Mattafix
| Company type | Music duo |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 2005 |
| Headquarters | London , United Kingdom |
| Products | Music albums and singles |
Mattafix is a British electronic music duo consisting of singer Marlon Roudette and producer/keyboardist Preetesh Hirji. Their musical style is a fusion of hip hop, R&B, reggae, dancehall, blues, jazz, soul, and world genres. They gained widespread recognition with their 2005 chart-topping single "Big City Life" and secured victory at the Sopot International Song Festival in 2006.
Biography
Marlon Rosegold McVey-Roudette was born in London to British music producer Cameron McVey and artist/designer Vonnie Roudette, who hails from Saint Vincent and the Grenadines. He spent part of his early years in St. Vincent, where he began his musical journey, before relocating back to London at age 18. Preetesh Hirji, born in London to Indian heritage parents, grew up in West London and started his career at Eastcote Studios located on Kensal Road.
Signs of a Struggle (2005–2006)
Mattafix’s debut single, "11.30 (Dirtiest Trick in Town)", was released as a limited edition on Buddhist Punk Records on 13 January 2005 but did not enter the charts.
Their follow-up single, "Big City Life", launched by EMI on 8 August 2005, achieved major success, peaking at number 15 in the United Kingdom and securing the top spot in Germany, Poland, Austria, Italy, Switzerland, and New Zealand. It also ranked within the top 20 in countries such as France, Australia, and Belgium. This track was included in the soundtrack for the 2006 FIFA World Cup Germany by EA Sports. Over time, "Big City Life" has inspired several notable remixes by LEEX, Luude, and Sam Jonsson; the Luude remix from 2022 alone has garnered 15.8 million streams on Spotify compared to the original’s 118.4 million as of August 2022.
The album Signs of a Struggle received favorable reviews and enjoyed considerable success across Europe, supporting extensive touring from 2006 through 2008. It was also selected as a feature album by Triple J in April 2006.
During this period, Mattafix toured alongside artists such as Jem and Joss Stone within the UK and served as opening act for Sting at a concert in Milan attended by over 100,000 people.
Their fourth single, "To & Fro", was digitally released in the United Kingdom on 13 March 2006.
Rhythm & Hymns (2007–2009)
On 7 September 2007, Mattafix unveiled "Living Darfur", the lead single from their sophomore album Rhythm & Hymns, initially available only via digital download. The physical version followed on 22 October 2007. The music video includes an introduction by actor Matt Damon and was filmed within refugee camps as part of the Save Darfur Campaign, making it unique as the only international music video shot amid an active conflict zone.
In an interview with Blues & Soul published in June 2008, Roudette described how Rhythm & Hymns incorporated more live instrumentation to reflect their seven or eight-piece touring ensemble, combining programmed rhythms with live drums and drawing inspiration from performances in cities like Johannesburg.
The album was released on 23 November 2007 across most European countries, with an earlier launch on 17 November in Australia.
Additionally, Mattafix produced a remix of Lady Gaga’s track "Eh Eh (Nothing Else I Can Say)", which appeared on her iTunes Remix EP but was excluded from the UK edition.
Solo Endeavors and Roudette's Independent Career (2010–2024)
In April 2010, Marlon Roudette revealed details about his recording process within his personal studio. Shortly thereafter, it was announced on Facebook that Roudette and Hirji had ended their collaboration, citing divergent artistic visions. Roudette's first solo album, Matter Fixed, was released on 2 September 2011, followed by his sophomore effort, Electric Soul, which came out on 8 August 2014.
Reformation (2024–present)
Mattafix officially reunited in January 2024.
Awards and Recognitions
| Award | Year | Nominee(s) | Category | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eska Music Awards | 2006 | "Big City Life" | Best International Hit | Template:Won |
| Hungarian Music Awards | 2006 | Signs of a Struggle | Best Foreign Rap or Hip-Hop Album | Template:Nom |
| 2007 | Best Foreign Dance Album | Template:Nom |
Albums
| Title | Album details | Highest chart rankings | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UK | AUS | AUT | BEL | EU | FRA | GER | ITA | POL | SWI | ||
| Signs of a Struggle |
|
159 | 56 | 10 | 60 | 62 | 75 | 35 | 12 | 64 | 15 |
| Rhythm & Hymns |
|
— | — | — | 69 | 92 | 48 | 73 | 17 | 87 | 22 |
Singles
| Year | Title | Chart rankings | Certifications | Album | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UK | AUS | AUT | BEL | FRA | GER | ITA | NOR | NZ | SWI | ||||
| 2005 | "11.30 (Dirtiest Trick in Town)" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Signs of a Struggle | |
| "Big City Life" | 15 | 19 | 1 | 12 | 17 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 1 |
| ||
| "Passer By" | 79 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||
| 2006 | "To & Fro" | — | — | — | 56 | — | 73 | 56 | — | — | 56 | ||
| "Cool Down the Pace" | — | — | 52 | — | — | 82 | 25 | — | — | 63 | |||
| 2007 | "Living Darfur" | — | — | 21 | 50 | 50 | 32 | 2 | — | — | 13 | Rhythm & Hymns | |
| 2008 | "Things Have Changed" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2022 | "Big City Life" (Remix with Luude) |
8 | 55 | 19 | — | — | 67 | — | — | 2 | — | Template:Non-album single | |
Music videos
| Year | Title | Director(s) |
|---|---|---|
| 2005 | "Big City Life" | Scott Franklin |
| "Passer By" | Rankin | |
| 2006 | "To & Fro" | Max & Dania |
| "Cool Down the Pace" | ||
| 2007 | "Living Darfur" | Toby MacDonald |
| 2008 | "Things Have Changed" | Justin Francis |