Crafting an alternate persona as a musician offers the opportunity to explore artistic realms distinct from one’s own identity. This is exactly what guitarist and composer Matias Lupari, the creator of Mat! has mastered. Developed as a way of exploring instrumental compositions whilst challenging himself to say something musically without using words, Mat! is a unique project that seeks to express, in sounds and climates, ideas of weight and depth.
With deep roots in modern progressive rock featuring powerful guitars and epic musical moments, Mat! is a search for inner peace and reflection that attempts to take listeners into new worlds. His dynamic guitar riffs mimic vocal melody lines, using specific performance techniques as a way of capturing poignant emotional points in each track.
From composition all the way to production, Matias does everything himself, and for him, this process is incredibly personal: “I often use textures, voices, and even sampled sounds that evoke a particular setting. I hope that people who listen to my music find elements that surprise them. My intention is to create interesting musical environments for listeners”, he explains.
‘1986’, the latest single from Mat! offers listeners the chance to experience a musical masterpiece somewhere between the sounds of iconic rock bands Iron Maiden and TOTO. Samples are seamlessly embedded into each of his tracks, which enhance the overall storyline: “In ‘El Ritmo de la Guerra’ for example, there are sounds of bells, horses, and screams mixed with the music which creates a moment of epic battle”, says Matias.
As a musician who focuses his music around different guitar sounds, versatility is key: “My greatest inspirations currently are Steve Vai and Plini”, he notes. “So taking inspiration from them, I frequently change it up using guitars with an immense amount of gain to completely clean guitars. What the listener will predominantly hear are the instrumental arrangements and subsequent melodies, but the guitar is always the focal point.”
Yet, for Matias, it’s not about creating a sound that’s completely new to the ears of the public, it’s about expressing spiritual or even political ideas through music and effects. The titles of his songs are often used to guide the listener to where the theme of the music has originated.
“It is very difficult to create something totally new, and I don’t worry much about that if I’m honest. Progressive rock is a genre known for pushing boundaries in all areas, so the creation of musical moments and atmospheres are very important to me. The idea is to tell a story with music in a clear way, helped by the title of the song, the textures, and different sounds. That’s how I explore different creative territories.”
Photo by Esteban Garcia Turry
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