This Grammy-nominated DJ/producer has a few tricks up his sleeve
Matt Tortorich canpinpoint the moment he knew his life would be about music. At age 11, he spent a lot of time listening to his dad’s vinyl collection of ’60s and ’70s music. When he discovered the song “Hey Joe” by Jimi Hendrix, there was officially no turning back.
“I remember putting my needle on the track and listening to the same song for three hours,” he says.
Not long after, he learned how to play guitar, drums, piano and keyboard. He also began experimenting with recording music and creating tracks on his computer.
He briefly studied computer engineering at LSU, but found himself more interested in playing guitar in local rock bands than his classwork. He left school and got a job at Sockit Studio, a Baton Rouge recording studio, where he learned how to run a business and produce music for clients. It was the first time he made money via music, and the experience was game changing.
Today, he runs his own makeshift studio out of his house, working with clients from all over the world and consulting for local company Ashton Pro DJs. When working with a client, he typically writes the song, plays every instrument and blends the tracks with the artists’ vocals.
He works with so many different types of clients that he has developed multiple business names: He produces EDM music—“Things my mom wouldn’t care to listen to,” he says—under the pseudonym Matthew Rich. He creates acoustic music under the band name Matt and the Nobodies, which he calls his solo rock outlet. As DJ crackaTRAX, he spins three to four nights per week in Baton Rouge and New Orleans.
While the rest of the country is waking up to go to work, Tortorich is just getting to bed. His DJ gigs usually start at 11 p.m. and can sometimes go until 7 or 8 a.m., depending on the venue. During a set, he feeds off the energy of 500-1,000 people, and it can be hard to turn down that energy and get to sleep afterward.
When working at home, he sometimes locks his phone and Internet cable in a box so he can concentrate.The untraditional work environment has taught him self-discipline—there are no clocks to punch at work or bosses to tell him he has to be in the office at a certain time. The competitive nature of the music industry is motivation enough.
“Everybody with a computer is a DJ. Everyone is producer,” Tortorich, 32, says.
He is not shy about his goals: He wants to produce chart-toppers. It’s why he has the letters to “HIT MAN” tattooed on his fingers.
Listening to hit records three to four nights a week while he DJs has helped. He is always looking for that “lightning in a bottle” song—one that will get so big he won’t have to work for the next decade.
He’s had a few tracks come close. A song he wrote in 2008, “Sleep All Day” by Tino Thomas, was nominated for several Grammys. A few years back, he recorded with Mystikal, but the songs were never released.
He’s patient, though. “I’m looking at the process like becoming a doctor. It may be 10 years before you make any money,” he says.
In November, Tortorich had his greatest moment yet: A country EP he produced, “Friday Night Heroes” by Vidalia, debuted at No. 3 on the Billboard Heat Seekers—South Central chart.
“The one night we charted it was like the greatest night of my life,” he says. “But then the next morning it was like… what’s next?”
The album caught the attention of LSU’s Tiger Sports, which expressed interest in the record’s song, “Lousianne.” The catchy tune celebrates Louisiana culture, with references to Baton Rouge nights, Walk-Ons, LSU tailgating and Mardi Gras. The lyrics: “Life feels good for a Louisiana man, but if you’re not from here you probably wouldn’t understand.”
He’s not sure what Tiger Sports plans to do with the song, but it could be played at athletic home games, including fall football.
If that happens, it could be the big break Tortorich has been waiting for.
Where to get Matt Tortorich’s music
Download Vidalia’s “Friday Night Heroes” on iTunes or stream on Spotify.
Where to see him perform
Tortorich DJs at least once a week in Baton Rouge at places like Texas Club or downtown in the bars along Third Street. You’ll likely find him at City Bar, Huey’s, Roux House, The Varsity or Tsunami.
