Matthew Sona delivers a statement mix filled with emotional twists and turns…
Matthew Sona’s connection to music runs through every part of his creative process: from the thoughtful way he builds atmosphere to the emotional flow that defines his sets and productions.
With releases on respected labels from The Soundgarden to Clubsonica, Matthew brings a distinct emotional depth to the progressive landscape. Beyond his own productions, Matthew is the founder of All That Is., a label built on the idea of freedom in sound: a space for artists to explore, connect, and share music that speaks from emotion rather than expectation.
On this Balance Selections mix, the rising talent delivers a beautifully crafted two-hour journey filled with emotion, texture, and subtle movement. Featuring music from Peter Makto, Simon Vuarambon, John Cosani, and others, it’s a confidently curated mix that showcases a depth and sensitivity far beyond his years.
Tracklist
01. Husa & Zeyada – Long Way Home (Original Mix) {IAMHER}
02. Kollmorgen – You Are The (Patrice Baumel Mix) {Kompakt}
03. Nico Szabo – Stampi (Original Mix) {The Soundgarden}
04. JUNO (DE) – Last Dance (Original Mix) {Magnifik Music}
05. Rønhöff, Qualista, Louin – Penumbra (Original Mix) {Qualista}
06. Artic White, Kyotto – Respiro (Original Mix) {PEACES}
07. Nicolas Viana – ID {ID}
08. John Cosani – Only One {Hoomidaas}
09. Timo Chinala – Somerville (Guy J Remix) {White}
10. John Cosani – Habana (Original Mix) {Sudbeat Music}
11. Tantum, Hyunji-A – Keep My Letters (Extended) {keep my letters}
12. Simon Vuarambon – DEC (Original Mix) {SCI+TEC}
13. John Creamer, Stephane K – I Wish You Were Here (Kevin Di Serna & Memory Mix) {White}
14. Agustin Pietrocola – Focus (Original Mix) {Mango Alley}
15. Ruben Karapetyan – Nostalgic Moments (Original Mix) {Meanwhile}
16. Anonimat, Molac – Ashen Tides (Original Mix) {ID}
17. Anton Make – Velurion (Extended Mix) {Univack}
18. Matthew Sona – Elektricity (Original Mix) {White}
19. D-Nox, DJ Zombi – There Is Hope (Mike Griego PsychoFunk Remix) {Sprout}
20. Santi Mossman – Crossing Souls (Original Mix) {Melorama Música}
21. Peter Makto, Matthew Sona – I See You (Original Mix) {White}
22. Boral Kibil, TVM – Mario (Peter Makto Remix) {Circle of Life}
23. Planet Funk – Chase The Sun (Khen Bootleg) {White}
Name: Mátyás Aranyossy
Location: Budapest, Hungary
Alias/Producer name: OXIA
Labels affiliated with: The Soundgarden, Mango Alley, Clubsonica, Zenebona Records, Manual Music, All That Is.
I didn’t come from a musical family, but music has always been a huge part of my life. Some of my earliest memories are of sitting in the car or at home with music constantly playing in the background.
My parents would have the Bee Gees, Kraftwerk, Jean-Michel Jarre, Thievery Corporation, and Michael Jackson on all the time. There are countless videos of me as a little kid dancing to those songs, completely lost in the rhythm.
Even now, when I need a break from electronic sounds, I always find myself going back to Michael Jackson or the Bee Gees—especially their One Night Only live show. It’s my comfort music.
One of my favorite bands to this day is Kraftwerk. I grew up listening to them, mostly thanks to my dad, who was always playing their music at home and sharing it with my brother and me.
There was something about those beats and rhythms that felt completely new to my ears back then, and even now their sound still feels ahead of its time. Fun fact: I actually traveled across half of Europe with my dad to see them live at around fifteen shows during their 3D concert tour.
I started my nightlife journey around 2019, when I was about fifteen. It began with the usual teen parties with friends, but that didn’t last long — the music at those events was nowhere near my taste.
Everything changed in 2021. That summer, on July 17, I went to a party at Cinema Hall Budapest where Sébastien Léger was playing. I even have a video from that night. I went with my dad, and I remember feeling nervous they wouldn’t let me in because of the age limit. But they must have seen I was well-behaved, because they waved me through.
