Checking In With Sidereal

Samuel ‘Sidereal’ Matthew has performed with artists such as Ludacris, Chief Keef, and Kendrick Lamar. Sidereal is also the official DJ for Atlanta rapper Lil Keed and has been working with Young Thug on upcoming projects scheduled to release soon. With a booked schedule on hand, the producer chopped it up with ONE37pm’s Mike Boyd.

Boyd: I know you’re getting a lot of production opportunities right now. Talk to us a little bit about that.

Sidereal: So I just did ‘Pantone Blue’ on T.I's L.I.B.R.A album, and I also just got back from Atlanta, where I was working on Slime Language 2. I've been working on a bunch of stuff, really. Commercials, albums, my own projects. A lot!

Boyd: Where are you at mentally when you make a beat? What’s the vibe like?

Sidereal: It's just gotta be the right day, to be honest. I can go into the studio and cut down 100 records in 20 minutes, but I prefer to just feel the vibe. When I feel the vibe, it’s got to be quick. We made ‘Pantone Blue’ in 20 minutes.

Boyd: Are you talking with the artist beforehand? Or cooking up before the session?

Sidereal: Nah, cooking up before the session. It just depends on my vibe. If not, I’m not feeling it; I can’t even force it. No matter how hard I try. If I do, it’s just going to come out garbage. It is what it is.

Boyd: For those that don’t know what it's like to be in the studio with Keed, Gunna, YSL. Could you give us some insight?

Sidereal: It’s a vibe. Everybody’s talking crap, cracking jokes, playing Madden, and recording all at the same time. It’s really just let’s go in there, do what we feel is cool, catch a vibe, and make a hit.

Boyd: What’s the biggest thing you’ve learned from being around Thug?

Sidereal: The biggest thing would have to be to never stop working. You could be playing Madden and still recording. You could be eating dinner and still recording. So for me, that translates to you can have a full day and still write and produce. Another thing is to save your money! Thug is also fearless. If there’s one word that describes him, it’s that word.

Boyd: What songs should people listen to for an intro to your work?

Sidereal: ‘Pantone Blue!’ It’s a direct line into what I create. I kinda describe my sound as a moment because when you listen to that, you can’t help but get goosebumps. That’s kind of the reason why I create the way that I create because you don’t create a moment by anticipating it. You create a moment by feeling it. That song was exactly that. We literally went into the studio and said, ‘let’s make the worst song we’ve ever made.’ It turned out to be incredible. If you haven’t heard of it. Please go play it!

Boyd: What was it like DJ’ing for Keed?

Sidereal: A great time! I miss that so much, but I’m so grateful for 2020 in the sense that when you see me performing, I’m jumping off balconies. Doing front flips and going crazy. I really live for touring—especially with Keed because we really click. From the first day of the tour to the last day, it’s crazy every night! I’m really thankful with Keed that he trusts me enough with his set and his layout. Keed is a good dude, really understanding personally.

As 2020 rounds out, not only will you be seeing and hearing Sidereal through his music, but you may be seeing him on Call of Duty too. One thing’s for sure, 2021 will be a huge year for the young producer. You can keep up with Sidereal on Instagram and Twitter.