (Dirtiest Trick in Town)11.30 (Dirtiest Trick in Town)
"11.30 " is Mattafix's debut single, taken from their debut album Signs of a Struggle, released in 2005. The single never charted....
" as a limited edition on Buddhist Punk Records on January 13, 2005. However, the song never charted.
Their second single, "Big City Life
Big City Life
"Big City Life" is a single from Mattafix's debut album, Signs of a Struggle, released in 2005.The chorus is sung in Jamaican Creole.The single topped the charts in Germany, Poland, Austria, Italy, Switzerland and New Zealand...
", was released by EMI
EMI
The EMI Group, also known as EMI Music or simply EMI, is a multinational music company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the fourth-largest business group and family of record labels in the recording industry and one of the "big four" record companies. EMI Group also has a major...
on August 8, 2005.
It was a considerable hit, managing a number 15 in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
and a number 1 in Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
, Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
, Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
and New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
.
It also had considerable success in other European countries where it reached the top 20. It can also be heard on the soundtrack to the hit video game FIFA World Cup Germany 2006, designed by EA Sports, and was included in the NOW! 62 UK compilation, the duo's first and only song to date, to be included in the series.
Signs of a Struggle
Signs of a Struggle
Signs of a Struggle is the debut album by English recording duo Mattafix, released on October 31, 2005 throughout Europe. The duo stated that the album is a reflection of the experiences and hardships they have gone through.-Track listings:...
received positive reviews and had success in Europe where the band toured extensively throughout 2006-2008.
Signs of a Struggle was a Triple J
Triple J
triple j is a nationally networked Australian radio station intended to appeal to listeners between the ages of 18 and 30. The government-funded station is a division of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation...
feature album in April 2006.
The duo toured with the likes of Jem
Jem (singer)
Jemma Griffiths , better known as Jem, is a Welsh singer-songwriter. Her debut album, Finally Woken, includes elements of rock, new wave-styled electronica and trip-hop...
and Joss Stone
Joss Stone
Jocelyn Eve Stoker , better known by her stage name Joss Stone, is an English soul singer-songwriter and actress. Stone rose to fame in late 2003 with her multi-platinum debut album, The Soul Sessions, which made the 2004 Mercury Prize shortlist...
on their UK tours to promote the album, and have also opened for Sting, in Milan, before a crowd of more than 100,000 people.
Their fourth single, "To & Fro
To & Fro
"To & Fro" is a single from Mattafix's debut album, Signs of a Struggle, released in 2005. The song features backing vocals from former Sugababe, Siobhán Donaghy. It was released as a download only single on March 13, 2006 in the United Kingdom....
", was released on March 13, 2006. The single was released as a download only in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
.
Rhythm & Hymns (2007-2009)
On September 7, 2007, Mattafix released the first single, "Living DarfurLiving Darfur
"Living Darfur" is the first single from Mattafix's album Rhythm and Hymns, released in 2007. The beginning of the song sounds similar to a part of Madonna's song "Mother and Father", taken from her 2003 release American Life.-Music video:The music video, funded by Mick Jagger and set in a...
", taken from their second album Rhythm & Hymns
Rhythm & Hymns
Rhythm & Hymns is Mattafix's second album, released in November 2007. As of yet, it's unknown if it will be released in the United States. The album includes the charity single "Living Darfur"...
. It was available as a download only.
The single was released physically on October 22, 2007. The video features Matt Damon
Matt Damon
Matthew Paige "Matt" Damon is an American actor, screenwriter, and philanthropist whose career was launched following the success of the film Good Will Hunting , from a screenplay he co-wrote with friend Ben Affleck...
in the intro.
The track was featured as part of the Save Darfur Campaign. Working alongside humanitarian agencies operating in the region, the band filmed a video for the song in the refugee camps in the region. The video became extremely popular on YouTube and to date is the only music video by an international group to be filmed in a war zone.
