When we last spoke to UK producer Maxinne, she was gearing up to release her debut album, Red Alert on Mark Knight’s Toolroom label. It’s been a journey for the Southampton local, who In just a few short years, Maxinne has already established a reputation as a force to be reckoned with. Since then, she’s continued her trajectory toward tech house domination, touring Red Alert and expanding her repertoire with a release on Circus and a recently released remix for Poker Flat. We caught up with her on the other side of her tour to find out what she’s been up to, and what’s next for the ascending queen of dance music.
Hi, Maxinne! Welcome back to The Playground.
Hey, thank you for having me back!
How have you been since we last spoke? What’s been happening?
Since we last spoke I went on tour with my Red Alert album. It was amazing to play in the US for the first time. It’s been a huge goal of mine to play in The States. The crowd is great out there. I’ve been back quite a few times since then for CRSSD festival in San Diego, Treehouse Miami, New City Gas Montreal to name a few. I’ve also had my debut release on Circus recently too.
How did you feel about the reception to Red Alert?
I find once you release music, there’s a whole new journey and life with each track that starts once you share it with people. It becomes theirs to enjoy, which is such a good feeling. I’m really pleased with how well it’s been received. It got a lot of love from Spotify and Radio 1, and I’ve really enjoyed playing it live too.
What have you learnt from the experience of releasing your debut album?
I was planning to put the album out before Covid. But then we went into lockdown, and I decided to wait to release it when clubs re-opened as it’s a club-focused album. It was an extra 18 months wait, but what I learnt is that trusting the process is key. When I look back now, I’m so glad I waited and was able to go straight on tour with the album in the US. So if I was to make album number 2, I would do the same. Allow the process to come together in its own way.
Did you enjoy touring the album? What was one of the most memorable moments from that experience?
Meeting people and hearing that they’d travelled many hours to come and see me play, and seeing people singing the words from the album was quite surreal and something I’ll always remember. Every show was very special in its own way.
You debuted on Circus Recordings in July. How was your experience at the label?
I’ve been playing and listening to Circus releases for years now, so naturally I’m always drawn to that label when searching for new music. My collaboration with Shyam P was finished and I was playing it in clubs. Circus really felt like the perfect home for it, so I’m really happy Yousef signed it.
Could you tell us a bit about your new remix, We Are The Beat (Maxinne Remix), on Poker Flat?
I played at Lost Beach Club in Ecuador earlier in the year, and I met Steve Bug as we were playing the same nights that weekend. He’s such a great guy, we hung out and chatted a lot about music which was really cool. His sets blew me away. I was so happy when he asked me to do a remix for Poker Flat. With remixing I have to be drawn to something in the track instantly, be it the vocal, the synth, or bass sound. When I heard the original version of ‘We Are The Beat’ by Defex and Blondwearingblack, it felt right and I had ideas for it straight away. The initial concept of the remix came together in a few hours in the studio, starting with the melody of the bass, then working with the vocal in my style. And then I spent more time after that with all the details. The original is amazing, both tracks bring something different.
What’s on your current playlist?
I’ve been digging into some of my older playlists from 2014 – 2016 recently. There’s loads of music that still sounds just as fresh now. So you’ll hear new unreleased music from me in my sets, mixed with new releases on various labels I love, and also a few older bits too.
What’s next on the horizon for Maxinne?
I’ve just signed with Triple Threat Management which I’m really happy about. They’re a strong team and we’re working on some exciting plans for next year. In terms of releases, I’ve got an EP coming out with He.She.They and Nervous in early 2023. And I’m buzzing for my upcoming gigs! I’m playing some cool shows across Europe and the UK, then heading back to the US for a tour in October.
Listen to We Are The Beat (Maxinne Remix) below.
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