Berlin-based producer Franz Matthews has spent over a decade carving out a distinctive space in electronic music—one that bridges eras, genres, and philosophies. With his latest EP Night Tales on HIFI/LOFI Records, Matthews explores the cyclical nature of transformation through three introspective tracks that blend house sensibilities with pop-leaning songwriting. From restoring a nine-year-old lost session to channeling the energy of a Fusion Festival forest ritual, the French producer’s approach is as thoughtful as it is technically refined.
In this conversation, Matthews opens up about spiritual principles guiding his A&R decisions, the tension between classical training and electronic minimalism, and why the future of artistry lies in showing our human faces rather than perfecting our prompts.
1. “Night Tales” marks a shift toward a more introspective and melancholic sound compared to your previous work. What prompted this artistic evolution, and how did you approach the creative process differently for this EP?
It’s actually not the first time I’ve explored a more melancholic or introspective sound — I tend to come back to it every now and then. I don’t like repeating the same things over and over, so if I work on something more upbeat, there’s a good chance the next track will go in a softer or very different direction. I really need to keep things fun in the studio and to explore constantly with new vibes, new genres, new ways of shaping sound. Otherwise, I get bored very quickly. And, doing that doesn’t mean you can’t maintain a recognisable aesthetic, though. So for me, this EP isn’t so much an “evolution” as it is a continuation — another chapter of the same story so to say.
Howling At The Moon, which is the most DJ-friendly track on the EP, first took shape after a magic set by Mira and Chris Schwarzwälder at Fusion Festival’s Panne Eichel stage — a sort of initimate dancefloor hidden in a little forest at the edge of the festival. Looking back, it clearly sparked the track’s atmosphere, where I pictured myself going through an exploratory dancing ritual intthe middle of a forest, guided by the transformative energy of a powerful full moon. In hindsight, the setting and the track feel intrinsically connected.
The two other tracks lean more toward a pop sensibility, which is also part of my background. My first band, Parlez-Vous Anglais?, was a bit more pop-oriented than where I’m at nowadays. In a way, I returned a bit to source with these 2 tunes — especially You & I, which was originally written about nine years ago. With Again, I also felt the need to slow things down and go against my current feeling that house music has been getting faster and more energetic post-COVID. I felt it was time to bring the BPM back down a bit.
2. The opening track “Again” explores the cyclical nature of life’s ups and downs. Is there a particular story behind the track?
The past few years have been a real rollercoaster in my personal life — going through loss, grief, letting go, rebirth, healing… and sometimes falling back into a darker place before getting back up all over again. In a way, I’ve come to better acknowledge that you can’t fully experience the beauty of life without also going through its darker moments — they’re inseparable. Understanding this cycle has made me more resilient, I think, or at least more accepting to go through dark phases again, and interpret them as signals, moments pushing you to change, evolve, or realign. Again is very much about that acceptance.
3. You & I” was restored from a nine-year-old lost writing session. What was it like rediscovering this track, and what made you feel it belonged on this EP despite being created in a completely different chapter of your life?
You & I comes from an old writing session with Ben Esser (aka Lights Out) in my Berlin studio, around 2016! I finished a first version back then — with my production skills from nine years ago — and although it didn’t quite fit the direction I wanted to pursue at the time, I always felt there was something special about this tune.
I keep a huge playlist of everything I’ve ever worked on — released, unreleased, across different projects I was involved in — and I hate seeing tracks collecting dust on a hard drive. especially when they have a vibe. So while finishing the first tracks of the EP, I stumbled upon it again and thought: why not finally let this one live? It actually fits quite naturally with the pop-leaning side of Again.
The only issue was that the original Ableton project was gone — all I had was a demo bounce. So I ended up downloading a beta version of Ableton Live 12.3 to use the new stem separation tool, made a few more tweaks to the mix and vocals, and decided to release it. 🙂 Sometimes you just have to let go of perfection and let a track exist.
4. You run HIFI/LOFI Records based on the principle of the fourth Toltec agreement—”always do your best.” How does this philosophy shape your A&R decisions, and what does “doing your best” mean to you when evaluating music for the label?
Spirituality has been an important part of my life for a few years now, and The Four Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz have been principles guiding my actions since I read this book. Applied to music and to me, “doing your best” means working with intention and care — regardless of genre.
And that’s also what I look forward to when I listen to demos, if I feel that a track has been crafted thoughtfully, and that the artist genuinely wants to give their best — musically, creatively, and even in how they engage in their communication — that’s usually a strong « sign » for me 🙂
Doing your best also takes time. That’s why the label doesn’t release music at an excessive pace, which isn’t always easy in today’s ecosystem where everyone is pressured to move faster and faster. But I believe there’s value in resisting that pressure and showing that taking time to do things well can still work, and pay off in the long run.
5. Your musical foundation includes classical piano, jazz studies, and playing in psychedelic rock bands before transitioning to electronic music. How do these diverse influences still inform your production techniques and compositional choices today?
Learning music in a more classical way gave me a strong sense of harmony, melody, and structure, which still shapes how I compose today. At the same time, it can be a double-edged sword — sometimes I wish I weren’t so attached to traditional structures or classic melodies, instead of finding other ways of creating hooks, so I try to challenge myself with that.