Speaking in June 2008 to noted UK R&B writer Pete Lewis of the award-winning Blues & Soul
Blues & Soul
Blues & Soul is a British music magazine covering black music. Genres covered include soul, R&B, jazz, hip hop, reggae and world music. It was first published in 1966 and is known for first using the term Northern Soul....
, Roudette explained the musical background to 'Rhythms & Hymns': "With this album I wanted to bring through more aspects of the live show, which is something maybe the first album lacked. You know, we do go out with a seven or eight-piece band, and that has become a big part of the Mattafix sound. So, in addition to keeping the hardcore element and programmed beats from last time round, with 'Rhythms & Hymns' we've also used a lot of live drums. Also, we've added quite a lot of influences that we got from the road. Particularly in places like Johannesburg, where we played a couple of great shows."
The album was released on November 23, 2007 in most European countries. In Australia, it was released on November 17, 2007.
Mattafix remixed Lady Gaga
Lady GaGa
Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta , better known by her stage name Lady Gaga, is an American singer and songwriter. Born and raised in New York City, she primarily studied at the Convent of the Sacred Heart and briefly attended New York University's Tisch School of the Arts before withdrawing to...
's song "Eh Eh (Nothing Else I Can Say)". Their remix appears on her iTunes Remix EP, however, not in the UK version.
Next album (2010-present)
Mattafix are currently working on a new album. In April 2010, Marlon Roudette made a video appearance where he spoke about recording and making the record in his home based studio. However, via Facebook, it was announced that Roudette and Hirji had gone separate ways, due to their different new ideas for future projects. Marlon Roudette is now working on a solo project with the Universal label, apparently to be released in May 2011, which has brought abundant attention to fans. He is yet to come up with his new artist name; whether to stay with the name Mattafix, or choose a new stage name; perhaps his own. "Mattafix presents...Marlon..." was a quote from a late 2010 YouTube video, as an updated possibility for his album title and/or stage name. Marlon Roudette has confirmed that the new album is "not a radical shift but definitely different. More instrumentation and more in depth musical compositions." Marlon Roudette has stated that the album is pretty much completed, but the album is still being "fine tuned.". On July 9, 2011, Marlon Roudette confirmed that the name of the first single from the new album is "New Age", and the name of the album will be called "Matter Fixed". In September 2011, "New Age" reached number one in Germany.On September 13 2011, Marlon announced that he signed to Warner Music Group
Warner Music Group
Warner Music Group is the third largest business group and family of record labels in the recording industry, making it one of the big four record companies...
for the UK.
Albums
Title | Album details | Peak chart positions | ||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
AUT Austria Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the... |
BEL Belgium Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many... |
EU Europe Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting... |
FRA France The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France... |
GER Germany Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate... |
ITA Italy Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and... |
POL Poland Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north... |
SWI Switzerland Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition.... |
UK UK Albums Chart The UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled every week by The Official Charts Company and broadcast on a Sunday on BBC Radio 1 , and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website .To qualify for the UK albums chart... |
||
Signs of a Struggle Signs of a Struggle Signs of a Struggle is the debut album by English recording duo Mattafix, released on October 31, 2005 throughout Europe. The duo stated that the album is a reflection of the experiences and hardships they have gone through.-Track listings:... |
|
10 | 60 | 62 | 75 | 35 | 12 | 64 | 15 | 159 |
Rhythm & Hymns Rhythm & Hymns Rhythm & Hymns is Mattafix's second album, released in November 2007. As of yet, it's unknown if it will be released in the United States. The album includes the charity single "Living Darfur"... |
