May 05, 2023
Max Vangeli Releases 'Wish You Were Here Volume One' Album
Today is a huge day for Max Vangeli as he's celebrating the release of his third studio album, 'Wish You Were Here Volume One.' Max joins us to discuss the album, his brand new label, life in the Dominican Republic, and all of the exciting things happening with the NoFace Academy!
Hey Max, thank you for joining us today to celebrate the release of your album Wish You Were Here Volume One. Could you tell us about the inspiration behind the album and how long you worked on the tracks?
Sure! This album feels like something that I've been working on for a lifetime. It's technically my third studio album, but it's different from the others because the whole approach was different. I'm a little different now, after all these years. The biggest inspiration for this album was my independence as an artist for the first time. I was in the driver's seat, picking the talent, the singers, and the music. I focused on working with people I love and not caring so much about the numbers. It's an album made with love.
Could you pick two tracks from the album and tell us the story behind them and how they came to life?
"Wish You Were Here," the lead single off of the album, was the beginning of the process. Michael Grald, one of my artists on the label out of New York, sent me an idea and I was instantly hooked. It was as if I knew exactly where to take the whole project. It's just this dark synth and these deep vocals that get you every time. It's so sexy and dark.
"Somebody Loves Me" is another special one because it sort of happened by accident and almost never made it onto the album. It was the final track added, and everyone loves it so much! I met Marshall Muze, the vocalist on the track, online during Covid days, and we just became such good friends. The final idea was so old that I had to use the only bounce I had off of my old hard drive! Imagine that’s the one that becomes a hit!
With this album, you're releasing it on the brand new Wish You Were Here Records, a sub-label of NoFace Records. What can we expect from the sub-label going forward, and how does it compare to NoFace Records?
Wish You Were Here is going to be me returning to my melodic roots and building up a roster to tour with. NoFace Records will always be my baby, but Wish You Were Here is now my brand. My album will sort of lead the direction, but we do have a few surprises along the way in terms of sound. Overall, I would say the only way to describe Wish You Were Here is classy melodic dance music with a bit of a techno feel, but still progressive!
We understand that Wish You Were Here will also be a show concept. What can you tell us about taking Wish You Were Here on tour?
Yes, we are launching our very first event on August 5th in the Dominican Republic, Cap Cana. It will be hosted at Turia, a beautiful church in the marina! The showcase will be our first installment, and we will be focusing a lot on the visuals. Nowadays, people want to see more than just us standing around and mixing; it needs to be a vibe, a setting, an unforgettable moment. The name speaks for itself, Wish You Were Here. It's sort of like FOMO – fear of missing out. Essentially, these showcases will always be in amazing locations with amazing people and artists.
How are things going with the NoFace Academy?
I just can’t stress enough how much I love our artists in the academy! We're in our third year now and it’s so exciting! We've had so many insane artists come out of the academy, like Navos, who is KILLING IT in the UK and already has a gold record, if you can believe it! Our artists are growing like crazy and we're always there to help.
Our academy is a bit different from others. We put our focus more on day-to-day development as well as feedback, and not so much on the basics. We try to teach real life to these kids and make them understand the music industry from the start. When I started my career, we had no support like this! So I wanted to create something that I wish I had, and now we're creating the next generation of superstars! I just love meeting new producers who help us elevate our community and rise to glory together! It’s a lot of fun, come join us!
How's life in the Dominican Republic? You've moved there for good, right?
Running a music label in Los Angeles nearly kicked my ass. It was just such a grind, and I was tired of the music game. I just packed my stuff and left, honestly. A lot of people don’t even realize the amount of stuff I had to go through. Once I was there, I finally found happiness again and started making music. In all honesty, I think the Caribbean saved my soul, and I just can’t believe some of my artist friends who think they are trapped and have no way out! There is always a way out. Sometimes you just need to say f*** it and change your life.
A couple of years ago, you led a Ted Talk. How was that experience, and what are some of the key takeaways from the talk?
I never imagined myself on a Ted Talk, and this is also part of just changing your surroundings. I was in the Dominican Republic already, working in some studio, and there was a guy visiting there. He sort of did not say much and listened to me and the other artist talking. And I guess I was giving some deep speech, and he was like…"You need to be on a Ted, I’ll set it up" and that was it! The best part is watching all of the headliners at the Ted prepare for months, and I just winged it because I had no idea what to talk about! It was an incredible feeling to ride with the audience and sort of let them direct you. I think all of the touring days really helped me read the audience well. Because to be completely honest with you, I never prepare my sets, Tomorrowland, EDC, none of them! I always come prepared and let the crowd dictate my journey!
How does the rest of the year look for you, and is there anything up ahead that you're particularly looking forward to?
Yes! We have the Summer Academy in August, and I can’t wait for all of my guys to fly out to Punta Cana so we can party! We do it every year, and all my top dogs come out! BadSanta, Michael Grald, TEE-VO, Torok, Markus Martínez, Adam Dietze, Dave Ruthwell, and who can forget our creative geniuses Akrit and his bro Z! And how can I forget my biggest inspiration of them ALL, Adlai! I mean, we literally have a crew now, and it's incredible! Honestly, all these years of hard work are finally paying off, and I am so damn happy to be INDEPENDENT!
Thank you 1001Tracklists – we at NoFace love you guys!
You can stream Max Vangeli's 'Wish You Were Here Volume One' album on Spotify today! https://open.spotify.com/album/5UwWNI8XKFoTcRT7BKRy5y
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