Soshanguve-Born Amapiano DJ and Producer KMAT Shares Her Journey As The Heiress of Old School House In The Age of Piano
Born in Soshanguve with a heart beating in her chest in synchrony with the thump of club speakers, amapiano DJ and record producer Koketso “KMAT” Mathabathe is more than just a piano phenomenon, she is a bequest of the era of Y2K South African house, something she wears proudly as a badge of honour.
Having developed atop the hotbed of an acquired taste of house and kwaito music, KMAT traced her music-making origins back to her days as a member of her church choir, a blessing that would later stand her in good stead as she went on to be instrumental in the choir at the high school she attended years later.
As rite of passage would have it, her love for dance and house morphed along with her maturity as her hedonism lured her to clubs and groove life, where she transitioned comfortably into her next phase as an artist.
“From Sunday School all the way through school I was in the choir. So you can imagine how I went on to learn about the instruments, the singing and all of that. By the time I started partying, house was still a thing. Long before piano, I was listening to house and kwaito,” she said, speaking on the childhood experiences which shaped her as a musician.
KMAT’s latest single “Mkhukhu” makes an entry into her discography as a quirky jink due to its uncharacteristic energy and boisterous texture. Already her favourite song, the producer remarked that the song occupied a special place in her heart due to it being a passion project in which she orchestrated its complete artistic direction. She spoke a bit on the creation part of the song.
“For the making of “Mkhukhu”, what happened was that we’d already been in studio for quite a while. We had a few beats at that time, but we were still waiting for CowBoii to come through to choose a beat so he could put vocals on it. There was this one day when I was so sick I couldn’t go to the studio, but CowBoii actually went on ahead and did his thing and even kicked everyone out of the studio so he could. When I asked him why he sang about umkhukhu, he said it’s something he had experienced from home.” she said.
Listen to “Mkhukhu” here:
A lover of the piano, the saxophone and the snare when braiding the elements behind her music, KMAT’s revealed that her sonical inclination favoured the private school piano scene. A believer in house being more musical than amapiano, her hand gravitates towards crafting an immersive experience within the matrix of what makes songs what they are.
“So basically, I’m a house baby. When I started playing piano, I used to play “private school piano”. The Jazzidisciples and their sound, I would say, set the tone for the kind of music I’m making right now. Yet, even though I play piano, I still prefer house. The instruments, the beats, the rhythm, and the message in the songs all came together in such a way that even if there were no vocals, you’d still be able to sing to it even when there were no words,” she said.
KMAT
In the masterly mind of KMAT, prefabrication is the modus operandi and her method of keeping up with the ever-shifting dynamics of the music business. Checking into the stu with an already pre-assembled song and components that are composition-ready has been paramount to the stay in the industry since breaking through in the era of COVID.
“Whenever I hit the studio, I always ask that we start a beat from scratch. And I always explain the kind of songs I want for the day. But even before I get to the studio, I already have an idea about the kind of songs I wanna put out there. That’s what always keeps me on par with the kind of music that I play, or rather, the type of music I’m making right now. In my current project, “Mkhukhu” is the only song that is upbeat, crazy, and loud.” she said.
The DJ remarked that apart from piano, there were two other genres that she was keen on hopping on some day, although she had reservations on the when of it all.
“I’d like to do hip-hop and R&B – I’m such an R&B baby as well, ha ha ha – so that’s what I’d like to explore. One day, though. I don’t know when, but one day,” she said.