Today we’d like to introduce you to Matthew Bentley.
Hi Matthew, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
My name is Matthew Bentley but most people who know my call me Theology.
I am a DJ and Producer of Club-Ready Video Game Remixes and a mental health activist. I make nerdy content that explores what video games have to teach us about mental health, and my live performances utilize the nostalgia of VGM (Video Game Music) and intentional messaging in the visuals to hopefully leave an impact on my audience.
It wasn’t always this way though.
For years, I tried to climb the ladder in mainstream EDM, specifically the Trance scene. Things took a turn for me when I decided to take my art seriously and do a masterclass with Jason Ross, a DJ and Producer who works a lot with Seven Lions and the Ophelia label.
Through the techniques I learned here and the connections I made, I did start to achieve nominal success. A track of mine was played by Above & Beyond on their podcast, ABGT Episode 245. Subsequently, the duo I started with Table 18 known as Wæde Wätts had a few other singles played by famous artists such as Fatum, Cosmic Gate, Tom Fall, Jes, and Roman Messer.
However, none of this turned into the touring DJ life I hoped it would.
I tried over and over and over to achieve the same success I had previously, but brick wall after brick wall was thrown in my path. No matter how hard I tried, my production sound was never “good enough” for the mainstream trance scene. My chords and melodies never pleased the gatekeepers, and barely was playing shows, surrendering to others who were farther ahead of me. Producing became a chore for me and the scene I once loved was starting to lose its charm. I often told myself that “I wish I had just stayed a fan of this music” instead of trying to make it.
I had to embrace my place in my story and stop comparing myself to others. I had to remove myself from the world that I was in. I had to pivot into something else that made music FUN again. That’s when a bunch of things serendipitously happened to me that would change my life for the better.
Labeled as “Outsider EDM,” I released an album in 2020 called “Trapped in a World Between Beauty and Bass,” which included three video game remixes. I sent the album to my brother and he noted that “you should just focus on video game remixes” because they were “amazing.”
A month or so later, I was approached by a person named Thomas that I used to serve at my old restaurant when I was a waiter. He asked me if I wanted to DJ at his convention, called “VGM Con” and it was going to be a twitch event. I didn’t even know how to live stream at the time, so I pre-recorded a set in my kitchen in West Chester, PA, and sent it off.
When I watched it happen and saw the chat’s response, I knew that I had to pursue this.
Ever since this event, one thing after another began to happen and I started to push my way into the convention scene, slowly building and perfecting my craft. A portion of this is also partnering with Joe and Kiki of 2D Con, which has been nothing short of amazing and I owe them so much. They are truly some of the best people in the convention scene in the nation, and I align with them because they do it to inspire others, not to just make a bajillion dollars.
I have also asked several live musicians to collaborate with me, having since made tracks with entire bands. When I do a “real” set of mine, it is unlike anything I’ve ever done with art in my life, from the positive mental health messaging in the visuals and live musicians joining me on stage to perform our collaborations together.
This is my story in a nutshell. The VGM community has changed my life and that is why I say resoundingly:
#inVGMweTRUST
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Of course not.
Anything in life worth fighting for requires sacrifice.
My art has been ridiculed, money has been stolen from me, and I have been made to feel like nothing at times.
I’ve also had to humble myself a lot and realize that I am not what I thought I was in the eyes of other people. This is a critical factor as to why I’m a DJ not looking just to build my own ego, but to inspire and impact others and let them know they are enough… because if they don’t hear it from anyone else, I want them to hear it from me.
Now that I have become something in VGM, the sky has been the limit.
All I want to do is help others now, and give back I shall.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I DJ and Produce Club-Ready Video Game Remixes and I’m a mental health activist. I create nerdy mental health content that explores what video games have to say about the topic and my live DJ sets project positive mental health messages in the visuals and music itself.
linktr.ee/theologymusic
How can people work with you, collaborate with you or support you?
By DMing me! We are all in this together and I love collaborating with everyone, from the person who has 3 followers to the artist with 450K!
Contact Info:
- Website: www.theologymusic.com
- Other: linktr.ee/theologymusic
