We got in touch with our fellow citizen of the city of Antwerp (Belgium) to talk about Maxi Meraki the artist, his inspirations and his recent 2 releases.
Growing up with music and starting to play records at some local venues in Belgium and The Netherlands, Maxi Meraki is known for his funky (minimal) house. With a highlight in the summer of 2018 when he played a 4 hour set at the Pacha Destino resort in Ibiza, he could also be found on local stages and in Amsterdam and Barcelona. 2019 was more of this with a filled summer schedule.
2020 started off with his release ‘Always There’ and more is to come with ‘Eastern Visions’ and ‘Love story. On top, you will find Maxi Meraki playing 2 radio shows on Data Transmission.
Let’s chat.
Connect with Maxi Meraki on Soundcloud | Facebook | Instagram | Spotify | Maximeraki.com
Where are you from and what do you find inspirational about where you’re living?
Hi thank you for your time and the interview! I’m from Antwerp, Belgium. My inspiration depends on the mood I’m in. Sometimes I can be super creative at night time or thinking back of crazy memories and parties we had last summer.
How are you holding up in these crazy times? And how do you stay positive when you can’t play at events?
Not being able to play is something I miss for sure! It’s also being in the moment and the music, also seeing the people on the dance floor is what I miss. Luckily I’m a positive vibes person who always tends to laugh. So for example when I went for groceries, i’m testing new recipes and flavors, for sure afterwards you’ll find me in a happy mood with food at the dining table!
For fans who don’t know much about you, could you tell us a bit about your music background? How did you fall down the music rabbit hole?
As a kid I was always a big fan of the Miami Vice series. They were always playing timeless disco classics. With these vibrant and colorful scenes. I started having interests in the music scene. Looking for documentaries and movies about how these different genres and styles were born!
When did you start DJing/producing – and what or who were your early passions and influences?
Starting to have more interest in the Dj’ing part when I began organizing my own nightlife events. My influences till today are Nic Fanciulli, Jamie Jones and Solomun.
How would you describe your sound and style?
Think of connections between raw disco beats and melodic, minimal house. A real symbiosis between the old school sound and new melodic beats.
What’s your creative process when writing music? Do you have an idea in mind or do you somehow experiment and see what’s coming?
When I’m in the studio I always tend to have this feeling of which kind of genre or record I want to produce. For the ‘Love Story’ EP I was thinking back of these old-school 80’s nu disco sounds, in a more modern uptempo house jacket!
You’re “Eastern Visions” EP on 72 Pixels is out now whereas the “Love Story” EP will follow on True Romance Records. Want to talk us through? What’s the difference between both? And maybe how these came together?
As I was being focused on the more melodic house scene, I later made a transformation. With the likes and some support of some well-known names in the house scene on my first EP ‘Always There’ and the now just released ‘Eastern Visions’ EP, I was already bringing connections between these deep melodic beats and disco in my sets (e.g. 2 radioshows every month at Data Transmission).
Later on, I got back in the studio and produced a more grooving 80’s Nudisco sound. Signing this latest EP called ‘Love Story’ at the True Romance Records’ label of German Dj Tensnake.
Give us an insight into what we can expect from Maxi Meraki over the next few months after these releases?
Already working on some new tracks and music, really having a lot of fresh ideas I want to put in tracks! Also working on an amazing remix, but can’t tell you much about it yet!
What’s your favourite place in Antwerp?
During these Corona times hanging out with my ‘bubble’ and watching the beautiful sunsets at ‘De Kaaien’ near the river, with some drinks.
Thank you.
