Few artists are able to capture the inner workings of their chaotic brain as precisely as Matt Proxy has on his debut album Trojan Horse.
The 19-year-old, Minneapolis born rapper has been releasing truly undefinable music since 2021. While his Spotify backlog only reaches back to 2024, his SoundCloud showcases a work ethic that is beyond impressive for someone who has made music since before they could drive. With two ear-catching EPs, Beating a Dead Horse and Horse Play, Proxy quickly drew in a tight-knit fanbase and instant media recognition. His production style is unlike any I’ve heard before, and it remains in a place that is uncommonly difficult to define. While clearly learning from experimental hip-hop giants like JPEGMAFIA, (who he is now opening for on tour,) Proxy clearly refuses to follow in anyone’s footsteps. And the variety found within his latest project is something that deserves to be heard and discussed.
Trojan Horse starts off on a high note from the opening track “5” which includes an addicting bridge from recent underground London superstar; Fakemink, and frequent collaborator never goodbye. The song utilizes a catchy guitar riff, and drumbeat that accompanies Proxy’s straightforward and almost monotone delivery. Lyrically, the track is a great representation of his simple, yet effective technique of addressing the listener directly. He asks us, “Does the prison system really deserve to execute?/‘Cause what if them ***** got you for shit you didn’t do?/Does the homeless man outside desеrve your attitude?/‘Cause hе got some values even though they don’t matter to you.” Two simple questions that still manage to grab the listener’s attention. It’s a perfect intro for a few of the sounds and motifs you can expect from the rest of the album.
In true Matt Proxy fashion, the very next track, “STARS” features a cacophony of distorted guitar that would easily demolish anyone’s speakers if played too loudly. The constant flip between ethereal, almost divine, sounds and utter chaos sets Proxy apart from most other musicians today. His refusal to hold back, even for the sake of the listeners' eardrums, is what immediately grabbed me about his music. The incredibly abrasive first minute of this track is one of the only times I’ve heard an artist actively choose to bury their fully written lyrics under hellish distortion. Which builds to a beautiful payoff in the second half when Proxy pulls off a gorgeous sample-flip of “Sweet Nothin's” by Brenda Lee. The auditory torture present for the first minute completely dissolves into a head-bending second half that leaves me thoroughly satisfied.
The beginning of, “ATLANTA” gives us the first bit of narration from Proxy’s Father, professional boxer; Mengistu ZarZar, through an interview clip where he’s asked, “Have you ever had an incident where you thought you were gonna die?” To which he chuckles, pauses, and replies, “Nah”. Directly after this, we are thrown into the middle of a sample from the jazz song, “Forever” by The Marvelettes accompanied by various DJ scratches as Proxy raps. In one of my favorite moments on the album, the song switches yet again to another bouncy drum and vocal sample, this time from the song “Father” by The Christians, while a groovy synth rises and falls in the background. Only to be broken yet again with a completely new sample and beat accompanying Proxy’s last verse. At just nineteen years old, Proxy possesses a consistent variety of style conventions that some artists are simply unable to embody. This intense originality proves he is someone who truly feels the music he makes. And through feeling it, Proxy is able to pull off anything and everything his refreshing creativity cooks up. “ATLANTA” is a perfect track, a song that encapsulates how Trojan Horse feels. A feeling that can best be described as floating through the night sky with a radio connected to an undefinable distant place known as Proxy’s vast and lawless talent.
“MISERY” is the fifth track on the album and stands out as a personal highlight. We kick off with a vocal sample from soul artist Tammi Terrell and her track “Just Too Much To Hope For.” Proxy raps over the sample with his signature digital scratchy vocal effect and an impressive blend of twangy electric guitar and punchy drums. The song effortlessly floats along with the beat before abrasively switching to a transcendental combination of deep drums, chopped-up vocals, and a heavenly melody that leaves me in a complete trance. “MISERY” is impossible to describe, instead asking the listener to sense what it’s offering. In fact, the entire album presents an experience that defies deep explanation. Many of Proxy’s production choices are clearly intended to leave you physically responding rather than knowing.
Just in case you were getting used to the blissful atmosphere “MISERY” brought with it, the very next track, “NEW SOLUTION,” is here to destroy that. Featuring production and vocal samples from legendary electronic artist; Grimes, the song is yet another noisy experimental track that drastically raises the pace of the album. Sitting at just two and a half minutes, “NEW SOLUTION,” is the most electronic on the whole project and features Proxy rapping over an indecipherable concoction of distorted 808’s and a vast collection of sounds I genuinely can’t figure out. All culminating in yet another showcase of the album’s unrelentless dedication to staying fresh and refusing to use the same trick twice.
If “NEW SOLUTION” provided the most chaotic part of the album, then the very next track, “BLUE,” features the most reflective and solemn moments. Opening with a distinctly somber guitar and sappy vocals from Alice Jade, the mood is instantly apparent. Only to be furthered by a soft, yet cogent electronic drum pattern as Proxy raps about overcoming those that doubted his musical abilities. The track ends with another twangy electronic guitar solo as Proxy pays tribute to his sister, who sadly passed during the creation of the album. It’s a track that brings Proxy’s confessional style of writing to the forefront. On top of that, this mood is something we haven’t really seen from Proxy in the past, at least not in the hard-hitting capacity found here.
The last track on the album, “God,” houses a surprising feature from indie rock icon Current Joys, and yet another appearance from never goodbye. The song immediately starts with a rising and falling, arcade-like, electronic buzz, which gives us a little taste of the jaw-dropping switch that is to come. For nearly a minute and a half, Proxy performs a verse that feels never-ending as he dances from line to line before a sudden and shocking electronic guitar riff overpowers his words. As a scratchy and abrasive drumbeat accompanies the guitar, the entire song switches to something akin to shoegaze with overpowering, fuzzy guitars and an electronic melody created out of the retro sounds heard at the beginning. That breakdown is one of the most addicting musical moments I’ve heard in forever, and it leaves me with a euphoria that very few songs can. The shoegazey section continues for another minute before Proxy suddenly cuts the sound, leaving only a few electronic beeps and a rising return of the previous melody. This leads us into the outro where Current Joys’ high-pitched vocals belt out lyrics about a “Brown eyed beauty,” that brings the singer solace. The track’s immense depth and fullness have quickly catapulted it into becoming my all-time favorite Matt Proxy song.
Trojan Horse is beyond impressive by all standards. Factor in that this is Matt Proxy’s very first album and more so, that Proxy himself is only nineteen, and it goes from impressive to downright genius. Hearing music so uncompromising from young voices is sure to inspire countless other crazy nineteen-year-olds to take the leap into releasing the sounds in their brains. Proxy’s artistry is at the forefront of this debut, and it’s his ability to comfortably transfer the inner workings of his vast and turbulent mind that proves his staying power.
