Discography
ABOUT
MATTHEW SHELL (aka MTS) is the founder and CEO of MTS Music Productions. He is a music producer, audio production engineer, music business instructor, and producer for the music competition “The O” (as seen at wpgc.com).
CAREER HIGHLIGHTS
Shell’s work on the production for Marcus Johnson’s album Flo: Chill reached #7 on Billboard Top Contemporary Jazz Chart in 2009. Later that year he worked as the engineer on O.A.R.’s album Rain or Shine that reached #5 on the Independent Albums Chart and also #7 on the US Alternative Albums Chart. In 2011, his work on Grammy Nominee Carolyn Malachi’s Beautiful Dreamer was featured on FOX 5 DC Morning News.
In 2012, Shell’s album Freedom, his collaboration with Trey Eley was launched by the Recording Academy via a Worldwide Exclusive First Listen at GRAMMY.com. The album was also featured as one of Generation Bass’ Top Albums for 2012.
In 2013, Shell collaborated with Arun Shenoy on Genesis, a jazz instrumental single, which received massive airplay and went on to be the lead song on the full length album, Victorious (Matthew Shell Presents), released later in the year. The video for “Genesis” was released via Steven Slate’s YouTube channel in a cross-promotion for the Raven MTX.
Shell released his next album Spiritual Relationship: The Deeper Meaning in 2015, that saw media coverage from Sirius XM’s Maggie Linton, WPFW 89.3 FM’s Keanna Faircloth, WPGC 95.5’s DJ Flexx, Hybrid Jazz Radio’s Trish Hennessey, and more, thanks to the lead single “My Baby” which Shell produced and co-wrote as a gift for his wife. The music on the album was conceived by Shell over a period of 15 years. During this process, over 200 songs were created and scratched before this final version of 11 songs were picked to be recorded and released as part of this project. Shell’s wife, Terra, inspired the completion of this concept album which goes from two destined souls being alone, to meeting, to growing in love, to protecting each other, to finding true love that lasts a lifetime.
As a freelance audio production engineer, Shell has produced for several other artists including Kenny Wesley, Gerald Albright, Greg Adams, Paul Jackson Jr. (GRAMMY winner), Wouter Kellerman (GRAMMY winner), Rocio Marron (GRAMMY winner), Vicu Schek, Lana Lubany, Kenny McNeil, Collin Brooks, Substantial, Sydni Alexander, Rafael the Drummer, D2D, Kolten Perine, Javier Starks, Trey Eley, and Marcus Johnson, has remixed for Selena Gomez, assistant engineered for Philip Lawrence (GRAMMY winner with Bruno Mars), engineered for O.A.R. (platinum selling), and mixed for Free, Jeff Lorber, Ricky Kej (GRAMMY winner), and Marcus Mitchell, among others.
CURRENT PROJECTS
Shell is currently busy with the production of an hour-long jazz opus titled First Light. The complex arrangement featuring 17 key changes and 20 tempo changes was created by Shell in a single twelve hour session, and has been brought to life on the recording by Vahagn Stepanyan on the piano and upright bass, Kenny Wesley on vocals, Kenny Darby on keys, Curtis McCain on percussion, Nicolas Laget on flute and sax, Yoed Nir on cello, and Shell himself on guitar. The album is slated for release on Aug. 30, 2017.