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Name: Bond… James Bond
Age: TWEEENTY
Height: 6’ 1”
Weight: 155 lbs (70kg)
Average Heart rate (BPM): no idea
Heart rate when mixing (BPM): depends on bpm of the mix (my heart is my metronome, I know I’m a cheater:P)
Bedtimes: variable
All-time Favorite Breakbeat Choon: Hmmm... Lots of stuff, “Hybrid - If I Survive (2003 Remix)” is the first that came into my mind.
Interview
Ez mate, big ups for breaks efforts man! Your tracks are cool mate, hows it going in Russia for you man?
Andrew Maze: Hey Hey mate! Thanks for some nice feedback on my music. Everything is just great! This year is the first one for me in my pro musical pursuit. I’ve gotten to know lots of cool people and made friends with a couple of musicians from different countries. The whole thing started from the “Switchback” remix contest held by an American rock band Celldweller where I got into the finals and was the only Russian there. Then I was like – “Isn't it about the time I started writing my own stuff?” So, things began to take off and now I’m already thinking about producing my first album. I develop my music thing and keep everything in progress: I’ve signed a couple of tracks to Lost Language and that made me unspeakably glad. I’ve also finished my work on Nat Monday’s “Waiting” remix recently and I hope it’ll be released on Distinctive in the near future. The offer for this remix work fell out the sky cuz I listened to this track when I was only 13 years old (the original mix came out in 2001 if I’m not mistaken) and Distinctive is probably the best breaks label in my opinion and of course one of my favorites. Now I’m working on the remix for my Serbian mate ActiveOut. In addition I’m thinking about the next year that is not far off. I have some plans about live gigs and I’m negotiating with some guitarists and vocalists who can help me with that.
How can your personally describe your sound and what makes you do what you do?
Andrew Maze: Hmmm…my sound. I think my sound kicks ass ;). But to be serious it depends on what type of mood I’m in. I try to make my tracks unlike each other. Lots of people think that a producer should have his or her own style but I’m trying to experiment with every single track.
How did you first get into production man?
Andrew Maze: That’s a good question. As far as I remember, everything started when I was 13 years old. A good friend of mine showed me "dance ejay” program (I think everyone’s heard of it ;D) and it interested me so much that I gave up everything and was writing tracks for whole days and nights. I understood it was too simple for me then and asked my parents to buy me FL Studio (my first was Fruityloops 3 if I’m not wrong). I played music with my friends at every school disco apart from that. Time went by, I got me some equipment, studied and my knowledge improved. I was writing music for myself for quite a long time at first and I decided to take myself to another level after my success in Celldweller’s remix contest.
What type of artists are inspiring you lately?
Andrew Maze: Lately uh? I think it’s Kidda with his new album “Going Up” and Blue Stahli. This guy rocks. I also like Andy Hunter’s new album a lot and I’d like to mention some of my mates, like Duane Barry’s stuff (this guy’s gonna be huge, remember my words) and Audisey’s classical stuff.
How is breaks doing in your home town in Russia?
Andrew Maze: I live in Moscow and I think club culture is developed quite well here. But if you asked me what city is the heart of breaks in Russia I’d say St. Petersburg. There are lots of promo groups and organizations like IBWT that arrange cool parties. To cut a long story short – you should go to St. Petersburg.
So what track has been your personal favourite that was released so far and why?
Andrew Maze: I hate my stuff.
Are the russian girls hot over there or what mate? I think they are hot! What do you think of hot russian girls?
Andrew Maze: Hahaha yeeeah mate they’re really hot and sexy! Hehe, I like Russian girls and I bet you do too. I’ve been in some other countries, but Russian girls are the best. I bet you’re jealous cuz I’m here and you’re there :P
Did you learn any instruments? Your songs are pretty melodic.
Andrew Maze: To be honest I’m a self-taught person. But certainly I can play you something on a midi keyboard. I think that the fact that I’m self-taught is an advantage not a drawback as if I had studied in a musical school when I was a kid I’d have a different idea about the music, not the idea I have now. My mom graduated from musical school and my dad was a guitar player in a band so I’m not surprised about who I got this inclination from ;) You know music is just constantly playing in my head and I sometimes move it to another type of medium ;) It’s some times hard to fall asleep to tell the truth cuz my head’s master volume fader has stuck on 0db point long ago in my childhood so there is no chance to switch it to –inf db;)
Whats your favourite virtual synth right now?
Andrew Maze: I think Native Intstrument’s “Massive” (I love stuff from NI) and some synths from Rob Papen. Also I like Edirol’s synths.
Whats your favourite fx plugin right now?
Andrew Maze: I’ve been using a lot of stuff lately, but to name something special I think it would be “Antares Filter”. Generally I love to experiment with unusual combinations of ordinary effects. Sometimes you can be surprised by the sound of a synth that has vocoder on its fx channel. What I like about music is that it has no limits and you have a great field for your creative work.
