Boasting a impressive stream of dynamic, forward-thinking records from label partners Idoru and Sian (amongst others) since its inception back in 2019, burgeoning Indie Dance imprint Manta Recordings now looks to continue its prolific run of first-rate label output with the announcement of its latest EP release, this time from hotly-tipped British Synthwave duo, Maximum Love. Warmly welcoming the budding fraternal outfit for their eagerly anticipated label debut, Maximum Love join Manta this October with their blistering New Wave cut, Sometimes.
Over 25 million streams to the good since emerging onto the scene with their critically acclaimed debut EP Midnight Astronaut back in 2014, brothers Jordi and Taylor now pull out all the stops with this latest retro cut, combining classic 80s influences and evocative, melancholic vocal lines with their unmistakably hazy retrospective soundscapes to masterful effect.
Can you tell us a little about your experience? Where are you from / how did you get into music? Was it all internet based?
Hey, thanks for having us. We got into music the same way that so many others did, just by having fun messing around with synthesisers as kids. Making joke songs and just having a good time. Quite a few years later, we started making music more seriously. From the beginning it was all internet based, until around 2017. The renaissance of vinyl records has been great for independent artists all over the world, including us. It’s great to be able to offer fans something physical in a time where basically everything is going digital.
Who have been your main inspirations (both musical and in «life»)? And how have they affected your sound?
We are inspired by so many things. We grew up listening to a lot of different genres like, Rock, Disco, Electro, French House, Rap Metal etc. Pretty much anything as long as it sounds good. Albums like Daft Punk’s Discovery, MGMT’s Oracular Spectacular, are influential to so many artists, including us.
How would you define your sound?
I think it’s hard for us to define our sound, because of the sheer amount of things and people we are inspired by. An easy answer would be to just say it’s just «Maximum Love» haha. Perhaps this is a good question for fans of the music to decide!
How has your sound evolved so far?
Our work has kind of always been about trying to stay true to ourselves and the visions we had since we started making music as Maximum Love. Of course, as time goes on, everyone evolves mentally and the reflection of that in the music is probably unavoidable. We always want to make good, interesting music that people can enjoy. To achieve that is probably the most important thing.
What can you tell us about your last job? What inspired you? What do you want to convey?
In our new track «Sometimes», we tried to capture a feeling of dreaminess. The song is stylistically a kind of retrospection looking backwards at the vibes and elements of our older work and kind of bringing it forward with a twist.
What can you tell us about each song that makes up your latest work? What is hidden behind?
Sometimes is a song that was written right at the start of the pandemic, just after the release of our second album Jupiter. So, it was definitely a tough period of time. Writing that song was kind of like escapism haha, because everything felt a bit messed up at the time. Track number two on the release is a remix of «Sometimes» by Latroit, we were super excited to have him remix our work. He has achieved so much in the scene, being a Grammy winning producer, he’s worked with the best. So it’s a real honour to have him!
How are you living the current situation because of COVID? Has your work affected you a lot? Do you think there is hope? I feel like the underground scene will continue to persist.
It has definitely been a tough time for everybody, us included. COVID has changed the way people think for sure, but for some people, to be able to enjoy the nightlife, music at a gig or club etc. It’s a huge part of their lives, and it probably can’t be contained forever with restrictions. Hopefully over the next year or so, we’ll be able to see things back to normal worldwide.
What projects are you working on right now?
Right now, we are working hard on trying to get our third album closer to the finish line. We hope to be able to get it out sometime mid-2022. We definitely want to get some more singles out before then though. We have some good songs in the works and we’re excited to get them out!
Maximum Love – Sometimes (including Remix from Latroit) is out now via Manta Recordings.
