Matty Stecks Music

News & Updates

Pretzil Stex Tour Dates in Western Canada June 2023!

Pretzil Stex DEBUT NOW AVAILABLE on Ropeadope!

Update 11/18/22

Put it in the books! The quartet that started making waves in Manitoba 2019-20 has reunited and successfully recorded its debut Garden Variety, on Ropeadope - due for release Nov. 18, 2022! Featuring the originals and arrangements of both Jeff Presslaff and myself, and enhanced with the playing of James Hamilton and Eric Platz, this one promises to please.

Back Catalogue Announcement Part II. - persiflage

Jan. 7, 2022

*** Matty Stecks: Matteleine EP ***

Happy New Year! I’m releasing as an EP the music I drafted at Millay Arts last summer… all conceived, tracked, mixed and edited by myself. Mastered by Mark Alan Miller/Sonelab.

While in residence, I focused on work conceptually inspired by the famous Madeleine passage in Proust’s Remembrance of Things Past. My own relationship to this writing is couched in forced isolation in the COVID moment, and the ensuing reflection that follows; as well as family history with dementia, and coming to grips with what can be remembered in the short versus long term. I have posed myself the following questions:

• Without our memory in the short term, what is our lived experience of the present that we can document (field recording, video, sketching)?

• Can we use all our senses to take a mental snapshot of our present states (“multisensory mnemonics”)?

• How do we draw on our past to describe our identities, without being consumed by that alone (depression)?

• How do we calculate our future selves without being consumed by the given barriers (anxiety)?

• Can we trigger our own memories actively, where the madeleine (art object) itself may not have

  the same effect twice?

• Can the arts be therapy (in a time when traditional therapy is overwhelmed with patients, and

  most organic social channels are closed)?

My instinct, in actualizing this concept and sub-questions in sound, was to write a work that is modular in iteration and instrumentation. The first iteration would be “solo” in the loosest sense – I would perform all the instruments on a recording or live performance, and have live audio processing, studio and musique concrète techniques at my disposal. The process would focus on learning phrase fragments and improvising them with additive/subtractive sub-processes, much like the process of deconstructing a learned solo for acquiring fluency in a musical “language.”

You can purchase my album on Bandcamp here - please consider adding a little extra, as I’ll be donating 50% of proceeds to support Alzheimer’s research. Thanks!

Jan. 1, 2021

*** Matty Stecks & Persiflage ***

Happy New Year! I’ve decided, after a DCB release to conclude 2020, to begin 2021 with a new drop from another of my projects, Persiflage. The project began with a 2006 album on Innova featuring some serious classic jazz heavyweights, but came to be associated with the period of my time in Brooklyn known as the “Windsor Terrace years” (‘06-’13). Through the graces of that neighborhood’s other musical inhabitants, I got introduced to a larger Brooklyn scene, and for a time managed one-off contributions from some major power players (Weiss, Cleaver, Sorey, Lightcap, the Ferbers, Albright, Fowlkes and others) at some of the most enjoyable homegrown venues (Barbés, Cornelia, the Stone, Shapeshifter, Sycamore, et al).

But the group that finally coalesced to make the tunes on this album come to life was really quite special, showcased in the pristine sound of the legendary Avatar recording studio (one of the last sessions there ever), engineered and mixed by multi-Grammy-winner Katherine Miller. It was 2012, I had a baby on the way, and wouldn’t be based in NYC for much longer - but I knew a document like this was a crucial concluding chapter. The quintet lineup includes Curtis Hasselbring (tbn), Todd Neufeld (gtr), Dave Ambrosio (bs), Satoshi Takeishi (perc) and myself. Much of what we did together was quite subtle, and this recording really brought out those subtleties - IMO the best recording quality I’ve myself put out there. Pinch Recording engineer and fellow Ropeadope artist E. Scott Lindner recently put on the final touches in mastering. It’s called Night Cravings. I think you’d be pleased with the result.

Both Persiflage recordings are available at https://persiflage.bandcamp.com/. Artwork on all my recordings by Daddy Stecks, Charles Steckler. Special limited time pricing, and CDs for the first album still available (Night Cravings will have CDs out in a month or so).

