Midwest producer and rising bass house name Shawn Matthew has released Work to the Beat, a fierce, high-energy single via 20k Leagues Records that sees him take a hard turn from his melodic house roots into darker, heavier territory.
The track blends dubstep grit, trap breakdowns and distorted New Orleans-style vocal samples, resulting in something raw, percussive and deliberately chaotic. It’s loud, fast and aimed squarely at underground dance floors. Fans of Jauz, Ship Wrek and Odd Mob will find familiar ground—but Matthew’s take is rougher around the edges, leaning into a messier, more unpredictable energy.
Work to the Beat marks a deliberate shift in sound for Matthew, who until now was better known for melodic, groove-driven sets. But this release feels like a line in the sand. It’s heavier, more urgent, and more interested in impact than polish.
Matthew first caught attention through The DJ Diet, a tongue-in-cheek EDM spoof that went viral, pulling in over half a million views and tens of thousands of interactions. His remix of Major Lazer’s Light It Up landed him a top-10 ranking for composition and production by the group’s label and judging panel. More recently, he completed a six-month mentorship with Phil Harris, and is set to headline cult underground festival Ghouliecon in 2025.
Before music, Matthew’s life was very different. A successful process engineer and statistician, he worked across industries from finance to oil and gas, even helping scale a beauty brand. That all changed after a near-death experience pushed him to leave it behind and focus on music full-time.
Now based in the bass-heavy underground, he’s releasing the kind of tracks he always wanted to make—loud, unpredictable, and driven by instinct over perfection. Work to the Beat is the clearest example of that yet.
