“This mix was recorded very early one February morning when I couldn’t get back to sleep after feeding my daughter. She was nearly nine months old then so still waking up a few times in the night and letting us know she was around.”
2015 was a big year for Matt Tolfrey, he celebrated the tenth anniversary of his Leftroom imprint, which releases the off centre sounds of house, disco and techno and is home to Laura Jones, Gavin Herlihy, Jasper James, Jay Haze, Marc Asken, Kate Simko, Simon Baker, Route 94 and Tolfrey himself.
And he celebrated the birth of his daughter, his best creation yet. Inspired by fatherhood, Tolfrey has created a mellow Cosmix with magical elements (listen for the penguins) and feelings of joy and calmness throughout… And a little message to be more conscious of our actions on earth from the youth and future leaders of our planet. The mix also ends with a ode to Little Jo, a certified ‘pixie-power’ rave legend, with ‘Not So Little After All’, taken from Tolfrey’s 2012 artist album ‘Word Of Mouth’.
Please see below for the interview and Cosmix
How would you like for people to feel when they hear this music?
I would like them to feel the love I have for my newly born daughter. Something that cannot really be described until you’re in it.
How has music helped to sculpt and guide you in life?
Music is a huge part of my life as I am a full time DJ and producer and also have been running a record label for the past ten years. My father used to play me ELO and Eric Clapton as a child and the first CD my mother ever game was Nirvana ‘Nevermind’, as her netball team had bought it for her as they lost in the cup final. The title of the CD was fitting for that situation, but little did she know I’d be waking up to ‘Smells Like Teen Spirit’ for years to come.
Music is?
Cusim backwards. Or, is the backbone of our existence here on planet earth.
What does the word ‘cosmic’ mean to you
Cosmic in its simplest form is expansion or growth. It’s reaching out to a point or allowing yourself to grow to a point that you have not been to or might not of understood before.
Please can you give us a cosmic piece of art, quote or book that moves you
At the Dali museum I saw a quote that I still live by to this day. It even forms part of my tattoo on my arm though written in Arabic as I grew up in the Middle East. It states, ‘everything alters me, nothing changes me.’ I read it as, it is ok to adapt to your surroundings as long as you stay true to your beliefs, and the goals you set out in life.
What do you think is the role of the DJ in the modern world?
To express themselves with self belief, passion and enthusiam. You can tell the difference immediately by a DJ who plays from their heart to a DJ playing by numbers. This expression can then really attract others and enable them to understand what story you are trying to tell.
How can we make the world a better place?
Start treating the world as a real thing. We’ve been taking the piss for to long and I think the next 20 years are going to prove it, starting with climate and our weather systems. I’m worried something quite drastic is going to occur.
Are there any causes that you support, that you would like to bring into awareness?
This is totally out of context but I donate to guide dogs for the blind. While living in London I was blown away watching these dogs being trained on the tubes and trains. Simply mind blowing.
Your favourite cosmic website?
Cosmic Pineapple of course.
Your starsign?
I am on the cusp of Libra and Scorpio.
A pineapple fact?
Dried Pineapple is full of sugar and really not very good for you. You often eat a lot more than you think and the sugar is so concentrated that it is really bad for you. Eat the real thing, in its juiciest form.
A music fact?
The total time of the original compact disc is 74 minutes long because that is the length of the final great works of Ludvig Van Beethovens Symphony No. 9 in D Minor, Op. 125.