Synths in the Shadows: Maximilian’s performance

Synths in the Shadows: Maximilian’s performance

‘My dream performance would be in a cave, with the audience around all four sides of me, with a rain machine…‘

-Who are your biggest musical influences?

Influences have changed a lot over the years, I suppose the most prominent influence is synthesisers and music of the late eighties, big string synths I love. Though, I also love film scores. Challengers, The Holdovers, Good Time and Blade Runner to name a few. John Maus and Molly Nilsson are on most of my daily playlists at the moment though.

-How did you first get into music?

I first got into music when I was around 12 years old, I used to do musical theatre, until I found myself skipping ballet lessons and bunking in the changing rooms, it was there I discovered bands like Arctic Monkeys and Arcade Fire. I immediately went to Denmark Street, started busking and writing my own music. From there I studied at music college, met my band and began writing songs myself. My taste has changed dramatically but I still find myself listening to The Suburbs once in a while.

-What is your proudest accomplishment as a musician?

My proudest achievement as a musician is just successfully releasing music for the past 10 years, looking back on it is incredibly humbling and to see its reached millions of ears is amazing, BlackWaters, my old band, was such an important moment in my life, touring and recording with Youth and Killing Joke, touring Europe with my best friends. To still be writing music, that’s my biggest achievement.

-What is your creative process when making music?

My creative process really differs, it’s a hard one, lyrics come to me usually at the hardest of times, and intend to write the mostly when I have little time to sit and record (full time job), from my subconscious, lyrics come to me all the time.

Melodically its a little different, I’m not one of those ‘I dreamt a melody’ writers, I’ve always wished I could dream up some big hit, but truthfully I’ll sit with my laptop or my guitar and tinker about, you know the drill.

-Do you prefer to work alone or collaboratively?

I prefer to have creative control but certainly love working with people, I recorded, wrote and lived with my band so it’s fair to say collaboration is in my blood. Working alone is new for me, and it’s difficult, but then the small achievements feel twice as good, it’s nice to prove to myself I’m capable of doing it alone, I have so much faith in my music. I love it, so I’m sure someone, somewhere, will also.

-How do you nurture your own creativity?

I suppose just trying to keep an awake mind, through song writing, seeing friends, watching films and listening to music, spending time in the outdoors and so many more things, just trying to channel how I’m feeling each day, intend not to focus on others work and stick to my lane and pat myself on the back once in a while.

-Can you tell us about the craziest way an idea for a song has occurred to you?

The craziest way a song has occurred, hmmm, there isn’t really any that are crazy. I guess melodies from stoned or drunk rambles with my friends, sometimes we’ll all be laughing singing gibberish and I’ll sneak off and jot down a lyric or a melody. Other than that, they’re all personal homages to something or other I’ve been through.

-Set the scene for your dream performance, location, weather, time of year, and etc

My dream performance would be in a cave, with the audience around all four sides of me, with a rain machine (I practice in the shower), huge colourful lights, silhouette shadow play, fog machines and huge reverbs and booming synths in the dark, somewhere secret.

-Last but not least, how many angry chickens do you think you could fight off?

I couldn’t fight off chickens, I used to own a few hens and a rooster, it would chase my mum around the garden when we’d go to collect the eggs the hens had laid, I’d stand there laughing as an angry rooster would be sprinting after my mum before school. I have a soft spot for chickens, yes, they’re on my dinner plate, but I don’t resort to violence, I’d sit down with them and show them my past care for their species.

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