Big Bio | Résumé | CV | Biodata
Big Bio:
In a world where genre means less and pleasure means most, Matt Wells takes pleasure in pushing musical boundaries. The DJ, producer, and record label owner cut his musical chops in the city of Chicago. Curating sounds pulled from the vast pool of his subconscious, then broadcasting them with a thin candy coating of nostalgia. His knack for mining the past to be stylistically ahead of the curve is undeniable.
“I love nostalgia, but don’t use it as a hammer. More of a feather tickling your toes to get you moving on the dance floor,” Wells says of his penchant for picking tracks that echo his Dark Balearic style.
Whether he drops disco, electro, house or techno, Wells may defy barriers but one thing is for sure: he will summon the rhythm within you to tunes you never knew you loved (or ones you forgot you knew). Always pushing forward with his own original productions and remixes that keep his sound fresh, will make you dance, and leave you wanting to come back for more.
“I have, and always have had, a deep desire to please the crowd. But I still love to pull them subtly out of their comfort zones,” says Wells.
“I came up in the era of DJing that had the DJ as a function of discovery. Algorithms are great and all, but nothing beats a trustworthy actual human curator to your night out.”
The repertoire at his True Mother Records is certainly no exception to these sentiments. With years of experience behind the turntables, Wells has honed a smooth digital voice all his own. During that time he has also produced in collaboration with a rotating group of artists. Known as Jaded Lover (production duo with Chris Doria, live band with Connie Yin and Mike Reger). He has also worked with featured acts including Jeremy Bastard from Autodrone, Marc Nelson, the Singer / Lyricist SaraJeanne, and Starlore (Abagale Fischer).
Today, Wells comes back with a streamlining of Jaded Lover and his eponymous DJ moniker. From the tongue in cheek synth-pop of “Watching Porno,” to stopping by the disco in “Bowels of Disco,” scaring you along with John Carpenter’s “The Thing,” then landing neck deep in the electro-industrial noise of Jeremy Bastard’s “Phantom Limb.” As Jaded Lover, Wells will certainly have the floor moving until the sun steals back the day.
jadedlover.com serves to be a home for all things Jaded Lover and Matt Wells for the past, present, and future.
Highlights:
- Black Rainbow NY (a True Mother Records) party at JJ’s Hideaway rated “Top Ten Things To Do in NYC” by DoNYC, Brooklyn
- Jaded Lover/True Mother Records was the Music Director for the globally recognized Room 237 Pop-Up at The Rookery, Chicago (Full press on the event HERE, we went global 😍)
- Jaded Lover (Live Band) was chosen to play with Philip Glass & Elliott Sharp at Santo’s Party House “NY Film-Makers Cooperative,” Manhattan
- Chosen as Official DJ of VeeV Spirits, played several events in the LA area and curated a weeklong (never repeating) playlist for their headquarters, Beverly Hills
- Jaded Lover won the Puma/Remix Magazine “1977” Remix contest for their white label remix of “Everybody Dance” by Chic, Atlanta
- Jaded Lover produced a set of bespoke chill-out songs for Cipriani Ocean Resort and Club’s internal soundtrack, Miami
- Beyoncé walked out for the premiere unveiling of her House of Deréon clothing line to two custom remixes by Jaded Lover, “Soldier” (Destiny’s Child) and “Summertime” (Beyoncé) at Macy’s Glamorama, Chicago
- Opened/Closed for MuteMath at CK One’s “Lollapalooza” Music Lounge Opening Night Party at Hard Rock Hotel, Chicago
- Matt Wells was Music Co-director at Reserve Nightclub, Chicago
Worked With:
Residencies:
930 Lounge – Chicago, IL
Akbar – Silver Lake (LA), CA
Bar 3 – Chicago, IL
Bordo’s – Chicago, IL
Le Passage – Chicago, IL
Reserve – Chicago, IL
Spy Bar – Chicago, IL
Stone Lotus – Chicago, IL
