A lover of electronic music, starting from the most dated french house to the new waves of tech house & techno, Max Grillo navigates through dance music with sheer style. By extrapolating sounds, loops, and voices from every single track, Max finds his own groove in every set, weaving arresting soundscapes brimming with energy.
Fresh from his contribution to our EG SPOTLIGHT series, we caught up with Max Grillo to learn more about his origins, his views on electronic dance music, and more.
EG: Hi Massimiliano! Welcome to EG. It’s a pleasure to have you here with us. Where are you based right now?
Max Grillo: Hi guys, my pleasure. Right now I’m in Italy, in my beautiful city, Viareggio.
EG: Let’s dig into this…We’d like to get to know you in depth. How did you come across electronic dance music? Do you remember what it was that drew you in?
Max Grillo: More than “having come across”, I would say that it was a real musical journey, starting from the underground of the 90s, then house, and then arriving and stopping at tech-house and techno.
EG: And when did you decide to make your own mixes? What was the main motivation?
Max Grillo: You have to go back in time, and that is what pushed me to create my mixes, it was just the passion for music and the desire to share it.
EG: How would you define your sound by now?
Max Grillo: Today, more than ever, thanks to the tools that the market offers, you can get results that, well once, only in recording studios you could do … and, if I had to define my sound, regardless of the bpm, I imagine it as a galloping horse… constant… circular.
“You have to go back in time, and that is what pushed me to create my mixes, it was just the passion for music and the desire to share it”
EG: Do you tell stories through your mixes? Or do you view them more like “soundscapes”?
Max Grillo: Exactly, more like soundscapes…
EG: What would you say is the most important component of a well-crafted DJ mix?
Max Grillo: When I listen to a mix, I always try to pay attention to different parameters. On the other hand, I repeat I come from a school where vinyl mixes, in the 90s, lasted even 8 minutes, and sometimes even more… so I try to make my own, the evolution of the track, the groove, and the emotion that can transmit.
EG: How do keep entertained when not in the studio? Any good music, books, or series you’d recommend? Where do you go looking for inspiration?
Max Grillo: …Well, there are many ways to open your mind… but, mainly I use the “Daimoku”. The Buddhist mantra that I have been practicing for 20 years, from there my source of inspiration starts. Then, you know how “it is”, being a father of three beautiful children… time will take care of me (laughter).
EG: What are your thoughts on the current state of the scene? What would you like to see more and less of?
Max Grillo: As with all the things in the world, if we focus on music, on clubs, on the world of the night, there has been an evolution,… I believe, however, that there will be a strong desire to return to what was once almost considered “forbidden” and today, however, it is almost taken for granted.
“I believe, however, that there will be a strong desire to return to what was once almost considered “forbidden”…”
EG: What’s next for Max Grillo? What particular milestones are you looking forwards to now? Where can your fans catch you next?
Max Grillo: Having decided to play only tracks that do not go beyond 2017, as you can well hear in my DJ set, for sure it is “my will”, as well as pleasure, to continue to propose electronic music, in all its sides, regardless of bpm, continuing to transmit it as I like to play it; it’s my constant groove, or if I want to use the previous metaphor… A galloping horse…and as for the people who follow me, who support me, I promise we will see you soon… but I do not tend to look too far ahead, due to superstition.
EG: Thank you so much for your time, Max! We wish you all the best for the future.
Max Grillo: Thank you EG…It is an honor to be part of this great family.
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