The Crocodile in Seattle was packed for the 3rd annual BeatMatch producer competition on April 13th, 2019. BeatMatch is an all-ages beat battle featuring 16 music producers from the Seattle area competing head-to-head, in a bracketed tournament. Contestants play their best beats for judges and a live audience, competing to win a cash prize, a performance at Summer Meltdown, and the title of BeatMatch Champion. You can learn about the 16 contestants this year and hear their music on the
2019 BeatMatch page.
Before we dive in more a huge thanks goes out to Clutch Cannabis, The Crocodile, Red Bull, KEXP, Hella Good Presents, Summer Meltdown and Upperleft because without their support the event would not be possible. We also have to thank all the producers and everyone who attended for making it the first officially sold-out BeatMatch.
The 16 competitors gathered at The Crocodile before the event to draw their names to choose their bracket. With the brackets for the first rounds set they moved to sound check and prepped for the doors to open. The judges, Big Wild and Tyler Dopps, arrived at the venue as the pressure started to build for the contestants at soundcheck.
As Big Wild, producer Jackson Stell crafts lush soundscapes and sweeping melodies that challenge the status quo of electronic music. Formerly a hip-hop beat producer, known as J Beatz, Stell switched creative lanes following a life-altering trip to Big Sur, adopting influences from California’s natural glory and open spaces to create the atmospheric and wide-spanning Big Wild sound. Seattle's own Tyler Dopps has been behind the boards since 2012. With local production and writing credits ranging from Travis Thompson to Macklemore, 2018 saw Tyler expand his reach to NYC, working with Beast Coast representatives Flatbush Zombies, and Harlem's A$AP Twelvyy.
Our amazing hosts, Parisalexa and Nick Beeba, took the stage for the sold-out show to get the competition going. The field of producers went from 16 to 8 to 4 to just Pheso versus King Royal in the finals. It was a close head to head match, but Pheso edged out King Royal for the 2019 Beatmatch win!
Pheso won the $500 cash, the title of 2019 BeatNatch champ and a spot to perform at the 2019 Summer Meltdown.
Overall, the BeatMatch goal is to spotlight outstanding, rising, and undiscovered local talents and provide them with a stage and access to creative and professional opportunities, as well as inspire collaboration across communities of artists and support from the greater Seattle community for Seattle musicians. We think we achieved that goal again!
A huge thank you to all the competitors, Clutch Cannabis, The Crocodile, Red Bull, KEXP, Hella Good Presents, Summer Meltdown and Upperleft. Last, but not least, Take a look at more photos from the night below and start working on those beats for 2020.
Photos, words and videos by Matt McDonald /
EqualMotion