Sushi Wabi – Chicago, IL
Guest Performances:
Bedroom (Circus) – Chicago, IL
Big Wig – Chicago, IL
Blyss – Chicago, IL
Cabaret Night Club – Chicago, IL
Chicago SoHo House – Chicago, IL
China No. 1 – New York, NY
Crimson Lounge – Chicago, IL
Debonair Social Club – Chicago, IL
Evil Olive – Chicago, IL
Top Floor – Los Angeles, CA
Funky Buddha Lounge – Chicago, IL
Halcyon Records – Brooklyn, NY
Hard Rock Hotel – Chicago, IL
Katacomb – Chicago, IL
Knickerbocker Hotel Ballroom – Chicago, IL
Lava Lounge – Chicago, IL
Lucille’s – Chicago, IL
Lumen – Chicago, IL
North Ave. Beach @ Crunch Gym – Chicago, IL
Piano’s – New York, NY (Manhattan)
RiNo – Chicago, IL
Red No. 5 – Chicago, IL
Red Dog – Chicago, IL
Resolute 5 Year Anniversary Party – New York, NY (Brooklyn)
Santos Party House – New York, NY (Manhattan)
Seamless Ultra Lounge (After Hours) – Las Vegas, NV
Shelter Supper Club – Los Angeles, CA
Sinibar – Chicago, IL
Sofitel – Chicago, IL
Soho House – Chicago, IL
Sound Bar – Chicago, IL
Subterranean – Chicago, IL
The Black Orchid – Chicago, IL
Virgin Hotel – Chicago, IL
The Viper Room – Los Angeles, CA
W Hotel – (Adams St.) Chicago, IL
Wet – Chicago, IL
Other Notable Performances:
True Mother Records Music Direction/DJ for Room 237 Pop-Up @ The Rookery, Chicago IL
Dark Wave Disco @ The Bowery Electric Manhattan, NY
True Mother Records @ Virgin Hotel, Chicago IL
Stranger Things Pop-Up Party by Heaven Malone @ Soho House, Chicago IL
Porn & Chicken @ Evil Olive, Chicago IL
Halcyon Records, Brooklyn, NY
Jaded Lover (Live Band) played Film-Makers Cooperative @ Santos Party House Manhattan, NY
Resolute 5 Year Anniversary Party DJ w/ Jaded Lover (Live Band) in Brooklyn, NY
Played w/ Shaka 23 & Def Cut Don @ Lumen Chicago, IL
Top Floor Loft/Online Streaming Party @ Double Secret Location Los Angeles, CA
Syndicate Wednesdays @ Debonair Social Club Chicago, IL
Mondays in Malibu w/ VeeV Malibu, CA
VeeV Spirits launch party Beverly Hills, CA
Filter Magazine Party w/ Tyler Barth & The Bank @ The Viper Room West Hollywood, CA
House of Dereon Charity Party w/ Beyoncé Knowles for Glamourama @ Macy’s Chicago, IL
CK One Lollapalooza Post Party- Opened/ closed for Mute Math @ The Hard Rock Hotel Chicago, IL
Extacy Liquor launch party @ Wet Chicago, IL
Opened for DJ AM monthly @ Reserve Chicago, IL
Opened for DJ Homicide of Sugar Ray @ Reserve Chicago, IL
Opened for DJ Paul Sevigny of ARE Weapons @ Reserve Chicago, IL
DJ set w/ Kill Hannah @ Reserve Chicago, IL
Strides & Tides Fundraiser for The Tsunami Foundation- Opening act for DJ Samantha Ronson & Jurassic 5 @ The House of Blues Chicago, IL
Opened for DJ Rap @ Reserve Chicago, IL
Old School Reunion- Opened for Rob Base and DJ Easy-Roc @ Reserve Chicago, IL
New Years Eve Bash- Opened for DJ Hurricane (formerly of the Beastie Boys) @ Reserve Chicago, IL
Queer Eyes Wide Shut 2 New Years Eve Party @ the Sofitel Chicago, IL
Strides & Tides Fundraiser for The Tsunami Foundation- Opened for De La Soul Chicago, IL
Creative Artist Agency (CAA) annual “Young Hollywood” Benefit @ Shelter Supper Club Los Angeles, CA
Chicago Social Fall Fashion Preview @ North Branch Shopping Centre (Nordstrom’s on Michigan Ave.) Chicago, IL
LBD Foundation’s Sinatra Party & Benefit @ The Black Orchid Chicago, IL
Pure’s Future Sound of Chicago @ Red No. 5 Chicago, IL
Opening Night- QT Tuesday’s w/ Nikki Harris (Madonna’s back-up singer) @ Le Passage Chicago, IL
Boom Boom Room @ Red Dog with Dave Britton Chicago, IL
Played With:
Alex English
Connie (Connie Y)
Coolio
Dark Wave Disco (Mark Gertz, Trancid, & Greg Corner)
Dave Britton
Dave Rosario
De La Soul
DJ AM
DJ Eryka (Office)
DJ Homicide
DJ Hurricane
DJ Rap
Heaven Malone
Jeremy Bastard
Jurassic 5
Kill Hannah
Michael Serafini
Mikey Dubs
MuteMath
Nikki Harris (Madonna’s back-up singer)
Orville Kline
Paul Sevigny
Phives
Rob Base & DJ Easy-Roc
Samantha Ronson
Shaka 23
Svast
Tone Lóc