Roots, Shoots, Scores
Beatmag Interview – Max Sedgley
Max Sedgley tells Andrew Laughlin that, food poisoning aside, he’s as happy as his most successful song claims
“I basically spent the weekend hunched over the toilet!” explains Max Sedgley, “But I’m all better now!”
Is this another tale of dance music debauchery? Has the musical prodigy and father to the dance classic ‘Happy’ really descended into the depths of the hedonistic funnel?
“I was in Dubai last week doing a gig and I must have had something dodgy on the plane!” Max illuminates, “Saturday was horrific. I think it might have been that dubious chicken sandwich I had on the way back.”
All recovered now on a rainy British Monday, Sedgley evaluates the relative merits of playing his music in a place famous for building a palm tree in the ocean to house footballers’ holiday homes;
“It’s a mad place, really. It was 40 degrees and there’s a really strange mix of people,” laughs Max, “Its kinda weird because the only place they sell alcohol is in the hotels so all the clubs are in there. I was playing in this Cuban bar, but I have never played in a hotel before and I have nothing to do with Cuban music. It was very odd, but still a pretty good night.”
Does this rank as the No.1 oddest gig he’s ever played or is there somewhere more bizarre than a millionaire’s wet dream in the desert?
“Well, I’ve played in a few strange places in my time,” Max chuckles, “I did a wedding once in an old church where they actually had the reception inside the church. The acoustics were terrible for DJing.”
Beatmag caught up with the young Mr. Sedgley on the eve of his debut album launch, which follows up the 25,000 selling ‘Happy’, a song that epitomizes the sharp, electro funk, that’s become Sedgley‘s production signature. Fit to make girls and boys dance, it also has the depth to tickle their brain cells too.
“I’m pretty nervous about the album launch,” admits Max, “It’s a bit strange because when ‘Happy’ came out a couple of years ago, it did really well and everyone was on top of it really quickly. The pressure has built as everyone’s been waiting for the album to come out. Now I’m just biting my nails to see how it goes down.”
‘Happy’ received a major boost when ITV chose it as the theme for their Euro 2004 football coverage;
“I literally got a phone call out of the blue and was told that ‘Happy’ was the tune they wanted to go with. Spiritual Sounds, who’d remixed it for Sunday Best, had apparently taken a load of their stuff into ITV including the remixes. Then ITV had picked it out of a hat.”
Unfortunately, the hugely funky number didn’t have the desired effect on England’s overpaid mega-stars but what effect did such exposure have on Max?
“Initially, I was ecstatic because I’d been working for years trying to get to that stage. Then people started saying ‘oh he’ll never follow that,’ so the pressure was on!”
The debut album is titled ‘From the Roots to the Shoots’, a name which sums up the two sides of Max Sedgley. The old school, classical and analogue influences fit comfortably alongside his more modern exposure to all things contemporary dance music.
“The analogue thing is really where I came from,” he explains, “I started learning instruments at a young age and really enjoyed live music but then got into the whole club scene. After a while, I thought that there must be a way to combine the two”
Combined them indeed he has. The album streaks through funk, electro, trip hop, soul and disco with effortless ease. Max plays it safe when prodded as to which is his favourite track.
“Well, ‘Happy’ has got to be up there because it’s the first one and it really encapsulates what I love”, he enthuses, “But there are lots of different styles so if I had to pick out maybe three or four then I’d say ‘Happy’, ‘Set It Free’, ‘De Ja Vu’ and ‘Celebrity’.”
‘Celebrity’ is a taut electro stomper and surefire club smash containing the effects-laden chant, “We might as well all be a celebrity,” so is celebrity culture a bee in the Sedgley bonnet?
“There are just so many TV channels now”, Max states plainly, “TV producers have so many hours to fill that as soon as someone gets on TV, they just become famous for being famous. To my mind, that’s not a valid case for being a celebrity, so I was just saying that we might as well all be celebrities if this is the standard available.”
Is he sure there are no personal experiences fuelling this song? Has he possibly been cornered by Jodie Marsh and doesn’t want to admit it?
“Not really!” says Max, “I’m just not one for bullshitting. I’ve got an in-built bullshit detector. These people do outrageous things just to get attention. It doesn’t involve talent anymore, its all about being sensationalist.”
Sunday Best and label head Rob Da Bank has played a major part in developing Max’s career, particularly regarding the potential of ‘Happy’.
“’Happy’ was released initially on an Italian label in 2003 but with only about 1,000 copies pressed over here,” recalls Max, “Then Rob just came along and said he loved the track and that he wanted to really push it on a major scale.”
Despite its success the creative process is quite random for Max, however.
“Often I’m sitting on my chair and twiddling my thumbs waiting for inspiration to arrive,” he ventures, “The noise of windscreen wipers inspired me the other day! Car horns as well and train tracks are a real one. If there’s a steady beat or some funny cross rhythm, then my ears will definitely latch onto it. I’ve always been surrounded by music from the minute I was born really. When I was a toddler I got bought this mini drum kit and thrashed around on that till I put my foot through it. Then I learned the violin and absolutely hated it. After a bit of a fuss, my parents switched me to the piano.”
Sedgley is also happy behind the decks, blending styles as easily as he forms tunes of his own.
“When I was thirteen or fourteen hip hop really started coming out,” he remembers, “They were sampling all the old funk tunes, which I’d been hearing at home for the previous ten years. I was really getting as much hip hop, funk and soul as I could. Then later came the dance music. That has really formed my love of so many musical styles.”
With the album about to drop in mid-June, what’s on the horizon in the world of Sedgley?
“Touring with the live band is the number one priority,” he declares, “Although, I’ve also started writing tracks for the next album ‘cos I don’t want people to have to wait another two years for the next release.”
‘From the Roots to the Shoots’ is likely to appeal to a whole range of people and the Max Sedgley live experience is coming to a town or city near you soon, finishing the summer with the Bestival on the Isle of Wight. Just, please, no one give him a chicken sandwich…
‘From The Shoots To The Roots’ is out June 19th on Sunday Best.
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