Cheers to another trip around the sun with all of you! ♋️

After 3 years of 2 weeks to flatten the curve - it’s nice to be headed to Miami Music Week again!

The overhaul of my synth setup came out nice 👌✨ • • • • #studiolife #creationstation #sequencer #synthesizer #drummachine #sampler #housemusic #technomusic #breaks #breakbeats #producer #producerlife #reasonstudios #toraiz #toraizsp16 #toraizas1 #toraizsquid #rolandmc909 #rolandtr8 #rolandsystem1

#ThrowbackThursday to this day in January 2020, just before the pandemic. After a successful NAMM show and post-show meetings… one of my favorite events of the the year… unwinding with the @pioneerdjusa crew for the annual post-NAMM dinner! Always a great time!! Looking forward to NAMM 2022, postponed til June… but excited to get back at it and show off all the new products over the past two years! Thanks @priyonjoni for the pic! Showed up in my memories and had to share!

As promised… for the old INSOMNIA nightclub crew… Check the link in my bio for a new mix I’ve created called INSOMNIA Classics! Nearly 2 hours of some of the most memorable tunes I was playing at INSOMNIA from 2004-2008. Ranging from mainstream house to more underground selections of the time, and representing early night, warm-up, peak-time and after-hours… A journey thru the memories is right here! Please be sure to tag anyone you know who used to come to INSOMNIA. I want them all to have this and I hope it brings back great memories of great times! Photos by the late, great @charlieg51 we love and miss you buddy!! Ⓜ️▶️ #djmix #nightclub #dancemusic #mainstreamhousemusic #electronicmusic #electrohouse #housemusic #mixtape #edm #edmmusic #mattplay

#ThrowbackThursday to NAMM 2020! It was an absolute honor to be trusted by my favorite brand @pioneerdjusa to help unveil the flagship #DJMV10 creative-style mixer to the world! I’ve been a fan of Pioneer DJ since the late 90’s when my first DJ residence had the #DJM500 and two #CDJ500 ! Back then I literally worked day and night to scrape together enough pennies to buy my own DJM-500, and finally kick my first RadioShack mixer to the curb. Since then, I’ve owned every generation of Pioneer DJ product and have watched this company grow every step of the way to what it is today… Today, I reflect with gratitude, about how passionate I am about our products. I feel proud that I have been empowered by our product planners to play a small roll throughout the development of the DJM-V10 and CDJ-3000. From helping spark initial ideas (some of which found their way on the final product), to evaluating GUI design and providing feedback on early versions. I am extremely thankful for those opportunities! The product planners and engineers simply smashed it out of the park with the final products and I am so proud to see the product’s success to the point of which our major challenge today is fulfilling the supply to meet the demand, among these crazy COVID complications. It has also been an honor to help introduce these products to some of the most prolific artists in the world and watch them elevate their performances. From absolute legends in the industry to emerging trailblazers, it has been amazing to watch the product grow from the point of unveiling it to the world at NAMM, to then make it onto nearly every festival stage and into nearly every major venue’s DJ booth globally. For that I’m thankful of our amazing global team and all of the artists who depend on our products! I love my industry, I love my job, I love my colleagues and I love my network of DJ’s, artists & promoters… from Chicago, Detroit, NY, LA and beyond! You know who you are!!

For my old-school crew that has followed me since day one, I returned back to my early 2000’s roots and made a new high energy funky breaks mix for ya! Love you all! Ⓜ️▶️ Link In Bio • • • #breaks #funkybreaks #miamibass #miamibassmusic #breakbeats #funkybreaksmix #djmix #mixtape #mattplay

Reflecting on an awesome weekend of seeing old friends and making new ones! 🌠

#midwestsummer in 3, 2, 1...

Even in the winter, Chicago is beautiful. • • • #chicagoriver #chicagoriverwalk #chicagorivernorth #chicagowinter #chicago #skyline #architecture

Happy Labor Day! ☀️

5 years ago today, I worked my very first project with Pioneer DJ USA! What started out as a simple demo of the DDJ-SX2 at a regional dealer has grown into so much more. I’m honored to play a small part within the global team that make this company amazing! I’m thankful to work in the industry I love, with products I’m passionate about and with co-workers and artists that have become family! 🍻 @pioneerdjusa @toraizglobal

A lil’ something for the memesters 💪🏻 #musicradar #bestofnamm2020 #NAMM2020 #PIONEERDJ #DJMV10

Remembering my late grandfather John Davis on Veteran’s Day. Seen here sitting on a blown up hillside after fighting a 10 day battle in the Korean War. He told me a story about a time a bullet struck the brim of his helmet, spinning it around on his head. Literally inches away from me and my entire family never existing. Makes me think of all those who paid the ultimate price, and the ripple effect it caused for their loved ones and the ones that could never be. This photo makes me think of courage, how fragile life is and how lucky I am just to be alive... So I had this tattooed as a daily reminder. #veteransday #veterans

#TBT to summer of 2003, spinning an after hours set in Nashville at the old Katatonic after hours spot. I remember stuffing about 5 crates of records and 2 tanks of CO2 into the Prelude for this trip 😂 Also peep the original Pioneer DJ headphones - the SE-5000 that I still have today ... I really wish we would re-make these headphones with today’s drivers. . . . #dj #djlife #breaks #breaksmusic #house #housemusic #housemusicdj #vinyl #pioneerdj #turntable #turntables #edm #plur #plurnation

Getting to hang with Scott of @thecrystalmethod last night was an awesome experience. The Vegas album in 97 played a major part in inspiring me to pursue a career in DJing and music production. I don’t know if I would be doing what I do today if that album never entered my life. Every album has been a masterpiece including the latest album The Trip Home, which Scott gave me a signed copy of! To say it is an honor to have the opportunity to work with Scott and maybe even call a friend is an understatement... it’s more than that... just being around the guy for an evening leaves enough inspiration to last years! . . . . #bigbeat #breaks #dancemusic #thecrystalmethod #electronica #chicagonights #producerlife #pioneerdj

Cruising at dusk in the Detroit suburbs last month. Really enjoying the summertime road trips in this thing.. . . . . #bb6 #bb6prelude #bb6nation #prelude #preludenation #hondaprelude #preludepower #prelude_power #stayluding #sendludes #jdmlifestyle #hondatuning #jdmcars #streetmachines #importtuner #prelude_addicts

Major thank you to @musicares and @acscustomusa for doing this great deed, putting in their time + money to setup at festivals and offer free custom fit earplugs to us industry people! Simply amazing and so much appreciated! Perfect fit - still hear all frequencies, just at lower volume and makes it easier to carry on conversations in loud environments. Plus they are nearly invisible!

The @pioneerdjglobal NXS2 @off____white @virgilabloh edition. . . . . . #pioneerdj #virgilabloh #offwhite #pioneerdjusa #djm900nxs2 #cdj2000nxs2 #chicago #chicagomuseumofart #art #fashion #streetwear #dj #djing

I know I should be out enjoying the weather right now... but... . . . . #studio #music #musicproduction #studiogear #toraiz #toraizsquid #studioporn #producerlife #housemusic #housemusiclovers #techhousemusic #techhouselovers