Matthewdavid

L.A.-based Matthew David McQueen serves as co-owner of Leaving Records, a home for avant beats by the likes of Ras G, Jonwayne, and Odd Nosdam, while also issuing his own material as Matthewdavid. His studio albums In My World from 2014 and Mycelium Music from 2023 weave together new age textures, footwork rhythms, jungle energy, and ambient improvisation.

Originally from Atlanta, Georgia, McQueen began as a mainstream hip-hop enthusiast before discovering left-field productions from imprints such as Plug Research and Stones Throw. An internship at the former prompted his relocation to L.A., where he made his recorded debut in 2008 with the Spills EP on that label. That same year he launched Leaving Records alongside visual artist Jesselisa Moretti, putting out cassettes, CDs, LPs, and downloads by underground acts including Dak and Jar Moff as well as his own projects; one early example was the 2010 cassette LIVEPHREAXXX!!!!! made in tandem with Sun Araw. Outmind arrived in 2011 via the Brainfeeder label, featuring co-production from Flying Lotus, while the collaborative Swedish Fish with Odd Nosdam returned to Leaving the same year. His limited-run cassettes gradually moved away from hip-hop beatmaking, culminating in the 2013 full-length Mindflight, which foregrounded ambient and new age leanings.

Issued by Brainfeeder in 2014, In My World marked a return to his trippy, syrupy hip-hop approach, yet much of the ensuing output appeared under the Matthewdavid's Mindflight moniker. After several Mindflight titles on Leaving and NNA Tapes, he released the 2018 cassette Time Flying Beats, a collection of previously unheard tracks shaped by footwork and jungle. Spore Drive Split, a split EP with Japanese producer Seiho, followed in 2019, and Gliamd, a collaboration with Virginia-based composer Glia, appeared in 2020. Mycelium Music, the 2023 full-length, presented experimental and ambient improvisations drawn from the artist's psilocybin encounters.