Spotify pre-saves:

Persiflage (2006)

https://distrokid.com/.../mattystecksandpers.../persiflage-2

Night Cravings (2021) https://distrokid.com/.../mattystecksandpe.../night-cravings

(other streaming forthcoming)

Here's a great concert review from that time too: https://www.nippertown.com/.../live-persiflage-proctors.../

One final thought: The recent decision to release my music independently again did not come easily. It’s a bit scary and intimidating in this climate, in all honesty. The DIY aesthetic has its ups and downs. But I think the pandemic finally made that choice clear. By learning we can’t take one single day for granted, or wait around for something to happen for us on its own, it’s time to try taking the reins for a time. Stay tuned for some home-recorded releases this year on the singles and EP level, and getting deeper into the writing groove.

And as always, thank you for your support!

Back Catalogue Announcement Part I. - dead Cat Bounce

Dec. 30, 2020

*** Matty Stecks & Dead Cat Bounce ***

Once upon a time, there was a little jazz band called Dead Cat Bounce. I knew nothing of playing, writing or leading a band, but we all were learning and basically grew up together in Beantown…. from the ol’ Chopping Block pub, to the Regattabar, and then some. Four U.S. tours and a handful of festivals later, 1998-2011 was a pretty great run. Not to mention the changing industry, conflicting projects, trash talk, rotating personnel, scene turf wars, pilfered scotch and abuse at the hands of hot dog vendors. I mean, we really were Living the Dream (a real song).

That’s not to say it’s past tense. I created some space to raise a family and think of other music, but I will always be proud of (by far) my largest body of work. And I realize I’m no longer 25, and that newer generations have yet to be hipped to this music. A lot can happen with 4 saxes, bass & drums. And I hope in time it still will.

I’m winding up 2020 by looking back, in order to move forward. That means all 4 Dead Cat Bounce studio releases, plus the never before released "Lucky & Live in STL," are now up together on Bandcamp - with special individual and bulk pricing as digital albums, for a limited time. CDs available for studio recordings as well.

https://deadcatbounce.bandcamp.com/

---

They'll be available shortly via Distrokid in most streaming and online store platforms as well. Spotify pre-saves at the following links (with some pretty decent audio previews):

https://distrokid.com/.../mattysteck.../lucky-by-association

https://distrokid.com/.../mattystecksa.../legends-of-the-nar

https://distrokid.com/.../home-speaks-to-the-wandering

https://distrokid.com/.../mattystecksandd.../chance-episodes

https://distrokid.com/.../mattystecksa.../lucky--live-in-stl

(While I’m not thrilled with Spotify, I have to reckon with being still an ‘emergent’ artist - so I don’t have the luxury of more visible others who are better equipped to take a principled stand.)

It’s billed “Matty Stecks & Dead Cat Bounce” for uniformity with my other stuff, and to distinguish it from other entertainment groups by the same name (we were the first if anyone’s paying attention, but I had no resources for trademarks and lawyers and all that… ahhhh, so much of 2020 is about letting go).

Let’s make music a priority again in 2021!!! Thanks for listening.

+18

32Daniel George Koulomzin, Rosemarie Amendolia and 30 others

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Long Time Ago Rumble (double album release today)

May 8, 2020

Purchase/stream my double album today! https://ropeadope.lnk.to/LongTimeAgoRumble

CD purchases specifically via Bandcamp: https://mattystecks.bandcamp.com/

The day is here at last! Made by real musicians playing real music! One day we might prove it by playing for you live (stay tuned for a live stream mini-show courtesy of Ropeadope Records), but this double album effort really is an art form unto itself... Tons of group improv, sound collage, textures, filmic sound-in-time, plus classic songwriting & production. And above all, a triumph in collective creative inquiry - so many thanks to all these fine people involved. Please consider sharing this message and spreading the word, and supporting the artists with your purchase!

"This new two-CD album is a wonderful wild ride through a diverse mix of solid improvisational jazz, updated cinema music, pop/rock tunes and huge energy." - Keith Black, Winnipeg Free Press (4.5 out of 5 stars)

'Long Time Ago Rumble' features...
🔹 Keith Price (Guitar)
🔹 Matt Kozicki (Bass)
🔹 Eric Platz (Drums & Percussion)
🔹 Jeff Presslaff (Piano & Keyboards)
🔹 Leanne Zacharias (Cello)
🔹 Cathy Wood (Clarinet)
🔹 Lenya Wilks (Voice)
🔹 Hannah Fearn (Voice)
🔹 Megan Demarest (Voice)
🔹 Matthew Steckler (Saxophones, Flutes, Voice, Keyboards, EWI & Electronics

----

🔹 Recorded at Tailored Recording, Winnipeg
🔹 Mixed & Mastered at Tailored Recording, Winnipeg
🔹 Engineer & Co-Producer: Jordan Jackiew
🔹 Composition & Arrangements by Matthew Steckler
🔹 Research Co-Investigators (for improvisation pieces & field recordings): Matthew Steckler, Keith Price, Eric Platz, Matt Kozicki, Leanne Zacharias and Jeff Presslaff.

