Whitehorse Prepares for a “Mat the Alien” Invasion

Eclectic, unusual, with a “don’t fence me in” musical attitude, DJ Mat the Alien prepares to invade the audiences of Whitehorse yet again.

Not content with one visit to our northern climes, the English transplant, who now resides in the lush snowboard party scene of Whistler, is eager to revisit the crowds of the Yukon.

“I’ve always really enjoyed playing in smaller towns like Nelson and Whitehorse. Everyone is very appreciative,” says Mat.

Smaller venues tend to be really into the music and less into the global music scene and less critical of styles and experiments, according to Mat. Any way you tell it, Whitehorse crowds hunger for talented musical artists like Mat, that’s why Coasters keeps inviting him and others like DJ Deekline back.

Mat the Alien is a longtime DJ pro, starting at the tender age of 14, DJing clubs in Manchester and elsewhere throughout England. “It’s funny, I started so young I wasn’t even supposed to be in clubs,” laughs Mat.

Underage DJing proved extremely successful and Mat the Alien blossomed into (or invaded) clubs and discos everywhere in the upcoming years.

“I’ve been DJing for 22 years,” says Mat proudly. He counts a stint in Las Vegas among his larger achievements; after all, a standing gig at the Mandalay Bay Hotel is certainly nothing to sniff at.

Not content with resting on his laurels, Mat keeps busy with tours on a regular basis. He mentions past gigs in Moscow and the Philippines fondly.

Surprisingly, Mat the Alien didn’t move to Whistler for its intense party scene — he moved there for the snowboarding and the music was a happy bonus.

“I initially moved to Canada for the snow, the wilderness and the snowboard capabilities, and I’m finding that I have good groups here,” says Mat.

He has a standing performance date every Tuesday in Whistler, and then dedicates his weekends to travelling on mini tours. Before he visits us in Whitehorse, he is off to Portland, then Las Vegas.

What should Whitehorse audiences expect?

“A crazy mashup of music. I don’t label my mixes, I go with the flow and make things rock,” says Mat. He recounts many influences, all eclectic, as having a large impact on what he dishes to audiences.

Rock, hip-hop, dubstep, breakbeats, dance hall, retro and reggae are all pulled out of his musical magician’s hat of skills.

He spins, scratches and rocks out.

The Coasters show is a two-day Mat the Alien extravaganza, and Whitehorse should prepare accordingly: “Be ready to get into it and get dancing,” says Mat.

Mat the Alien mixes at Coasters on Friday and Saturday, May 14 and 15, with Tundra Tom opening Friday and DJ KJ with The Beat Bombshell opening Saturday.

Check out www.matthealien.com to get a taste of Mat’s style, check out new tracks and tour dates.

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