MJ Cole

In London, Matthew James Firth Coleman first trained classically on piano and oboe before emerging on the late-1990s British scene as MJ Cole. He worked as a sound engineer for the drum-and-bass label SOUR and was involved with the UK garage V.I.P. catalogue between 1997 and 1999. MJ Cole helped drive the rise of London 2-step while DJing on the pirate station London Underground FM. His music blends UK garage, house and electronic soul, featuring syncopated rhythms, supple basslines and melodic work rooted in his classical background. The 1998 single “Sincere” marked his breakthrough and led to the album Sincere in 2000 on Talkin’ Loud, followed by Cut to the Chase in 2003. After that initial period he continued releasing music on his own Prolific Recordings label, put out singles and EPs, and collaborated with artists such as Elisabeth Troy, Wiley, Zed Bias, AJ Tracey and Freya Ridings. In 2018 he released the EP Foundations, and in 2020 the album MJ Cole Presents Madrugada. Alongside his production and remix work, MJ Cole remains active on club and festival stages, with a career tied both to British garage and to more recent developments in English electronic music.