How do you know MC Fresh One from? How did you make that song together, “Extreme Essence”?
Andrew Maze: Oh it’s simple. I met him when I started university. He is my groupmate. We just communicated at first and then we discovered that we both have a passion for Seth MacFarlane cartoons ;) and music in addition to all these stuff. He asked me to write an instrumental for him and that’s how “twentyFOseven” was born. Later I asked him to repay the debt hehe, and produced a breaks track where Fresh One could take part as an MC. That’s the way “Extreme Essence” was born. Btw Fresh One came up with the name for it himself. I’m working on my own stuff and on some instrumentals for him at the same time and he’s recording his first album. He often helps me with lyrics for my songs and as far as I know he collabs with lots of other musicians apart from me. I consider him a talented man and I think he’s got a big future. And he’s young as well as am I, so this is our advantage;)
You got any funny stories of you in Russia? What goes on there? Hmmm...
Andrew Maze: Hmmm… Once I drowned my cellphone in a women's room and you know… I was stone-cold sober! ;D Talking about Russia - funny bears walking down the streets, lovely army and all the stuff you already know about us.
What other types of music do you enjoy listening to?
Andrew Maze: Music is my best friend and my drug. So I listen to lots of different genres, bands and producers 24/7. I think that Hybrid will remain the best band for me forever. If we talk about my musical tastes I can tell you that I love breaks. Hehe any doubts about it? But I like Britpop, Soul and Electronica as well. I listen to rap sometimes cuz Fresh One got me hooked on it;)
How did you hook up with the Bass Reflections label? What labels are you working with right now ?
Andrew Maze: I just sent them a demo and it turned out that my track is not so shitty and well… BR signed it. Btw owner of BR - Chris is a really cool guy. He always answers my questions in time and promotes my stuff by all means. I’m glad to have such a label in my line-up. Apart from Bass Reflections I collab with Flextone, Breakbeat Paradise, Planet B.E.N and MRC record company who cooperates with Lost Language, Distinctive and lots of other labels. Anyway I’m always ready to collab and I don’t have an exclusive contract yet;) Hey BMG & Warner Bros! I’m ready to collab, do you hear me? ;D
List some of your favorite producers (past/present):
Andrew Maze: Hybrid, BT, Doves, Coldplay, Zero 7, Hisboyelroy, Kasabian, Frank Sinatra, Andy Hunter, Faithless, Pendulum, Seal, G.Love & Special Sauce, Fort Minor, Thomas Newman and Andrew MAze to name a few;)
What are you using to produce nowadays? What muisc sequencer?
Andrew Maze: I tried lots of sequencers but I prefer to use good old FL XXL Producer Edition. I also use Ableton Live sometimes as a sequencer. I think that most musical sequencers are alike and it doesn’t matter what you use. The only thing that matters is how you use them and how good you know them, what kinda sound you can get with your knowledge about a sequencer. You know tastes differ. As for me, I know FL Studio as one knows his ten fingers and can work in it with my eyes closed. But to be honest, I’m sometimes thinking of moving to Logic cuz of its platform reliability, particularly Mac and Mac OS X. And generally Apple rockz. Go and buy iphone if you don’t have it yet. God I hope Apple will pay me for this as they promised…
Any weed in your studio? Or are you straight clean?
Andrew Maze: I eat kids.
If you were stranded on an island and had a portable record player with enough batteries to play one last track…which track would you choose to listen to?
Andrew Maze: Lost on an island, uh? ;D Weeeeell, I think it would be “Joe Purdy – Wash Away”. But actually I’d preferred a piece of cake instead of listening to some shit.
Shout outs:
Andrew Maze: Big shouts to one of my best friends - Fresh One. Big shouts to my best English friend and just a good guy who produces awesome breaks tunes - Duane Barry. Shouts to Andy Nightmaar who made this photoset exclusively for this interview (btw this is his web profile http://nightmaar.deviantart.com).
Shouts to all labels owners and managers that I work with, especially to John Pitcher from MRC, to Chris from Bass Reflections, to Astra from Flextone, to BadBoe from BBP and to Rafael from Planet B.E.N.
Shout to you Somsay for making a great remix of my track! Shouts to all producers who remixed some of my stuff and shouts to producers whose stuff I’ve remixed. Shouts to all good producers I know. Shouts to ActiveOut, Hisboyelroy, Audisey and to Doc Trashz from Sicilia to name a few;D Shouts to my Russian mates Proton&Grateful.
Big shouts to my parents who support me in everything I do. And big shouts to all my friends and all my listeners.
And of course shouts to Chuck Norris! Aww yeah!
WWW Links:
Andrew Maze:
http://www.myspace.com/mazesound
http://www.mrc.ac
http://www.bassreflections.com
http://www.flextonerecordings.com
http://www.planet-ben.net
http://www.bbprecordings.com
Contact:
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