My first proper recording experiences were in large studios in Paris, like Studios de la Seine, where I learned a very “pop” approach to production — extremely tight arrangements and mixes, lots of layers, sometimes over a hundred tracks per song. I learned a huge amount there, but nowadays I’m also trying to unlearn some of it and embrace more simplicity.
When I see electronic producers create something powerful with very few tracks, I get a bit jealous I have to say 🙂 But at the same time, I sometimes wish more producers would put more care into what they’re doing. I guess it’s all about finding the right balance between simplicity and overcooking.
6. Berlin’s electronic music scene is incredibly diverse and constantly evolving. How has living and creating in this city influenced your sound, and what aspects of the local scene do you find most inspiring or challenging right now?
Berlin, and I, have changed a lot over the past 14 years I’ve been living here. Coming from Paris (after growing up in Britanny), I felt that the French scene was more rigid in a way — more rules, more expectations, the high cost of life allowing for less freedom of experimentation as well, a few times I was even told I should sing in French if I wanted radio play.
Berlin gave me a sense of freedom. I felt less alone, surrounded by other “freaks” doing things their own way. At first, it even felt like there was almost too much exploration and not enough execution — but maybe that was just my own phase at the time. There are so many people doing such various things in this city that it’d be hard to really be strong opinioned about how things were or should be, but in any case this city is always inspiring to me, even if the feeling of the music and art scene being slowly washed away is definitely here too.
Over the years, my sound has become more club-oriented, but it has always kept a strong compositional, harmonic, organic and detailed backbone. But lately, what challenges and inspires me most is doing the opposite of what comes naturally for me: being more minimal, more simple, more imperfect, more direct.
7. You’ve described your sound as bridging eras and genres while maintaining analog warmth. Can you share some of your go-to production techniques or pieces of gear that help you achieve that signature sonic quality?
I try to always balance digital precision with analog warmth in my tracks — there’s no reason not to use the best of both worlds. Most of my rhythms are built in the box because I have a very layered way of doing things, stacking rhythms, sounds and textures until I find a good groove. Doing that exclusively with drum machines would be difficult for me.
Synths, guitars, basses, and vocals are mostly recorded with real instruments, which brings an organic drive to my tracks. That said, if I need something very cold and precise, I’ll happily use a soft synth like Serum.
One constant piece of (boring) gear across all my productions is my API 512c preamps — everything I record out of the box goes through them. They add a subtle mid-range punch and clarity that I love. So If I had one piece of advice for younger producers: invest in good preamps (and room treatment) before chasing expensive synths.
8. AI is increasingly being used in music production and creativity. As someone who emphasizes sonic detail, artistic integrity, and the human touch in your work, what’s your perspective on AI’s role in electronic music?
It’s a love-hate relationship. Of course the possibilities of AI are just insane, and I use it daily for so many little things. But the amount of visual, auditive, and energetic pollution it generates is horrendous.
In music, some AI tools can be very handy — especially when they work with material you’ve already created. Tools like Output’s Co-Producer can be great for generating ideas on top of your own artistic input (Output if you hear me, I love your products :p ). And used in this way, as a tool, AI is great. But having AI generate full lookalike tracks, and calling yourself an artist just because you’re good at writing prompts? Come on… It takes time to learn an instrument – even an electronic one – or to learn to produce, and it’s the creative journey, the struggle, that makes it satisfying and rewarding, not the quick results.
I’ve also worked a lot in production music for film and advertising as a side job, and AI is clearly threatening that field right now. Unfortunately I don’t think most media companies will keep on paying composers for creating library music when they can have something very similar for a fraction of the price…
But in a strange way, this whole AI madness has also pushed me to refocus on my own artistic journey. Because there’s one thing that AI can’t replace: showing our human face, our personality, going out and playing live gigs, collaborating and co-creating in the real world, showing your authenticity, and that’s where I think us artists can really differentiate ourselves moving forward.
9. For producers and DJs just starting out, the path forward can seem overwhelming. Looking back at your own journey from rock bands to electronic music, what advice would you give to emerging artists trying to find their sound?
I’ll steal one of my own lyrics and add one line: “Trust the process — and collaborate.”
It think learning by doing is the best school there is in terms of honing your sound. Every track, every demo, is a great way to experiment and learn new things. Let go of the fear of not being good enough, stop comparing yourself too much, and trust that even imperfect work can resonate with people, while you keep on developing your craft.
Collaboration is just as important. The amount you learn through shared experiences is exponential — and many of the people you collaborate with early on may become long-term creative partners, and will also evolve in the scene in a way or another, which can create some real magic you wouldn’t even have dreamed of when you are at the start of your artistic marathon.
10. What’s next for you and HIFI/LOFI Records after “Night Tales”? Are there any new sonic territories you’re eager to explore, or directions you want to take the label in 2025 and beyond?
Right now, I’m focused on curating HIFI/LOFI’s 20th release — a celebratory compilation featuring new music from artists who’ve already been part of the label’s journey.
On the Franz Matthews side, I recently finished a house-y remix of Storken’s legendary Totoish, coming out sometime next year, and I’m about to start working on my next release, something probably very different than these current ‘Night Tales’
For the label, the goal remains the same: releasing music made with love, intenation, and coming from the heart — I want to surprise listeners with something unexpected. So, if you’re reading these lines, if that resonates with you, and you have something to share, the label’s inbox is open!
Night Tales out now, get your copy here