Matthew Progress – Five Questions With

Matthew Progress Releases Debut Album, God Made Dirt

Toronto-based multidisciplinary artist Matthew Progress has released his debut album God Made Dirt (Pirates Blend Records). 

As Matthew’s first full-length project after nearly a decade of short-form releases and singles, God Made Dirt marks the culmination of an expressive artist who has long been a stalwart of Toronto’s underground hip-hop scene. Sonically striking, direct, and lyrically earnest, God Made Dirt comfortably sits in a universe that is singularly Matthew’s. Geared with the objective of subverting minds through thought-provoking meditations on nihilism, the cosmos, authoritarianism, and the relationship between the divine and the primal, God Made Dirt is the story of Matthew’s journey through these ominous and often gritty dimensions.

Produced entirely alongside Dan Only (River Tiber,  a l l i e), God Made Dirt is the sum of a wide range of musical influences spanning abstract hip hop, punk, electronica, trap, funk, and psychedelic influences, completed with further symbolic nods to Ol’ Dirty Bastard, Kelis, Alice Coltrane, and Sun Ra. The arrival of God Made Dirt comes on the heels of three previously released singles “Gen Pop”, “Doc Neville” and “Digital Underground” which were noted for their similarities to the work of the artists OutKast, Parliament-Funkadelic, Rick James, and The Free Nationals.

First off, care to introduce yourself to our readers?

I’m Matthew Progress from Toronto. I’m a multidisciplinary artist mostly focused on music, video, and writing. A lot of what I make is rooted in social commentary, but uses abstraction and surrealism as a vehicle for whatever I’m trying to “say”. My music pulls from many places and is sonically eclectic, but always lyric-forward.     

Tell us a bit about your most recent release.

“Digital Underground” is the third single from my upcoming LP. It’s about exploring sexual liberation in a time of dystopia. It’s produced by Dan Only, who produced every track on the album. The album dropped on November 24.  

Do you have any upcoming shows you’d like to tell us about?

Not officially announced but we’ll be doing a Toronto show in the early new year.

If given the chance, which Canadian artist would you love to work with in the future?

There’s an endless amount to pick from. Here’s a few: David Cronenberg, Rajni Perera, Saukretes, and Esthero

What’s your goal for 2024?

I’m not a big goal-setter. I’d like to create a number of new things that inspire people, stay strong and healthy, and generate enough income to allow my family to thrive and stay on my path.

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