Tracing Matroda's Musical Journey in 8 Tracks
Croatian DJ, producer, and label owner Matroda has forged a path to house music stardom over the last decade, becoming a household name to underground dance music fans worldwide. And while he’s been a certified hit machine for several years, he didn’t follow a straight and narrow path. While staying firmly in the four-to-the-floor range, he’s experimented with various genres yet (mostly) retained a style that’s steady groovin’ and always bass forward.
His career has seen him work with Chris Lake and Wax Motif while also releasing dozens of his chart-topping beats. And with a path that has wound from dubstep and glitch hop to electro house and now his own unique brand of tech house, we thought it would be good to follow his musical journey over the last nine years.
1. Matroda - Phunkshock (2012)
In 2012, the producer released his debut EP, I Am Matroda featuring “Phunkshock” as its intro track. This EP was a precursor to his debut album, All Eyes On Matroda, featuring the same tracks with a few additions. “Phunkshock” is a full-on dubstep track, echoing the sounds of Skrillex circa 2010. This track is another testament to Matroda’s versatility and his evolution throughout his career.
2. Matroda - Some Strange Voices (2013)
“Some Strange Voices” was among the first Matroda releases, and you’d never guess that it was him who produced it. It is entirely different from the Matroda we know today. The bottom-heavy glitch hop tune is heavy on instrumentation and spicy swirling bass. It sounds more like Griz than Matroda.
3. SNBRN feat. Kaleena Zanders - California (Chris Lake & Matroda Remix) [2015]
What truly catapulted Matroda into the spotlight was his collab with Chris Lake on their remix of SNBRN’s iconic house track “California,” featuring the anthemic vocals of Kaleena Zanders. Heavy on future house vibes, the track remains in heavy rotation for DJs across the globe. This remix has cemented its spot as a house classic and a fan favorite.
4. Matroda - Chronic (2016)
After his first album, Matroda moved away from bass and dubstep toward house music, and his career began to take off. He went on to release “Chronic” on Spinnin’ Records. In a hybrid of his converging styles, the track is more house-esque, still featuring heavy bass influence and a sexy breakbeat flourish before the first drop.
5. Matroda - Do You Remember House? (2019)
In 2019, Matroda dropped The RED Tape EP, which proved to be one of the biggest albums of the year within the genre. Fittingly, the intro track is “Do You Remember House?” which shows a glimmer of his ability to cross-pollinate elements from sub-genres of house music. His rhythmic basslines and syncopated rhythmic style are on full display here.
6. Matroda - Jack The House (2020)
In 2020, Matroda launched his music label Terminal Underground, intending to shine a light on hand-selected up-and-coming producers. “Jack The House” was the lead track off of the EP of the same name and the inaugural release on Terminal Underground. Matroda’s sound design has always been the highlight of his music, and it’s only gotten better over the years, as evidenced by the sidewinding effects and soulful rave vocal samples.
7. Matroda, San Pacho - La Pasion (2021)
“La Pasion” is a proven crowd favorite and staple in DJ’s Rekordboxes. Featured on his Jack the House 2 EP, Matroda and fellow Croatian artist San Pacho channel Latin house vibes with their own jilted basslines and slapping drums.
8. Matroda, Bleu Clair - PWR (2022)
The duo have been good friends for some time and have collaborated on several projects. “PWR” perfectly melds their two styles with Bleu Claire’s talent for funky classic house synths and Matroda’s sub-knocking basslines.
