Conversations with Matt (Sleazy Lettuce) Chan

Today we’d like to introduce you to Matt (Sleazy Lettuce) Chan.

Hi Matt, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers.
I’m a 27-year-old music producer and DJ based in Denver. I got my degree in engineering from Virginia Tech, where I started DJing and learning to produce music. After graduating, I worked as a structural engineer in Virginia for a couple of years during Covid. As my love and skill for music production grew, my enjoyment in the engineering field was deteriorating.

In 2021 I quit my job as an engineer, built a camper van, and took off on a 3 month road trip, eventually landing in Denver. Since I’ve been in Denver, I’ve been fully dedicated to my music project and now truly feel like a part of the Denver underground music scene. Currently, I work in a Dim Sum restaurant and spend all of my available time writing music, practicing my craft as a DJ, and playing several shows every month.

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
I don’t think that artists very often have a smooth road. One of the harder things to overcome has been finding time to practice my craft while still working enough to pay the bills. Switching out of engineering has been essential in freeing up my schedule to focus on music.

The hardest obstacle I’ve had to overcome is the disapproval from my father. He was determined for me to be an engineer and refused to accept that art and creativity are my greatest passion and purpose and what I’m best at in life. Finding a balance between pursuing my happiness and having a relationship with my father is something I grapple with daily.

Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I’m a music producer and DJ. I specialize in bass music and dubstep but I like to experiment with genre when I write, and I like to play a wide range of music when I DJ. I fell in love with dubstep in 2010 and that “golden era” of dubstep is probably what inspires my own writing the most.

Some of my biggest inspirations are Zeds Dead, Ganja White Night, Caspa, and many others. I pride myself on my creativity and originality. I refuse to be a trend follower and prioritize great songwriting over everything else.

In terms of your work and the industry, what are some of the changes you are expecting to see over the next five to ten years?
I’m no expert but I kind of see the bass music era as an evolution of the rock music era. Not in a musical sense but in a cultural sense. When rock first came out it was new and loud and rowdy and the greats went down in history.

To me, it’s like the the same culture and type of people in dubstep just a different generation from rock. I don’t think that big shows big festivals and big music corporations are going anywhere in the next 10 years. But the music will certainly change and evolve.

Contact Info:

• Website: sleazylettuce.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sleazylettuce/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MrSleazylettuce
• SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/sleazy_lettuce

Image Credits
@Braxxmedia (https://www.instagram.com/braxxmedia/?img_index=1)
@Bryanoutwest (https://www.instagram.com/bryanoutwest/)