By then, our home was filled with deep progressive music playing in the background, and I’d become curious to experience that kind of sound live. My dad told me this party with Sébastien would be the perfect introduction — and he was right. That night completely changed how I saw music and parties. Honestly, the rest is history.
I think there are two different sides to inspiration — one as a DJ and one as a producer.
As a producer, Sébastien Léger and Guy J have been major influences from the very beginning. It’s not just their ideas, but also their mixing style and sound design that have shaped how I approach music.
As a DJ and a true lover of progressive sounds, Hernán Cattáneo has played a huge role in my journey. His mixing style deeply resonates with my own flow and the way I view storytelling through music.
But there’s also a third kind of inspiration that’s often overlooked — the personal, human side. At the end of the day, we’re all the same, no matter what our profession is. Hernán’s kindness, humility, and support for the younger generation have had a massive impact on me, and honestly, on the entire progressive scene. I’ve had the privilege of speaking with him many times, and he always takes a moment to share a few kind words with everyone. To me, that’s bigger than music — it’s about being kind and being human.
It’s no surprise that the progressive community is so supportive, because the leaders of the genre set that example. When you’re at the top, you carry a huge responsibility — people look up to you, and the next generation learns from how you behave. In other genres, you sometimes see how negative energy from the top spreads downward, but in progressive, the opposite is true — and that’s what makes it so special.
Actually, it was the upcoming Global Underground by Guy J. I think it’s an exceptional piece of work, filled with tracks that have given me unforgettable moments — especially his remix of Need to Feel Loved.
He played it at Balance Croatia this summer, early in the morning, and it gave me a feeling I’d never experienced before. I’m always happy to support the kind of art that inspires me and means so much to me.
This is always a favorite question among geeks like me.
To start off, the main element of my studio is my MacBook Air M2. Until August, I produced exclusively on headphones (Austrian Audio Hi-X55), but since then I’ve been able to work in a proper studio with full sound treatment, a UAD Apollo x6 interface, and Adam Audio A77X speakers, plus a pair of Genelec 8330As for additional monitoring. There are also some hardware compressors and EQs around, though to be honest, I’ve never really used them.
As for synths, there’s a UDO Super 6 in the studio, which I only use occasionally. I like to keep my setup simple and minimal to maintain a smooth workflow. I’m sure there will come a time when I dive deeper into analog gear, but for now, my focus is on refining my signature sound.
My DJ setup is just as straightforward. I usually play on a mixer — preferably a DJM-900 NXS2 — with CDJ-3000s. As long as it’s not vinyl (I haven’t mastered that yet), I’m comfortable playing on just about anything.
There’s a lot of projects on the horizon including remixes for Clubsonica, Mango Alley, Zenebona & more. Also very excited about many collab projects with Peter Makto, who’s a great great friend of mine.
My next big gig is going to be on the 13th of December, and coincidentally it’s a Balance Budapest party alongside James Zabiela, Danny Howells, Tim Green & Peter Makto at Cinema Hall Budapest.
When making prerecorded mixes, I always use Ableton Live because I find it much faster and more intuitive. It also eliminates the possibility of mistakes during recording. However, one important rule I always follow is to never do anything in Live that I couldn’t replicate on CDJs and a mixer.
I tend to view DJ sets as a complete journey rather than focusing on individual tracks. Still, there are a few pieces in this set that hold special meaning for me. One of them is my collaboration with Peter Makto, “I See You”, which carries deep significance for both of us. It represents our friendship and how we complement each other — not only as people but also in our musical approach.
Peter Makto, Matthew Sona – I See You (Original Mix)
Currently unsigned.
One of my more recent productions – and the very first track of my own label : All That Is.
I rarely watch TV, but the last movie I saw was Shutter Island, and it was an unbelievable film — maybe even one of my favorites to this day.
The last TV show I watched almost in its entirety was Suits on Netflix, and I enjoyed it very much.
I’ve been fortunate to visit many countries and cities throughout my life, but Barcelona, Spain instantly felt like home.
Also, for the past 15 years, my family and I have travelled to the same spot in Trogir, Croatia every single summer. It’s my only 2–3 weeks of true rest with minimal phone.
That little place has a very special place in my heart.
