Getting to Know… The Ocean Beneath | Interview 🎤

For the 137^th interview on The Musical Hype, Leeds musician Matt Burnside provides insight into his electronic project, The Ocean Beneath.

“We bring an 80’s inspired mixture of powerful analogue synthesis, melodic sweeping vocals, and huge grooving percussion!” Sounds good to me, 🎙 The Ocean Beneath!  Keeping the interview section L-I-T 🔥 on The Musical Hype, we welcome the Leeds electronic project, led by 🎙 Matt Burnside. Cutting straight to the chase – getting right to the meat – Matt answers our burning questions on Getting to Know… The Ocean Beneath: Interview #137!

Starting things off right, for those who may not be familiar with The Ocean Beneath, what would you say makes your band distinct or unique? How do you rock the audience’s socks off?

🎤 Matt Burnside: I’d say blending older sounds with newer production techniques really sets us apart. We bring an 80’s inspired mixture of powerful analogue synthesis, melodic sweeping vocals, and huge grooving percussion!

Okay, let’s explore some juicy backstories. How did The Ocean Beneath form and what were some of the goals or the visions you had as a band early on?

🎤 MB: The Ocean Beneath started life as a shared ideal between 🎙 Rich Blacker and myself. We both wanted to create new music moving away from our previous ventures with an 80’s influence and a modern push on the production. We also wanted to bring in as many other people as possible along the way for collaborations, so we did just that. We released our debut EP in 2019 and have worked with loads of great artists including 🎙 Nath Jackson, 🎙 Fran Minney, 🎙 Mik Crone and more. In February of 2020, Rich wanted to take some time away from the project so now I’m just pushing things forward and doubling down on the collaborations.

Let’s talk more about goals.  Have your goals or your perspectives changed since first starting out? What do your aspirations or goals look like now?

🎤 MB: The ideas and goals have definitely changed over the last year and a half. Working with so many other musicians has really helped us break boundaries with our sound and progress into new ways of working. The next goal is a collaborations EP with more great artists and then the full-length album.

Everybody is influenced by somebody else. Who would you consider some of your biggest musical influences and how are they influential?

🎤 MB: I would say that different artists influence the music in very different ways. Gunship, HVOB and LCD Soundsystem certainly help shape the electronic palette and grooves but David Bowie and Pink Floyd have really helped with the structures and hooks.

Up until this point in your career, what would you describe as your favorite song you’ve recorded or performed live? What makes that song special?

🎤 MB: This would have to be our new single 🎵 “Skin” featuring 🎙 Fran Minney. It’s a big hitting track with loads of contrast. Fran brings an amazing vocal to the track and the lyrics really reflect this weird situation we’re all living right now. You can go listen in all the usual places and there’s a video over on YouTube

Is there anything else awesome, cool, or left of center the world should know about you? Secret talents or surprising tidbits?

🎤 MB: I once met Barry Chuckle in Scarborough, not sure that counts.

Closing things out, what is The Ocean Beneath currently working on, promoting that you can share with us or want us to know about? We love secrets, but there’s no pressure. 

🎤 MB: We’re currently compiling even more collaborations and have another track featuring Nath Jackson due in the future. There will be a full-length album and as I say, “Skin” featuring Fran Minney is available now, go give it a listen.

Thank you so much for sharing taking the time to answer these questions, and best of luck moving forward. 

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[📷: The Ocean Beneath, Brent Faulkner, The Musical Hype; Icons made by https://www.flaticon.com/authors/freepik (Freepik)]