What happens when you’re the electronic black sheep in a very classically artistic family? Easy. You invent Dixtro. Maximani, the Swedish self-proclaimed founder of the new genre created Dixtro by “mixing 12% Disco with 88% Complextro under twice of the atmospheric pressure”. We didn’t dare to ask exactly how he did it but what matters is this guy WILL make you dance.

One of Maximani’s most emblematic tracks is ‘Hello Mr. Record Label.’ His frustration with major labels arouse from his multiple attempts to attract their attention and the fact that some of them didn’t even bother to respond, even though the master of Dixtro’s definitely got something going. Fortunately, he received enough support and had enough creative energy, and righteous anger, to compose a whole album and release it to the public. We had a few words with the guy for your reading pleasure – meanwhile, listen to some Dixtro goodness. We promise the stuff is cray cray! 🙂

Let’s kick things off with ‘Hello Mr. Record Label’ :

Hi Maximani, tell us a bit about the birth of Dixtro.

Hi! Oh, lets see, I was a huge fan of complextro when I first started learning how to produce. As time went by I felt like there was something missing and I listened to a lot of french stuff, I began experimenting with old disco samples and then when the deadline for my first song ‘Drop This Beat’ started closing in, me and my friends made a joke about how I could be the self-proclaimed master of something. Then it just hit me, I felt like I really do have 12 % disco and 88% complextro ratio on most of my songs and I started calling the mix between the two ‘Dixtro‘.

What’s it like to do electronic music when your mom is a ballet dancer and your stepdad’s an opera singer?

My family have been pretty judgemental about electronic music. At first, I only showed my mom the parts of my songs that had real instruments or where I sang myself. You could say I was pretty secretive about my music making, I was still in school and my main instrument was singing so I felt kind of awkward realizing I’m enjoying making “this sh*t”. Implementing the funky vibe thing has been my savior in all of this. You could say I converted myself and everyone else around me to ‘get it’.

Listen to ‘Ultimate Bad Guy in Japanese Anime’ 😀

What’s your music about? Who do you write it for?

I write it for people to dance. For those who’ve had a rough thing going on and just decided to stop giving a damn and just do what comes naturally to them. For those crazy guys who just dance ugly but everyone loves them. To release resistance and get things going positive. Impact through emotions. My music is often full of spiritual samples or quotes and stuff like that. Just dig and you’ll find.

How did you develop that charming “because I said so” attitude? It obviously got you through the process of creating great music.

I haven’t thought about me even having an attitude like that but I guess it could have something to do with that
I like to provoke but I’m also a nice guy so it’s like ‘I know what to do with my own path, if you don’t like it then you’re just wasting your own by looking at mine’. Haha, I feel like I’m not even making sense right now.

Check out Maximani’s super catchy ‘Ugly Dance’:

Name three electronic artists we’ve probably never listened to but definitely should.

Middle Milk, a crazy dude who reminds me of a quirkier Mord Fustang. And that is a compliment by the way.

Tez Cadey, I will just let his music speak for itself.

Last but not least ILY, a super talented singer/artist I had the privilege to have my studio next to in Stockholm.
I’ve done a remix on her single Magic which I just love! Actually just got a text saying it got released today on Spotify haha. She has the disco part without the complextro you could say. Go check it out.

Who are your music heroes? Where else, besides music, do you get your inspiration?

I get a lot of inspiration from pop stars, like real really really good productions. So anything that Max Martin or Shellback has written I could just die for. I love Zalem Alfakir and Vincent Pontare’s songwriting. Pretty much behind every single Avicii song you can find.

Maximani hitting the decks 🙂

What’s next for you? Aside from taking over the world, I mean.

I’m releasing my next single ‘Let Me Be Your Superman’ February 29th. And then I have my sights on releasing a summer anthem in April or something. Give it a little time to grow and, hopefully, I can start DJing at clubs and festivals.

What do you think of Drooble?

I always think it’s great to empower the source of creation. Artists, songwriters, musicians need to come together to change things to our favor. Drooble does that.

Thank you Maximani and Good Luck!

Maximani from Stockholm, Sweden. Follow him at drooble.com/maximani