Fresh, infectious jazz without boundaries or cardigans.

– GQ

(25th April 2025) Studio mastermind and gifted multi-instrumentalist, writer and arranger Matt Cooper, aka Outside, marks 30 years since the release of his celebrated seminal album ‘The Rough And The Smooth’, by releasing a new version of the album that has been beautifully remastered in Hi Res Audio by Miles Showell at Abbey Road from the original analogue masters onto Vinyl, on 27th June, the very day it was released 30 years ago in 1995 on Dorado Records.

“The Rough And The Smooth” was the highly anticipated 2nd album from Outside. Written, produced, mixed and engineered by a 22 year old Matt Cooper, who journeyed through dub, jungle, hip hop and latin rhythms and vibrant, modal jazz. Playing much of the instrumentation including keys and drums, Matt was joined by some of the scene’s finest players from Jhelisa, Cleveland Watkiss, Greg Osby, Imaani, Byron Wallen, Tony Remy and Gary Crosby. Upon release, ‘The Rough And The Smooth‘ received huge acclaim and was hailed as a masterpiece by the music press from GQ, MOJO, The Face and Mixmag and fans alike, taking Outside to another level. From the complex funk of ‘Journeyman‘ parts 1 and 2, to the Nu Yorican hit of ‘The 29/8 Steps‘, to the powerfully emotive violin led jungle of ‘To Forgive But Not Forget‘ and the epic jazz and beats fusion that is ‘Moodswing‘ featuring Cleveland Watkiss, the album was impossible to pigeonhole and influenced a generation of music heads and artists.

Matt Cooper has been a creative powerhouse from the time he founded Outside in 1993, to his recent stints as Musical Director of Jazz-Funk pioneers Incognito and collaborator on the STR4TA project with Incognito’s Bluey and Gilles Peterson as co-writer/producer/performer on four tracks from the album ‘STR4TASFEAR’, including acclaimed track ‘Lazy Days’ featuring Emma-Jean Thackray. Matt returned to recording again as Outside in 2023, when he releasing 6th studio album ‘Almost Out’, a work of slick downtempo beats and keys, Lo-Fi vibes and basslines and seamless touches of jazz instrumentation, flying solo, as he first did in 1993, while adding a dash of Philip Glass and Steve Reich minimalism. He is currently working on his seventh album.

Matt Cooper said “Being in the thick of the acid jazz movement as it began morphing into deeper electronica in London during the mid-90s was such a blessing. It created the perfect environment for The Rough And The Smooth album to come together. I was surrounded by an incredible wave of emerging artists, many of whom are now prolific, which made the process feel almost effortless. That energy and inspiration was everywhere around me. I’m really grateful to have the opportunity to re-master and re-release this album. It’s been described by peers and critics as timeless and a classic, and that recognition means a lot. It feels good to bring it back into the light for a new generation. I’d say this is my most complete single body of work. It’s not without its imperfections, and I’m slowly learning to embrace those, because perfection doesn’t really exist. But if I had to choose just one of my albums to stand the test of time, this would be the one.”

Cleveland Watkiss said “What a fantastic collaboration of amazing musicians at a time in the 90s where I feel there was a real pinnacle and important phase and development in our music and in our sound in this country. ‘The Rough And The Smooth’ album and the track I feature on ‘Moodswing’ features some of the most incredible musicians, writers and players from around the world. I’m really thrilled to be celebrating 30 years of this album with the release of a remastered version, what a milestone. Let’s go Dorado!”

Matt Cooper was a key figure in the music era that rebooted jazz with digital beats in 1990s London. Recorded under the name Outside, the 1993 debut album ‘Almost In’ stood out when it was released on Dorado. Mixmag pronounced second album ‘The Rough & the Smooth’ “the best record of the last two years”, Outside released three further albums: ‘Discoveries’ (1997), ‘Suspicious’ (1998) and ‘Out of the Dark’(2001). Cooper joined cult UK soul act Incognito as MD, and went onto work as MD and instrumentalist for legendary artists including Chaka Khan, Jocelyn Brown, Whitney Houston, David Sylvian, Paul Weller, Terry Callier, Leon Ware, Marlene Shaw and Freddie Hubbard.

“The Rough And The Smooth” has been remastered from the original analog master by award-winning engineer Miles Showell (The Beatles, Amy Winehouse, Abba, Portishead) at Abbey Road in High Res Audio and remixed by Jimmy Douglass (Aretha Franklin, Jay-Z, Timbaland, Missy Elliott) in Dolby Atmos.