The new project from Maxim of The Prodigy – exclusive interview
Interview : Dan Prince
Maxim welcome to DMCWORLD, where in the world are you right now?
“Hi Dan, I’m in my studio in the UK right now!”
Big couple of weeks for you with the release of the new We Are Noize track ‘Dollar Flick’, talk us through the sound of the track…
“Well it’s the first release on We Are Noize by We Are Noize. Basically when I was in the US I went to a strip club and you know what happens in them clubs. Girls dancing and people flicking dollar bills at them…ha! I love it! But after that and getting back to my studio I had the idea of empowering the dancers/strippers so I came up with the idea Dollar Flick. I was telling the other guys my idea so we decided to build a track with that idea in our heads. It was such a laugh writing it, I brought in a friend of mine who is from LA (Audra Nishita) to do the vox. The version released is the edited version, the un-edited version has full verses that say for example…“I take Dollars I take Yen, you wanna see then boy you gotta spend” and so on. So that’s basically the meaning and the sound is bassy and loud so it can be played by DJs but it’s not clean house music, it contains a bit of dirty noise. That’s how I like it.”
The whole We Are Noize label and band was set up by yourself and some friends to put out tracks you like or write. What can you tell us about the other We Are Noize members?
“How it started was I called on some friends to write music with me so I could DJ original tracks out. It gradually developed into We Are Noize and we had so many tracks I thought well, we might as well release them and let everyone hear them so the sound will get harder – but I thought it would be good to start with something to bring the noize in gently. The other guys just like making music in the studio so they like to keep a low profile but I’m sure as time goes on they will come out the woodwork.”
Coachella just took off again in the States, a festival close to your heart. How did you find this year’s festival, the dance scene has exploded finally over there and even the celebrity magazines are full of A,B,C and Z listers partying there. Is it still cool?
“Yeah we played Coachella a while ago – we love that festival. The transition has moved on fast there as when we played back in the day we were probably the band that stood out at the time for playing dance music. But now it looks like more DJs than rock acts But it’s all good! I played at a few festivals in November, Hard Festival, Voodoo Festival…and I was amazed where dance music has gone over there. In some respects it’s a long time overdue but I would like to see it become more diverse like we do in Europe. I think the next step is you will get festivals with the cooler side of dance music coming up (like Hard Fest) and the commercial DJs who are just in it for the money and make shite music will be washed away with the pop until the next fad comes in and takes over. The real music lovers with find their feet and still keep pushing creative music…”
Loved something you said about the US scene a while back, that the Americans always want to make out they started things, it’s the same with the dance scene over there…they honestly think this is their baby! As you just said in your last answer, dance breaking over there is long overdue it really is everywhere…
“Look there is good music and then there’s ten tons of shit music. It’s just the commercial kids don’t know what’s what but the kids with style and edge are the ones that really know what’s going on. Yeah lets not get it twisted… the party /rave scene started in the UK and so many styles came from the UK due to the concentration of cultures mixing together. We was trying to bring the scene to the US for so many years but it got there in the end but in a different form. But I also think it’s the sign of the times, when people are low and times are hard like what the US have been going through with the current economical problems, people always want to go out and forget their problems and troubles so up pops the party scene and people grab it with both hands.”
What are the next plans for the We Are Noize label, who are you working with…?
“We just want to put music out on another level that excites us and that’s it. There are lots of tracks in the pipeline so it’s a case of which order to put them out. Also my MC Cianna Blaze (who mc’s for me when I DJ) will be working on her own material soon which will be hard as fuck so look out for that. And just for the record We Are Noize is not my new band. I have seen a couple articles saying it’s my new band – no –it’s just a collective as a side project. My main priority is The Prodigy and always will be but we all enjoy doing our own thing now and again and that’s the people we are.”
You readily admit that you just sort of “slipped into dance music” and had to try and fit into The Prodigy and learn the art of MCing. How long did it take you in your eyes to hype up a load of wrecked kids with a few words to becoming an actual performer?
“Well I went to all the parties back in the day but I was from an MCing background where I wrote full lyrics as I was MCing on reggae sound systems so when I got my first taste of MCing in the party scene everybody was off their heads and the last thing they where listening to was an MC talking full lyrics. That’s what made me realise it’s a hype thing getting people going and I adapted my style. To me it was easy because it was more about punch lines but on another level is more performance as now I have developed my own style.”
I interviewed you over a decade ago and you told me you are never able to switch off, even when you are lying in bed some melodies or lyrics spring to mind and you have to write them or down or record them. That still the case?
“Yes, I’m always thinking about how I can improve on music, my creativity, my art etc. always thinking! I can’t go on holiday for more than a week as I get bored after four days, I always need to create something.”
You decided to take your DJing skillz on the road after the whole backstage/dressing room sets developed into playing at the Prodigy after party at The Brixton Academy, where you enjoyed yourself so much you thought ‘why not’? Back then you were spinning hip hop right?
“Yeah and I still love hip hop!”
So why the flip to trap music which we saw you kicking it on your US tour late last year…?
“I love trap music, it’s like playing hip hop but I also like when a track you find excites you. When people just put out music they make without thinking about commercial success it brings out a different level of creativity to music. It was trap music that made me want to DJ in the clubs because I liked the weight of bass and beats and the fact you could switch up and play a dancehall style track in between, that’s my foundation so I felt I was in the right place.”
You had a very eclectic musical upbringing for a lad from Peterborough! A love of hip hop, reggae and even guitar bands. So we drop round your gaff on a lazy Sunday afternoon, what would be a Maxim Back To Mine Top 10 playlist…
“Dan, first of all I don’t really have lazy Sundays My neighbours probably hate me but who cares! I don’t have specific days for writing music, I write and listen to heavy music when I feel like it…
1) Too Much Too Young – The Specials
2) Ratchet Bitch – Brillz
3) Made You Look – Nas
4) Spitfire – The Prodigy
5) Watch Me Now – Ultramagnetic Mcs
6) Sweet and Dandy – Toots and The Maytals
7) The Dip – Valentino Khan
8) Wolf – Cianna Blaze (coming soon)
9) Gun Session – Vybz Cartel
10) Free Your Mind – Amnesty International
You are one of life’s too creative, if The Prodigy are not on the road or recording you go and do your own thing. Art is a huge love of yours, your debut exhibition took place in London in 2011, a stunning collection of large scale paintings that were displayed as part of a sensory experience of sight and sound. One critic commented on your work…”horror in art reflects our awareness of the increasing details of the violence around the world. The depiction of our fears on canvases, such as Maxim’s, can be an attractive and almost comforting resolution to that unease.” What were your thoughts and reflections on showing the world what in essence, is a very private thing?
“It was a big step for me but I was open to all comments on it as art is very personal and there is no wrong or right way to do art – it’s all the joy of creating. So people either like it or hate it and the people who like it see something in you that they can relate to and that’s it. But I love to paint as it’s a totally different way of expressing creativity and it’s very liberating as anything goes!”
True or false, you only started painting because you needed new art for your lounge!!?!
“Haha, true! I went out to buy some art and I wasn’t impressed with what I saw and I thought to myself I can do that myself and that’s where it began!”
And finally cannot leave an interview with Maxim without asking about The Prodigy’s plans for 2014. So what’s coming up, musically and festival wise…?
“Big things coming this year! We are doing a lot of festivals up to August throughout Europe and we will be playing new music so get ready for the new Prodigy album dropping soon.”
Thank you Maxim, see you in the fields this summer…
“Peace and respect. M”
For more information on We Are Noize see below:
https://www.facebook.com/wearenoize
https://twitter.com/wearenoize
https://soundcloud.com/wearenoize
