MJ Cole | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Matthew James Firth Coleman |
| Origin | London, England |
| Genres | |
| Occupations |
|
| Years active | 1997–present |
| Labels |
|
| Website | Prolific Recordings |
Matthew James Firth Coleman, better known by his stage nameMJ Cole, is an Englishgarage DJ, recording artist, record producer and remixer.
Born inLondon, in his youth, Cole was classically trained on the oboe and piano, and won scholarships to both theRoyal College of Music Junior Department andCity of London School.[1]
Having graduated fromCity University, Cole began working at thedrum and bass label SOUR, as a tape operator and sound engineer to the likes ofFreq Nasty andEd Rush. It was working on Ramsey & Fen's2-step remixes forKym Mazelle, however, that gave him thegarage bug. He was the trusted engineer and lead producer of tracks on the UK garage label V.I.P. (Very Important Plastic) between 1997-1999 and a pirate radio DJ onLondon Underground FM, alongside the likes of theDreem Teem.
From there, Cole penned and produced "Sincere" in 1998 using a sampler andAtari, which was eventually picked up byPete Tong andAM:PM and became one of the earliestgarage records to break into the top 40 on theUK Singles Chart.[2]
He signed withGilles Peterson'sTalkin' Loud label where in 2000 he produced his first album, also calledSincere, which earned him two top 15 singles on theUK Singles Chart, a prestigiousMercury Music Prize nomination,Brit Award nomination and beatDr. Dre to winMOBO's Best Producer award in 2001.[3][4] He received aBPI certification for UK sales in excess of 60,000 copies.[5] Cole formed a live band to accompany hisSincere album performing onJools Holland'sLater Show as well as onTop of the Pops,CD:UK,The Chart Show and at theMercury Music Prize and MOBO Awards. In 2003, Cole followedSincere with hisCut to the Chase album, also released via Talkin' Loud.[6]
After leaving Talkin' Loud in 2004, Cole released several singles and EPs via his own Prolific Recordings label. Cole's output on the label has included many notable collaborations including grime artistWiley and long-time collaboratorElisabeth Troy.
In 2014, he co-wrote and produced "Nobody But You" forMary J. Blige withSam Smith andJimmy Napes, and again in early 2015 on Napes' ownMaking of Me EP.[citation needed]
He collaborated with T Williams on "Privilege", released in 2015 on Today Records and Tomorrow Records and released "Bouldaz" onDisclosure's Method White label the same year.[7][citation needed]
Cole continued to produce for artists across the musical spectrum.Dizzee Rascal's "Bassline Junkie",Example's "Something in the Water" andKaty B's "Blue Eyes" were all produced by Cole.[citation needed] He has also remixed tracks forAmy Winehouse,Mariah Carey,De La Soul,Alicia Keys and many more.[citation needed] He released remixes ofJess Glynne's "Hold My Hand" onAtlantic andDJ Fresh andAdam F's "Believer" onMinistry of Sound.
He released "Alcatraz" onRedlight's Lobster Boy Records in early 2016. This was followed by "The Rumble" in August 2016. A hard hitting, genre crossing record featuring hotly tipped UK MC AJ Tracey. Cole said of the record that it was "a slice of London, the energy of now, a fusion of all that is exciting in the U.K. for us."[8]
Through 2017 to 2018, Cole has been releasing a steady selection of singles under the 892 label, including "Pictures in My Head" and "Soak It Up". Some singles would also be accompanied by VIP mixes, also created by Cole. In 2018, he released a new EP entitled "Foundations", stating that the project "takes a step away from my more traditional form of writing".[9]
Alongside his producing, writing and remixing work, Cole continues to tour as a DJ at festivals and clubs around the world.[10] Cole has also written and produced scores for several major TV advertising campaigns including the Schwartz "The Sound of Taste" campaign and wrote a piece called "Lava" for O2.[11] Cole was also responsible for the construction and design of a new recording studio complex in Clerkenwell called The Gin Factory.
Cole enjoys cycling and has riddenLand's End to John o' Groats.[12]
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| Title | Details | Peak chart positions | Certifications |
|---|---|---|---|
| UK [13] | |||
| Sincere |
| 14 | |
| Cut to the Chase |
| — | |
| MJ Cole Presents Madrugada |
| — | |
| "—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released. | |||
| Title | Details |
|---|---|
| Northside / Southside (with Matlok) |
|
| Battle Stations (withZed Bias featuringMC Fox) |
|
| Riddim |
|
| Satellite |
|
| Southern Electric (withScrufizzer) |
|
| Panoramic |
|
| Foundations |
|
| Waking Up |
|
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Artists | |
