Beyond the Dancefloor: Matt Powell on Music, Meditation and the Art of Turning Inward

What do electronic music and meditation have in common? For musician, DJ and producer Matt Powell, the connection goes far beyond sound. From dancefloors to guided Yoga Nidra experiences, he's exploring how music can create space for connection, introspection and self-discovery.

With a PhD in medicinal chemistry and biology, Matt's path into music hasn't been entirely conventional. After years pursuing science, he found himself questioning the direction he'd been working towards. Music had always been his creative outlet, but a transformative experience at an electronic music festival opened his eyes to its potential beyond entertainment.

Today, he's bringing these interests together through immersive sound experiences, from electronic dance journeys to original ambient compositions created to accompany guided meditation.

We spoke with Matt about the unexpected connection between music and mindfulness, the power of intentional listening and why the dancefloor and meditation might have more in common than we think.

In Conversation with Matt Powell

To start, could you tell us a little about yourself and how your journey with music began?

Music has always been a big part of my life and is the most natural way I express myself. I played saxophone all through high school, as part of the jazz band and orchestra. I found these experiences to be the most fulfilling and enjoyable times at school, and my times at school learning, practising and performing music were the most formative for me during these early years.

Later I picked up guitar and began experimenting with music production software as well; however, music always remained a hobby. My primary pursuits during my education were in science. I completed an honours degree in biotechnology and then a PhD in medicinal chemistry and biology. Throughout this time, music played a role in providing a much-needed creative outlet and an avenue to express myself.

During these early years, I produced multiple EPs which provide an insight into my experiences at the time. I also collaborated and/or jammed with friends to create music in different forms, whether free-form jam sessions improvising on the saxophone or recording and creating songs using Logic Pro X music production software.

In recent years, I have been exposed to the electronic music scene and was inspired to learn how to DJ. The long-form style of storytelling speaks deeply to me, and the opportunity to take people on a journey for an hour or more has captured my attention.

Since completing my PhD at the start of 2025, I was in a kind of identity crisis, with my heart and my head in conflict with each other over what would be the right path forward for me.

Ultimately, I came to the decision to follow my heart and to explore what it might look like to fully devote myself to music and creativity in general.

Since then, I have been presented with the opportunity to create immersive events using wireless headphones and the vision has expanded from there! I am still very much in the early beginnings of this journey and there is so much uncertainty, but things have radically opened up for me since making this decision and it feels right.

What first drew you towards combining music with mindfulness and wellbeing?

I think music and mindfulness fit together effortlessly. The truest, most authentic expression of music provides a doorway into the inner world of the artist, and practising mindfulness in whatever form is how we gain clarity on this inner world. A major component of any mindfulness practice is about observing how external stimuli influence our internal reality.

For me, music is how I process these observations and changes, making it a natural part of how I stay mindful and self-aware. Music is my natural way of transmuting inner changes back into the physical world. It's a natural feedback loop that just works for me!

Was there a particular experience or turning point that changed the way you thought about music and its impact on how we feel?

Engaging in the culture of electronic music festivals has been an incredibly transformative experience for me in opening my eyes to the full potential impact of music. There is something about being outside on a dusty dancefloor, surrounded by nature and people, and being taken on a sonic journey for hours that can be so healing and inspiring.

In September 2022, I attended an electronic music festival in Northern Queensland called Mushroom Valley, and this was my first time being exposed to how powerful a force music can be. I experienced music in a totally new way. I was drawn into collective trance states and had transformational, life-altering experiences.

I realised that everything is frequency, vibration and energy - every colour that we perceive is simply particles transmitted at a specific frequency, every sound we hear is a vibration of air transmitted at a specific frequency, all matter is composed of particles which vibrate at certain frequencies and revolve around atoms which collide with other atoms at different frequencies to generate energy.

So, when we are exposed to a powerful enough frequency (i.e. music), it has the potential to radically alter our energy and elevate our state of being to a "higher frequency".

These concepts seem very esoteric and "woo-woo"; however, this is a visceral, felt experience that can't be denied.

I realised these spaces provide us the opportunity to be liberated from external influences (e.g. people or society telling us what we can and can't do) and to have a feeling of being a part of something greater than ourselves that is deeply healing and transformative.

From that moment on, I wanted to explore the esoteric properties of music more deeply. That journey has ultimately led me to where I am today, with the vision to create and facilitate transformative experiences through music and mindfulness practices.

The Experiences You Create

Your work spans DJing, immersive music experiences and practices like Yoga Nidra. How do these different worlds connect for you?

I would say these contrasting worlds (electronic music culture and mindfulness practices) are interconnected in that they promote authentic expression and the pursuit of truth within ourselves.

