A brand new project out of the UK, maXIon is quickly gaining the attention of many in the scene. Having just debuted on NĀTIV and with lots more in the pipeline for the year ahead, we’re excited to see how the maXIon project develops. To mark the release of ‘Zephyrus’ on NĀTIV (with ‘Callistio’ set to follow later this month), we spoke to maXIon to find out more about the project and what’s to come, enjoy!
Hello maXIon, great to speak with you today! How are you doing and whereabouts are you chatting to us from right now?
Hello and thanks for taking the time to interview me. I am chatting to you from my home City of Derry/Londonderry (to be politically correct) Northern Ireland.
A brand new project! Can you tell us a little bit maXIon and what we can expect from the project?
maXIon came about quite unexpectedly. I suppose it could be said it was a response to societal impacts and where I was at personally and professionally. I had downed tools for a few years and had all but given up on a career in music, but the Pandemic and the lockdowns made me curious to step back into the studio, be creative and eventually fall in love with electronic music again. At the beginning there were little to no expectations, it was just about finding my feet again, experimenting and enjoying a more relaxed organic process. Thankfully everything began to click after a while and make sense. I deliberately focused on creating a specific sound, I wanted it all to be relative. I received really good feedback on early demos from peers and this was the catalyst to the realisation of maXIon.
maXIon gives all the work an identity and purpose. With maXIon you can expect more new music, remixes, albums, live performances and future collaborations.
We’re here to chat about your debut release, titled Callisto / Zephyrus on the UK label NĀTIV. It’s great we must say, congrats! What was your inspiration behind this release?
Yes indeed and many thanks, always love hearing that people like the music I create. Callisto / Zephyrus are pivotal explorations of where I intend to be musically as an artist. Each track offers an individual melody-guided journey and is specifically arranged to push the listener’s emotional boundaries. They undoubtedly are focused on capturing timeless memorable moments. Callisto is steeped in individualism and escapism, whereas Zephyrus projects euphoria, liberation and freedom. In many ways Callisto and Zephyrus reflect my personal adaptation to recent circumstances and as much as they differ, they remain in cohesion.
We have heard that you were confronted with many barriers musically leading up to the formation of maXIon. Can you give us an example of these barriers and how did you overcome them?
The main barrier was the lack of motivation or want to create. I had become disillusioned with the music industry and had lost interest in being creative and no longer believed I held any artistic value. Streaming services had devalued artists and eventually I was thinking ‘What is the point’?. The closure of the entertainment industry due to the pandemic also left a bitter taste with all artists, colleagues and peers, many of whom had to find another way to secure an income and have since turned their back in the industry. But… As I previously mentioned, I became curious again. I think in total it was nearly 3 years before I ventured back and turned on any equipment to create music. Thankfully I did and found the energy I had been lacking, it was like a new lease of life.
What is your creative process like when in the studio?
Time is the key element. You have to allow time and not rush or force anything. I mainly use Ableton as the main DAW with propellerhead Reason and primarily plugins such as U-he Diva, Synapse Audio Dune 2 & 3. Additionally I have access to a number of studios with numerous synths, drum machines and outboard gear but all musical ideas start by working ‘within the box’ and creating loops before expanding arrangements into fully fledged tracks.
Have you any favourite bits of equipment?
My Mac Pro. It is a beast and central to everything I do. I also have an Allen and Heath Xone DB4, it is a beautiful Dj mixer.
Thanks again for chatting with us! We look forward to hearing what’s next. To finish things off, is there anything else lined up that you would like to share with us?
Thank you for the interview and hopefully you like what comes next as there is plenty to share…..ahem…I have recently completed a full album LP and I am very excited to announce securing a deal with Bristol based record Label ‘Shall Not Fade’. All is set for release on vinyl later in 2022. Further to this, I was provided an amazing opportunity to contribute to The KVB’s ‘Unity’ album remix package and have remixed their song ‘Ideal Living’. Trentmoller has also contributed a remix and again all will be released later in 2022. The KVB are an amazing electronic band from the UK. You can check their music here – https://www.thekvb.co.uk/. I am currently devising how my Live Performance looks aesthetically, this will always be a work in progress.
