22 Dec 2024
UsernamePassword

Remember Me? | Join | Recover
Click here to sign in via social networking

Mat Gat - Single Review: Magnetic

08 Oct 2020 // A review by Epitomised_Drummer

With some pretty famous initials you might confuse MJK with Maynard James Keenan from Tool, but in fact, residing in NZ is our own professional muso MJK ‘Mathew King’ born in the ‘Naki.

Performing under MJK, Mathew has just released a brand new single Magnetic, and it’s a pretty slick tune!

The single kicks off with some very intimate guitar work, you start asking yourself if its flamenco/Spanish? Then the band kicks in with hints of what sounds like a marriage of jazz and grunge.

I’ve been in jazz bands, big bands, concert bands, and rock bands, and if you asked me if you could merge those into one and still have it sound good, I’d say yeah nah, but somehow, Magnetic pulls all of these aspects into something that gives me glimmers of a much more polished version of early Red Hot Chili Peppers mixed with Primus.

MJK has such a unique voice. It’s got such an earthy/mature tone. In the beginning it somewhat reminds me of Curtis Stigers (the guy who wrote/sang the Sons of Anarchy theme song), but then blends to something a little more bluesy. He’s also used some simple yet effective distortion over the top to give it just a touch more edge.

The massive highlight for me really is the guitar work all the way through, not just the writing, but the way it is performed. MJK is clearly a very talented musician, and a very talented songwriter who has put a massive amount of effort into this tune. There is elements that I think a music lover of any genre could well appreciate.

If you are a blues/Jazz/Rock fan and appreciate something with a bit of a twist, you need to check out this tune.

Rating: ( 4 / 5 )
 

About Mat Gat

Mat Gat (MJK) is a solo guitarist/ musician from Taranaki currently residing in Dunedin. Studying at the Wanganui school of music from 1999/2000 gave Mathew a strong grounding in all aspects of music theory and performance. In 2019 he was a member of Trip Change to play the New Plymouth Festival of the Lights event in January. After Covid changed the musical landscape it gave him the opportunity to focus more on his solo career.

Releasing his first single Magnetic on 02/10/2020 Recorded at Arthousemedia Studios Dunedin. Mathew's main focus and love is guitar but he enjoys a vast amount of musical styles as can be heard by his Spotify and YouTube channels. Main influences are - Stevie Ray Vaughan, Jimi Hendrix, Tool, Led Zeppelin, Portishead, Sublime, Joe Satriani, Steve Vai and many more.


Visit the muzic.net.nz Profile for Mat Gat

Releases

There are no releases to display for Mat Gat.

Other Reviews By Epitomised_Drummer

Say Or Do - Single Review: Awake
19 Mar 2023 // by Epitomised_Drummer
If you’ve been following the Kiwi Rock scene for a while now, you’ll be familiar with the names Silence The City, Quarter 2 and Broken Avenue. One of the main drivers behind these epic bands has been by groove-master Sam French.
Read More...
Album Review: Pieces Of Molly
09 Nov 2022 // by Epitomised_Drummer
Have you ever heard a tune for the very first time, and within 10 seconds been like "holy crap this is insane, where did this come from???" Very few bands that I listen to ever give me that massive burst in energy like i got when opening the very first track Atomic Fuzz on Pieces Of Molly’s brand new self-titled album.
Read More...
Kev Rowland - Book Review: The Progressive Underground Volume 4
28 Jun 2022 // by Epitomised_Drummer
Well, here I find myself in the weird situation of reviewing a series of reviews. What a novel idea!
Read More...
Arrays - Single Review: Forget Fast
03 May 2022 // by Epitomised_Drummer
Remember the Names Armed In Advance or Stitches? Perhaps you should!
Read More...
The Mechanism - Single Review: Living in Colour
08 Apr 2022 // by Epitomised_Drummer
People who follow the NZ music scene will have probably noticed by now that musicians tend to move in circles dabbling in different types of music, and often work on each other's projects or play in multiple bands throughout their careers. One of those awesome names to have hit the scene in recent times with 3 of his own EP’s is Geoff Ong.
Read More...
Unknown - Single Review: I Am
17 Mar 2022 // by Epitomised_Drummer
Sins of Eve have just released their wickedly evil new single I Am. I’ve not heard of Sins of Eve before personally, but a little bit of a back story tells me that they have been around for quite some time on the rock scene in Christchurch but have recently rejigged their line-up with the inclusion of Lexie Mia Le Cocq on vocals.
Read More...
Viices - Single Review: Coffee
20 Feb 2022 // by Epitomised_Drummer
Something a little different landed on my desk this morning, a new release from a Wellington rock trio Viices featuring Jake, Geordie, and Will. I’ve not heard Viices before, so I thought I’d read a few of their previous reviews and see if I could form a picture of what they might sound like.
Read More...
Head Like A Hole - Single Review: Goliath
03 Nov 2021 // by Epitomised_Drummer
Head Like A Hole, arguably one of the greatest and most influential kiwi rock bands of our time. These guys have been around since longer than I’ve been listening to Rock!
Read More...
View All Articles By Epitomised_Drummer

NZ Top 10 Singles

  • APT.
    ROSÉ And Bruno Mars
  • DIE WITH A SMILE
    Lady Gaga And Bruno Mars
  • BIRDS OF A FEATHER
    Billie Eilish
  • TASTE
    Sabrina Carpenter
  • I LOVE YOU, I'M SORRY
    Gracie Abrams
  • ESPRESSO
    Sabrina Carpenter
  • SAILOR SONG
    Gigi Perez
  • LOSE CONTROL
    Teddy Swims
  • A BAR SONG (TIPSY)
    Shaboozey
  • GOOD LUCK, BABE!
    Chappell Roan
View the Full NZ Top 40...
muzic.net.nz Logo
100% New Zealand Music
All content on this website is copyright to muzic.net.nz and other respective rights holders. Redistribution of any material presented here without permission is prohibited.
Report a ProblemReport A Problem