Max Maxwell

Interview & Guest Mix

 

Max Maxwell is a musician and producer hailing from New Zealand, with a diverse background in music. From learning classical guitar as a teenager to producing electronic music today, he’s had an incredible journey. Inspired by his background in computer programming and his travels to places like Goa, India and Japan, Max Maxwell found his love for electronic music, particularly psytrance. Over the years, he’s experimented with a range of genres and styles, blending them together to create his own unique sound. Collaborations, performances at festivals, and a deep emotional connection to his music have all played a significant part in the producer I caught up with to discuss the new release on Paperecordings with and you can hear for yourself in his exclusive guest mix.

 

Can you tell us a little about your journey in music, from learning classical guitar as a teenager to producing electronic music today?

I first started learning classical guitar at about the age of 12. Continuing guitar lessons until I was about 16. I played around in bands at high school, but it never went anywhere, was more about hanging out with my mates at the time. I have always had a guitar around to jam on and do use it in my music a bit today even having a midi guitar.

 

Having also been a computer programmer in the nineties the advent of computer music was an instant go to for me. Initially I was into psy-trance after spending a season in Goa, I came back to NZ and created a band called Matipo Pyramid, with 2 mates Bluey and Col. We were one of the first electronic acts to play live in New Zealand at the original Entrain parties. Initially we had no computer and used the sequencer in an Ensonic ASR10, we then upgraded to an Atari ASR10 running Cubase for sequencing along with some outboard synths. Matipo Pyramid split up in the late 90s or there abouts, I was back working in the UK and the ability to create remotely wasn’t a thing back in those days.

 

In early 2000 myself Bluey and his partner Yvette set a label called Golden Bay records, we released 3 albums, Bluey -  Ocean Unknown, Max Maxwell – Continuous Play, Fear of a Quiet Planet – Various Artists.In the early 2000s I also started playing out with Carmel Courtney a well known Saxophonist , vocalist and all-round musical genius. We still play out these days occasionally but have only ever released one track – Seabreeze.

 

Having been based in Golden Bay primarily from the early 1990s to about 2006, myself and wife Galit and son Sol (who was 5 at the time) moved to Wellington , mainly so I could work and not have to commute. My music making drifted a lot until about 2018 when my friend Marcos Alonso got me back into it and I did a course with Mike Monday based in Australia, which changed my approach to making music. This changed my processes and since then I have released 3 albums and multiple singles and remixes.

 

How did your experience of travelling to the UK and discovering electronic music shape your musical style and direction?

It was more my experience in Goa India and Japan where I was performing as busker as a juggler that drew me into psytrance. The mathematical nature of psytrance made sense to me. After 4 months of busking in Japan and then 8 months in India, I couldn’t wait to get back to NZ and start making electronic music.

 

Can you describe your creative process when producing music, and how you go about blending different genres and sounds together?

I generally have 2 hats I wear …the creator and the editor, so I do what I refer to splurging where I am wearing my creator hat and just allow myself to go nuts and try out different ideas unbridled. I try and do a session like this most days and save an MP3 of it, I listen back to these and anything I like makes it way through to the next stage where I start editing and creating a more structured arrangement with tension release etc. I think I have over a thousand splurges saved from this, that have never gone past that stage.

 

I’ve never been attached to any particular genre, except Psytrance in the 90s lol. I make downbeat through too progressive house styles, but to be honest I struggle to know what genre I am creating most of the time. I do try and inject stories from my life into my music, taking experiences I have had and trying to reflect what music would represent the emotions these stories have for me. I am drawn to minor scales and music with emotion.

 

How would you describe your musical style?

Aha, lord knows…. People tell me my music has a unique sound, I’m not sure what that is but it must come through somehow. As I mentioned I’m not stuck in any particular genre, having made house, psytrance, downbeat ambient, drum and bass, funk, soul and many other styles over the years. I listen to all sorts of music including Country, Hip Hop, Rock, dance music …everything…. A good tune/song is a good tune/song.

 

How important is collaboration in your work, and how do you approach working with other musicians and producers?

Thes days collaborations tends to be remixes, I do get in the studio with Carmel Courtney from time to time and have spent a bit of time with other artists, but to be honest I prefer to work on my own mostly, it suits my workflow.

 

Your music has been described as "dynamic and uplifting; reflective and deep." Do you come to a track looking to find a specific feeling or does it just come?