A big thank you to Manitoba Film and Music for their support.

Orange Grove Publicity Ropeadope Records Brandon University BSide Graphics Charles Steckler

Album pre-order/pre-save up!

Apr 13, 2020

My upcoming album “Long Time Ago Rumble” is officially available for pre-order!!

This release culminates the special milestone of my Canadian residency... it pools the best talent in Manitoba and attempts to push them in a variety of new directions, that intersect jazz, pop/R&B, film score and musique concréte. Their lived experience is heard throughout, and I am so excited to have the chance to share it with you all. Belle écoute à vous tous!

Pre-order on Bandcamp and get 1 track instantly, plus the complete album the moment it’s released on May 8th (streaming via the free Bandcamp app and also available as a high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more).

Bandcamp Pre-Order: https://mattystecks.bandcamp.com/album/long-time-ago-rumble

Pre-order/Pre-save my album on Spotify, Apple Music or iTunes, here: https://ffm.to/longtimeagorumble

Want to support “Long Time Ago Rumble” even further? Please consider Liking my Band Page on FB and sharing the post there to spread the word! Long Time Ago Rumble is set for worldwide release on May 8th.

Long Time ago Rumble tour postponed

March 24, 2020

My May tour is cancelled. I have a double album to push but it won’t be in any live way. It’s been 10 years since I last toured my own stuff… Sure, I could have done more but family, teaching, etc. took precedence. This west Canada swing - modest as it was - took 2 years to create. There are many other anxieties in my life that I won’t even speak to - but this was going to provide some relief. It’s not about money, it’s what I do for my soul. I am literally most alive and present when I’m playing.

I’ll go ahead and release anyway through digital platforms - whatever that means. Most musicians haven’t “counted on” living off that solely for some time - so many people who are unemployed everywhere now are feeling that uncertainty. I hope that my and others’ music can provide some refuge for them. You’ll hear some teasers from me in the coming weeks.

Perhaps with this suspended animation we might right our heads for a better day far into the future. Perhaps our leaders do right by the planet. Perhaps we choose ones who can. Or more likely, it will be on us to be the agents of change, from bottom up. It’s tempting to give up, but if you have kids you know that’s not even an option. Be live and present to your families. Be human to one another to the extent this limiting medium allows. But always continue to grow from within, to evolve and gain perspective, so human connection when we’re finally let out of the house can be enriching and fulfilling. For me the arts is one way forward… what’s yours?

We’re working with the venues to reschedule for 2021… stay tuned. :)

Ropeadope Signing Announced

Sept. 2019

I’ve held onto this for a bit, but time to share! The recording project that consumed much of my creative activity this year has been picked up by Ropeadope Records​. Check out their catalog - some creative and diverse artists... many familiar, others to watch for…

Matty Stecks & Musical Tramps - Long Time Ago Rumble - will officially drop May 2020 (stay tuned for shows and other announcements), but I’ve got my CDs already and am taking pre-orders via the Contact Form​. It’s a double album/2-CD set. Digital purchases will be available in May.

To say I’m thrilled is an understatement. To record and release music professionally nowadays - the right way - is itself a coup, and for me it’s been a minute since the last. So I tried to make it count, with something that combines jazz, popular, film score and free improv/electroacoustic sound collage… borne of a research study. Go figure!

This would not have been possible without the following people and groups, whom I’ll name below:

Artists/Personnel:

Keith Price​, Eric Platz, Matt Kozicki​, Jeff Presslaff, Leanne Zacharias, Cathy Wood​, Megan Demarest, Hannah Fearn​, Lenya Wilks​

Production Team:

Tailored Recording​, BSide Graphics​, Polar Bear Productions Ltd​, Charles Steckler​, Elliott Steckler

Funding Support:

Brandon University​ Research Connections

Brandon University Mary Smart Development Fund

Manitoba Film and Music​

Brandon Chamber Players​

I’ll credit them again before long, but had to express my gratitude now!