Interview: Matthew S

Matthew S approaches ambient music as a space where sound design becomes storytelling. Blending hardware, modular synths, field recordings, and a deeply human sense of emotion, the Italian artist creates music that unfolds slowly, revealing texture, movement, and meaning layer by layer. In this interview, he talks about the beauty of the space between notes, the balance between technology and feeling, why listening matters more than producing, and how curiosity continues to shape his creative path.

General info

Artist Name: Matthew S

Real name: Matteo Scapin

Age: 37

Location: Italy

How long have you been making music? 20 years

 

Social Media / Music Links

instagram.com/matthew_s_official
facebook.com/OFFICIALMATTHEWS
youtube.com/@Matthewess_
matthewess.com
Spotify

 

Do you release music under a label or independently?

Label

 

Creative process and inspiration

What drew you to ambient music in the first place?

Honestly, it happened almost by accident. I spent hours locked away in the studio messing around with hardware, sequencers, and modular synths, chasing texture more than actual melody, and at some point I realized what fascinated me most wasn't the “track” in the traditional sense, but the space between the notes. The way a sound can breathe, evolve slowly, build an atmosphere without necessarily needing to “arrive” anywhere.

Working with hardware like the OXI ONE, I often found myself letting patterns run longer than planned just to hear how they shifted over time, how they layered on top of each other. That patience, letting a sound take its time, became the heart of ambient for me. It's not music that demands your attention right away; it builds it slowly, layer by layer.

There's also a more personal side to it: ambient lets me explore moods that other, more rhythmic or structured genres just don't leave room for in the same way. It's a space where sound design becomes storytelling in itself.

Can you describe your creative process when starting a new track?

For me it rarely starts with structure; it starts with immersion. I sit down with the modular, usually built around Polyend and Torso Electronics gear, and just record long, evolving takes of drones and unstable textures without deciding yet what they're going to become. No fixed arrangement, no real plan, just sound exploration for the sake of it.

A lot of the process after that is resampling and reprocessing. I'll take something simple and keep pushing it, reshaping, layering, and running it back through the chain until it develops real movement and character. Instruments like SOLAR42, OP-XY, OP-1, and Steampipe are central to that stage; they introduce variation and this subtle rhythmic behavior that often surprises me. I didn't set out to make rhythmic work, but heavy modular sessions kept generating these almost hypnotic pulses that felt alive on their own, and chasing that became part of the process itself.

Field recordings matter just as much as the synthesis. I'll fold in environmental sounds captured around my town, and gradually the line between “recorded environment” and “electronic texture” stops mattering; it's really about the relationship between them.

When it comes to editing, I try to keep things alive rather than locking them down. I look for material with a strong identity but that still leaves room for a listener or another producer to shape it further. My studio, at that point, feels less like a production space and more like a listening space: somewhere sound is allowed to unfold slowly enough that its detail actually reveals itself.

What kinds of experiences or environments tend to inspire your work most?

I'm usually inspired by environments that invite me to slow down and really listen. Nature, quiet landscapes, and long walks often spark new ideas, but so do everyday sounds that most people overlook. I love finding beauty in small details and turning them into something musical.

At the same time, my work as an educator and my experiences with people of different ages and abilities have deeply influenced the way I create. Those human connections remind me that music is first and foremost a way to communicate emotions, not just a technical exercise.

Rather than chasing trends, I'm inspired by curiosity. Every new instrument, creative limitation, or unexpected sound becomes an opportunity to explore and discover a different perspective.

What atmosphere or emotional space are you trying to create with your music?

My goal is to create a space where people can pause, breathe, and reconnect with themselves. Even when my music has rhythmic or electronic elements, I'm less interested in making something loud or overwhelming and more interested in creating an emotional journey.

What moment made you feel like you had truly found your sound?

I don't think there was a single moment when I suddenly found my sound. It was more of a gradual process of letting go of the idea of fitting into a specific genre and focusing instead on creating music that felt honest to me.

Over time, I realized that what truly defines my work isn't a particular style, but the balance between technology and emotion. Whether I'm using synthesizers, field recordings, or experimental textures, my goal is always the same: to tell a story and create an emotional connection.

When I stopped asking myself, “Does this sound like someone else?” and started asking, “Does this sound like me?”, I knew I was finally moving in the right direction.

How important is storytelling in your work?

Storytelling is at the heart of everything I create. Even when there are no lyrics, I want each piece of music to tell a story or evoke a specific feeling. For me, sound is a language that can communicate emotions, memories, and ideas in ways that words sometimes can't.

What makes a track feel “finished” to you?

A track feels finished when adding something no longer makes it more meaningful. It's rarely about having more layers or more sounds—it's about reaching a point where every element has a purpose.

I usually spend a lot of time listening rather than producing. I'll come back to a track after a few days with fresh ears, and if it still makes me feel the same emotion I intended from the beginning, I know it's close to being finished.