I have this underlying core value which I try and inject into my music. Which is moving from loneliness and desperation to emotional compassion, sounds a bit corny I know but I reflect on that a lot. I like to have an element of emotion in my tunes that somehow gets resolved. Whether that comes though in my music I don’t know. There definitely are some tunes I have written which have had me in tears.

 

You've played at many festivals in New Zealand over the years. Do you have a particular performance or moment that stands out to you as a highlight of your career so far?

Lordy, there have been a few. My first live gig with Matipo Pyramid at a festival called Entrain in 1993 would have to be right up there. I opened for the Rainbow Serpent Festival in Melbourne in 2002 I think it was. I have played at the famous Dub Club in Vienna , in 2002 was suppose to be with Pitch Black but they broke down on the way so I ended up playing my music and theirs.

 

I played a gig in London at Cargo Night Club with Pitch Black, Freq Nasty and Kog Transmissions. I have played Splore Mainstage with Carmel Courtney a couple of times from memory. I also played The Kaikoura Roots Festival back in the day with Carmel, which was always a favourite of mine.  I have always enjoyed playing at Relish festival over the last few years, warm fuzzies there. The list goes on.

 

Do you feel being in New Zealand and Wellington especially, influences your music in any way?

New Zealand definitely has had a big influence on my music, especially Golden Bay, Wellington maybe, but mainly because it connected me with dear friend Marcos Alonso who really got me back into music. Paddy Free from Pitch Black has helped me out a lot in the last couple of years as well, his influence has had a big impact on my sound.

 

How did the release on Paperecordings come about?

Gene Kennedy (who I have known as a good friend since the nineties) reached out to me and said he had some mates at Paperecordings who were wanting to put an EP together and did I have anything suitable. I sent through “Always Right In” and the rest is history.

 

Can you walk us through your creative process for this release?

It was produced through my usual workflow, started as a splurge, I think the Moog subharmonic features in this from memory, I tend to use this a lot then pull it into melodyne and change the pitch to make it follow the chord progression I am working in , the Moog is limited by the internal sequencer in terms of being able to create chord progressions.  I also think this was one of the first times I had used the plugin called infiltrator in my music which creates a lot of the sweeps and slides in this tune (not sure if that even makes sense lol, but does to me)

 

Do any of the tracks from this release holds the most personal significance for you, and why?

I think all the tracks on the EP are outstanding, but I do love the remix Marcos has done for Always Right In, I have played it out a couple of times and it goes off.

Obviously, my own track I was pretty happy with as there is a back story to it which  is personal but to me and when I listen to it, it reflects this story for me.

 

It’s a great to see a group of Kiwi producers on this ‘Wild Army - Vol. 7’ release - can we expect more collabs from this group do you think?

I’d love to think so. Good bunch of chaps.

 

How has your music evolved over time, from your early days playing in live bands to your more recent collaborations with your son Sol?

Yea there are so many tools out here now and I also think my production skills have increased 10-fold. When I first started out it was all outboard gear which gave me a good grounding and understanding of synthesis and effects processing, which is primarily done virtually these days. I think it is important to use your strengths and remain true to yourself, I’ve tried to do this. My son Sol has collaborated on one tune with me from the album – Spirit Level (released on Sqeaky Wheels – Marcos;s label). He plays the drums on a tune called “Can U feel It”, he is actually a really good drummer learning for about 6 years, but now he is at Toi Whakari – NZ Drama school following his passion of Acting. So I have lost my drummer for now, but hopefully he’ll get back into it at some point.

 

What can we expect to see from Max Maxwell in the future? Any upcoming projects or collaborations that you're excited about?

I have an album ready to go with most of the tunes that will be on it featuring in the guest mix I have done for you. I want to release this on Vinyl as well. I also have been working on an animated video for this with one of friend of my sons which blows my mind. His name is Angus Slade and he is a multi-talented young chap at video creation, who can happen to sing and write great tunes as well. I have a collab with him called Somebody’s Son which is available on my Spotify profile.

 

And finally, you’re dropping a guest mix for us, what can people look forward to in that?

This guest mix is all my own original music which includes about 8 unreleased tunes, which are going to be coming out soon on an Album called – Badgernomics, along with the animated video I mentioned.  It includes the 2 tunes I have featured on the Wild Kiwi Army EP as well along with a couple of older favourite tunes of mine.

 

Where can people follow you?

 

Website