What pumps up Matthew Koma?

Described as “an electronic dance music heavyweight,” Matthew Koma will be at the Chaos Manila tonight, the trend-setting nightclub of City of Dreams, for a live DJ performance of his global chart-topping dance tracks.

That should serve as an introduction to Koma for Funfare readers who might not be familiar with him.

Here’s more (from the information furnished this corner by the City of Dreams):

Koma broke into the dance music scene in 2010 and has since worked with topnotch deejays and producers currently dominating the industry such as Alesso, Hardwell, Sebastian Ingrosso and Tiesto. His claim to fame was his collaboration with Zedd for Clarity which won the Grammy for Best Dance Recording in 2012. The song, which Zedd co-wrote with Matthew, Skylar Grey and Porter Robinson, climbed to No. 8 on the Billboard Hot 100. Two other collaborations (Find You and Spectrum) with Zedd in the latter’s 2012 Spectrum album topped the Billboard US Dance charts in the same year. Matthew followed it up with the massive collaborative EDM tracks including Years (with Alesso), Dare You (with Hardwell), Wasted (with Tiesto) and Calling (Lose My Mind, with Ingrosso and Alesso) from 2012 to 2014.

“Matthew will impress Manila’s partygoers with his inimitable brand of music,” guarantees Romina Gervacio, PR director of City of Dreams, who arranged the following exclusive e-mail interview with Koma:

What got you interested in “deejay-ing” and songwriting?

“I grew up with music as a huge part of my life so it was a pretty natural progression into writing songs. I started out playing in bands, doing acoustic shows, etc., and that eventually led to collaborating with producers who opened my mind to a bit of a different space and avenue. It was an exciting discovery for me to marry the melodies and lyrics I had been writing to a production model that felt inventive and less expected.”

Who are your role models and what did you learn from them that you are now applying in your career?

“So many role models for different reasons. From a songwriting standpoint, I always looked up to storytellers who were able to connect emotionally in a way that was direct but not obvious. A constant student of Elvis Costello and Leonard Cohen in that respect. And I’ve always wanted to be Hulk Hogan.”

Is competition in dance music as stiff as the competition in other music forms?

“I think competition in life is a common thread and you sort of have to keep on your own path and believe in whatever it is you’re doing. If you’re doing it right, it’s going to be hard for people to wrap their head around it at first because it will be unique to you and something that hasn’t completely been done before. Competition only comes from comparing and I think that’s poison in the creative process.”

How do you pump up yourself before a show? Where do you get the energy that sustains you on a show that can be physically exhausting?

“It’s called coffee.”

Sid Lucero plays the titular role in Toto, directed by (right) John Paul Su

 

Is dancing part of your exercise regimen? How “high” can dancing get you into?

“I have never danced a day in my life and I don’t plan to, unless I’m extremely drunk. And I don’t drink.”

How was it working with the likes of Alesso, Hardwell, Sebastian Ingrosso and Tiesto?

“They’re all really different creative and all those collaborations were so different. The thing about each of them that was impressive was how well they knew themselves and their audiences. They knew what they were swinging for and it made it really clear how to go about finding the targets. That being said, they’re all also very open-minded to stretching the confines of what they do.”

What about Zedd with whom you collaborated on the Grammy winner Clarity?

“We wrote a lot of songs together that I’m very proud of. There are certain people that you have a special click with and I think that was the case with Anton and me during that period. It was all very effortless and natural.”

Do you know that the Manila dance scene is as vibrant as anywhere in the world, if not even more so?

“It’s one of my favorite places to play. I can’t wait.”

Sid, Toto winners in LA Comedy Fest

John Paul Su’s Toto won Best Foreign Film and Sid Lucero, who plays the titular role, Best Actor at the 19th LA Comedy Festival in Los Angeles, California, May 19 to 22.

Set in the Philippines in the aftermath of Typhoon Haiyan, Toto is a comedy/drama about a young Filipino room service attendant whose determination to get a US visa precipitates an odyssey of universal import. Undeterred by his lack of education and scant prospects, schemes relentlessly to achieve his goal. When his antics put the lives of his loved ones in danger, however, he is forced to question the extremity of his actions and to re-evaluate the cost of fulfilling his dreams.

Toto was the winner of four awards in the New Wave Section of the 2015 Metro Manila Film Festival — Jury Prize, Best Film Director (Su), Best Supporting Actress (Bibeth Orteza) and Best Supporting Actor (Thou Reyes).

The Los Angeles Comedy Festival is the largest comedy festival in the United States featuring film, live comedy acts and a screenplay competition. The past festivals have featured thousands of performers and hundreds of films from LA and around the world. The festival’s dual emphasis is on “discovering” great comedic talent with the purpose of promoting it to both the entertainment industry and the LA public, as well as, showcasing the works of seasoned professionals and well-known stars.

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