Which artists (or even non-musical influences) have shaped your artistic vision?

My artistic vision has been shaped by a wide range of influences, both musical and beyond. Artists like Nils Frahm, Rival Consoles, Max Cooper, and Jon Hopkins have inspired me through their ability to blend electronic music with emotion, texture, and space rather than simply focusing on rhythm or complexity.

 

Gear and setup

Are you using hardware instruments, software, or a hybrid setup?

I use a hybrid setup that combines both hardware and software, and I enjoy the strengths of each. Hardware gives me a more tactile and intuitive way of creating, encouraging experimentation and happy accidents, while software provides the flexibility to refine ideas, arrange compositions, and complete productions efficiently.

I don't believe one approach is better than the other. For me, they're complementary tools that serve the same purpose: expressing an idea or an emotion. I choose the workflow that feels right for the music rather than following a fixed process.

What's your favorite piece of gear or plugin, and why?

At the moment, my favorite piece of gear is the Teenage Engineering OP-XY. What I love most about it is how it encourages creativity without getting in the way. It's compact, intuitive, and makes it incredibly easy to capture ideas wherever inspiration strikes.

What piece of gear completely changed your workflow?

Without a doubt, Ableton Live completely changed my workflow. It transformed the way I compose, perform, and even think about music. Instead of seeing composition as a linear process, it encouraged me to experiment, improvise, and develop ideas organically.

It also became the bridge between all the hardware instruments I use. Whether I'm working with synthesizers, sequencers, or external effects, Ableton allows everything to come together in a flexible and creative environment.

 

Challenges

What's been the biggest challenge so far in creating ambient music?

I think the biggest challenge has been finding the balance between simplicity and emotional depth. In ambient music, it's easy to keep adding layers, textures, and effects, but I've learned that sometimes the most powerful moments come from restraint.

How do you stay motivated or inspired when you're in a creative rut?

I've learned not to fight creative blocks. Instead of forcing myself to write music, I step away and feed my creativity in other ways. That might mean going for a walk, reading, experimenting with a new instrument, or simply listening to the world around me.

My work as an educator also keeps me inspired. Seeing other people discover music with fresh eyes often reminds me why I started creating in the first place. Curiosity is contagious, and teaching gives me a constant source of new perspectives.

How do streaming platforms affect the way you release music, or what is your relationship with those platforms?

Streaming platforms have made it much easier to share music with people all over the world. They allow independent artists to reach listeners who might never have discovered our work otherwise.

At the same time, I try not to let the algorithms influence the way I create. I don't write music to fit playlists or trends. Every release starts from an artistic idea, not from what might perform better on a platform.

For me, streaming services are a way to make my music accessible, but they're only one part of the journey. I also enjoy connecting with people through live performances, educational projects, my website, and conversations around music. Those personal connections are just as meaningful as the numbers on a streaming platform.

What are your thoughts on AI's impact on music and art? Have you, in any form, used it in your approach to creating and shaping ideas?

I see AI as a creative tool rather than a replacement for human creativity. Like synthesizers, samplers, or DAWs when they first appeared, it's another technology that can expand the creative process if used thoughtfully.

For me, music is deeply connected to human experience, emotion, and intention. AI can accelerate certain processes or suggest unexpected directions, but it can't replace the personal journey behind creating a meaningful piece of art.

I believe the real challenge isn't whether AI will change music—it already is. The important question is how artists choose to use it. When technology supports creativity instead of replacing it, it becomes another instrument for expressing ideas rather than defining them.

How do you see AI evolving in music and art? Are you cautious about it, or do you think it will increasingly function as a tool within creative workflows?

I believe AI will become an increasingly integrated part of creative workflows, just as computers, digital audio workstations, and software instruments once did. Every major technological shift has changed the way artists create, and I see AI as another step in that evolution.

What are you currently working on?

I'm currently working on several projects that reflect different sides of my creative life. Alongside new ambient and electronic music, I'm continuing to explore sound design and developing educational projects that combine music, technology, and inclusion.

What advice would you give to new ambient artists?

My advice would be to spend more time listening than producing. Ambient music isn't just about creating beautiful sounds—it's about learning how to shape silence, space, and emotion. Those things take time to understand.

Don't worry too much about having the latest gear or following trends. Focus on developing your own voice. The most memorable music usually comes from honesty rather than perfection.

Is there anything else you'd like to add?

I'd simply like to thank everyone who takes the time to listen to independent artists. In a world where everything moves so quickly, choosing to slow down and truly experience someone's music is something I never take for granted.

Beyond releasing music, my goal has always been to build connections—through performances, education, technology, and conversations about creativity. If my work inspires even one person to create, explore, or simply listen more deeply, then I feel I've achieved something meaningful.

If you'd like to follow my journey, you can find my music, articles, educational projects, and latest updates at matthewess.com. Thank you for having me.

 

The sound of Matthew S