There is also an interesting polarity between them and I think this is just a reflection of the fact that we need a balance of light and dark, movement and stillness, masculine and feminine, in our lives to feel truly complete. Electronic music festivals are often seen as more of an outward, external experience - music so loud you can feel the bass through your body, flashing lights and laser shows, people everywhere partying and wanting to connect.

It's a highly stimulating environment to be in.

On the other hand, meditative practices are entirely inward - we associate them with quietness, silence, peace and a lack of external stimuli to distract from the inward experience. I have found they can both lead to a similar place - self-discovery, identifying and clearing inner blockages, interfacing with our shadow and light, and coming to new understandings about ourselves.

What role do you think music can play in helping people slow down, reconnect with themselves or experience something beyond everyday life?

I think using music as an intentional experience is the key to how it can help people slow down, reconnect with themselves and elevate their experience of everyday life.

Rather than playing music in the background while doing anything and everything, take some time to intentionally choose a playlist or meaningful album and just listen to it — it is a totally different experience.

This activity can take different forms. It might mean enjoying the music with friends and yummy food and drinks. It might look like taking a speaker to your favourite spot outside and exploring how the music encourages your body to move in different ways. It may be an entirely meditative practice, where you lie down or sit with the music playing and let your mind wander.

When you're creating music for a guided experience, how does your approach differ from making music for a dancefloor?

When I'm facilitating a guided experience, my approach with music is to be as minimal as possible. I want the focus to be on each person's personal journey. The music should act as the canvas or the backdrop here, providing subtle movement and direction to the experience and assisting people in traversing their inner workings.

The person and their mind is the vehicle, and the music is the road they're travelling on — it should be as smooth and unnoticed as possible.

On the other hand, creating transformative dancefloor experiences is all about creating a dynamic, expressive and engaging journey. I want to make people move, the energy needs to be infectious, and I will often have a core experience or emotion that I am pouring into the music to make it memorable. In this way, creating a good dancefloor is all about leaving an imprint on people's minds - they will have their own unique experience of the moment, but there will also be an inexplicable aspect of it that is influenced by my energy as well.

What's Next

You've got a Yoga Nidra experience coming up in November featuring your original music. What inspired this particular event, and what can people expect?

Yes, I am very excited to be hosting the second Journey Within: Immersive Yoga Nidra Experience with my good friend Nina Thallon on Sunday 8 November, at Unplugged Yoga in Ashgrove.

This will actually be the first time I'll be contributing an original piece of music to the event as well, a 30-minute ambient composition which I've produced as an accompaniment to Nina's beautiful guidance. The event was inspired by meeting Nina at her Conscious Connections event earlier in the year.

I felt there was a potential for us to create something unique together, and after the event we discussed the possibility of working together and what that might look like.

We came up with the idea through exploring how her experience as a meditation guide and my experience as a DJ could intersect.

We share a vision of creating experiences that bring ancient practices into a modern context and to share the deep benefits of being conscious and intentional with our wider community.

To make the event totally immersive and focused on an inward journey, we use wireless headsets to transmit the music and guidance directly to everyone's ears.

What are you most curious about exploring next through your music and experiences?

At the moment, I am feeling the call to host more dance events, as I have recently had some fantastic experiences of healing and growth through dance and letting my body be moved by music. The kinds of spaces which focus on integrating intentionality and ritual with high-energy dance-party vibes!

Along these lines, Nina and I will be hosting a guided dance journey at the end of November called Ascension: Sacred Blue Lotus Dance Journey.

The idea behind this event is to create a musical journey through each chakra or energy centre of the body, from the root chakra to the crown and beyond, with a Blue Lotus ceremony in the middle to add an extra layer of ritual and intention to the experience.

I will be live mixing the music and Nina will be guiding dancers, offering different ways to move the body according to the different chakras we are activating throughout the journey.

I'll also be facilitating a silent disco at a community gathering in Springbrook called OHM Gathering in November as well. This will be a really special community-focused weekend, where everyone is encouraged to contribute through sharing skills, food, talents or time.

Finally, I also have plans to begin hosting a monthly Full Moon Silent Disco beginning in January next year after experiencing a Full Moon Silent Disco in Magnetic Island, hosted by a somatic dance instructor and DJ by the name of Tegan Andrea. I have been inspired to bring this kind of an event to Brisbane as I feel the community here would really benefit from this kind of an event — stay tuned for that one!

Experience Journey Within

On Sunday 8 November 2026, Matt Powell joins meditation guide Nina Thallon for Journey Within: Immersive Yoga Nidra Experience at Unplugged Yoga in Ashgrove, Brisbane.

The experience brings together Nina's guided Yoga Nidra practice and Matt's original 30-minute ambient composition, delivered through wireless headsets to create an immersive environment for rest and inward exploration.

You can secure your spot here: https://unpluggedyoga.punchpass.com/classes/20543884