MATTHEW SHELL is an acclaimed music producer, audio engineer, guitarist, and pianist from Bethesda, MD.
His production styles include alternative jazz, chill afrobeat, pop, rock, R&B, and soothing instrumental music.
Recent Work
In 2022, Matthew Shell and GRAMMY® Award nominee Arun Shenoy released the Dolby ATMOS mixed jazz album ELEMENTAL. On this album the duo explore a wide range of musical styles rooted in Jazz, but incorporating elements from the sounds of Motown, electronic dance music & other electronic sounds, Lo-Fi, and Brazilian Chill Baile Funk. The album was released in stereo and Dolby Atmos 7.1.4 Immersive Audio formats.
In the same year, Shell played guitar on Masa Takumi's song KAZE from the album SAKURA which won best Global Music Album at the GRAMMY® Awards.
In 2023, Shell and longtime collaborator Kenny McNeil released the Dolby ATMOS mixed alternative jazz album WE'LL FIND A WAY II, a chill Afrobeat style ode to Shell's mom's heritage from South Africa and Zimbabwe, where she was born and grew up respectively. This album was followed by the afrobeat single MY RIDE OR DIE featuring McNeil's vocal artistry, Shell's production, and guest artist Douglas Lira's amazing sax playing, among others.
Also in 2023, Shell produced and engineered albums for Marcus Johnson, GRAMMY winner Joanie Leeds, and Michael Peloso, among others. Johnson's new album is volume 3 of the FLO CHILL album series, and after only a month has 60,000+ Spotify streams and growing. The first album in Johnson's FLO series titled FLO (FOR THE LOVE OF) CHILL reached #2 on Billboard Top Contemporary Jazz Chart in 2009. In the same year, Shell was the Pro-Tools 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 2024, Matthew Shell released his second solo album in collaboration with Arun Shenoy titled DESTINATIONS. On this record the duo experimented with a blend of Nu Jazz, Free Jazz, Smooth Jazz and Jazzhop sounds. Like its predecessor, this album was also released in stereo and Dolby Atmos 7.1.4 Immersive Audio formats.
The year also marked the released of A HIGHER STATE OF BLISS, another collaboration with Arun Shenoy. On this single, the artists opted for a more experimental sound incorporating downtempo EDM with live, virtuoso world music performances for what they call - a genre bending musical experience.
Others
Other of his accomplishments include producing for GRAMMY® Award Nominee Carolyn Malachi, and her song BEAUTIFUL DREAMER being featured on FOX 5 DC Morning News in 2011, Shell being featured as a producer on GRAMMY.com in 2012 for his album FREEDOM with jazz flautist Trey Eley, Shell assisting as engineer on the song IT'S A JUNGLE OUt HERE for 7-time GRAMMY® Award winner Philip Lawrence as featured on the RIO 2 film soundtrack in 2014, and the music video for GENESIS (with Arun Shenoy) being featured by Steven Slate on his Slate Digital YouTube channel in 2013.
Shell has produced and engineered remixes for Selena Gomez, DJ Flexx, and WPGC 95.5, and has produced, engineered, and/or collaborated with GRAMMY® Award winners Masa Takumi, Philip Lawrence, Paul Jackson Jr., Jeff Lorber, Wouter Kellerman, Ricky Kej, Laura Sullivan, Jim Kimo West, Rocio Marron, Steve Pullara, and Kabir Sehgal, among others.