EMI The EMI Group, also known as EMI Music or simply EMI, is a multinational music company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the fourth-largest business group and family of record labels in the recording industry and one of the "big four" record companies. EMI Group also has a major... Compact Disc The Compact Disc is an optical disc used to store digital data. It was originally developed to store and playback sound recordings exclusively, but later expanded to encompass data storage , write-once audio and data storage , rewritable media , Video Compact Discs , Super Video Compact Discs ,... , Digital sownload Music download A music download is the transferral of music from an Internet-facing computer or website to a user's local computer. This term encompasses both legal downloads and downloads of copyright material without permission or payment... |
— | 69 | 92 | 48 | 73 | 17 | 87 | 22 | — |
Singles
Year | Title | Chart positions | ||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
AUS |
AUT Austria Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the... |
BEL Belgium Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many... |
FRA France The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France... |
GER Germany Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate... |
ITA Italy Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and... |
NZ New Zealand New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga... |
NOR Norway Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million... |
SWI Switzerland Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition.... |
UK UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ... |
|||
2005 | "11.30 (Dirtiest Trick in Town) 11.30 (Dirtiest Trick in Town) "11.30 " is Mattafix's debut single, taken from their debut album Signs of a Struggle, released in 2005. The single never charted.... " |
— | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Signs of a Struggle Signs of a Struggle Signs of a Struggle is the debut album by English recording duo Mattafix, released on October 31, 2005 throughout Europe. The duo stated that the album is a reflection of the experiences and hardships they have gone through.-Track listings:... |
"Big City Life Big City Life "Big City Life" is a single from Mattafix's debut album, Signs of a Struggle, released in 2005.The chorus is sung in Jamaican Creole.The single topped the charts in Germany, Poland, Austria, Italy, Switzerland and New Zealand... " |
19 | 1 | 12 | 17 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 15 | ||
"Passer By" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
2006 | "To & Fro To & Fro "To & Fro" is a single from Mattafix's debut album, Signs of a Struggle, released in 2005. The song features backing vocals from former Sugababe, Siobhán Donaghy. It was released as a download only single on March 13, 2006 in the United Kingdom.... " |
— | — | 56 | — | 73 | 56 | — | — | 56 | — | |
"Cool Down the Pace Cool Down the Pace "Cool Down the Pace" is the final single from Mattafix's debut album, Signs of a Struggle, released in 2005. The song charted in Germany, Italy, Austria and Switzerland... " |
— | 52 | — | — | 82 | 25 | — | — | 63 | — | ||
2007 | "Living Darfur Living Darfur "Living Darfur" is the first single from Mattafix's album Rhythm and Hymns, released in 2007. The beginning of the song sounds similar to a part of Madonna's song "Mother and Father", taken from her 2003 release American Life.-Music video:The music video, funded by Mick Jagger and set in a... " |
— | 21 | 50 | 50 | 32 | 2 | — | — | 13 | — | Rhythm & Hymns Rhythm & Hymns Rhythm & Hymns is Mattafix's second album, released in November 2007. As of yet, it's unknown if it will be released in the United States. The album includes the charity single "Living Darfur"... |
2008 | "Things Have Changed Things Have Changed (Mattafix song) "Things Have Changed" is the second single from Mattafix's second studio album Rhythm and Hymns, released in 2007. It was released as a single in 2008.- Charts :... " |
— | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Music videos
Year | Title | Director(s) |
---|---|---|
2005 2005 in music -Events:*During the year 2005, 12 rock music albums scored number 1 in the USA. This was the first time even ten albums have scored number 1 since 1996.-January:... |
"Big City Life" | Scott Franklin |
"Passer By" | John Rankin Waddell | |
2006 2006 in music This is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 2006.-January:*January 10 – Eric Burdon releases his album Soul of a Man and begins touring with a new band.... |
"To & Fro" | Max & Dania |
"Cool Down the Pace" | Max & Dania | |
2007 2007 in music This is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 2007.-January:*January 1 - George Shearing is knighted for services to music in the Queen's New Year Honours List. Evelyn Glennie becomes a Dame... |
"Living Darfur" | Mattafix |
2008 2008 in music 2008 was a huge year in music history with the emergence of pop superstars Lady Gaga and Katy Perry into the mainstream. Also, this is the year that is widely agreed upon by critics as the start of the fall of hip hop from the mainstream and the rise of Synthpop into the mainstream due to acts such... |
"Things Have Changed" |