Max Sinàl talks Ravage music and drops a Rhythm Section International Worship Mix
Max Sinàl, the artist who many of you may know as London based M.A.X., has been been a regular fixture on the London scene for a good few years now. His change of persona to Max Sinàl in 2023, however, has seen him hit a bit of a golden streak both for recognition and on the release front. Named as one of DJ Mag’s emerging artists in 2023 Max has also just launched regular Soul Quest club nights and with his label of the same name hosting the likes of Aroop Roy and 2fox whilst he is also developing a Soul Quest studio in East London. It’s safe to say that the future is very bright for Max.
To celebrate the release of his new single Ravage Music on To The Rock, Max stepped up the the Le Visiteur decks to record a Worship mix for us, picking one of his all time favourite labels Rhythm Section. It’s a quality showcase for both the label and Max’s skills.
Check it below and please give it a share over on Soundcloud if you love it as much as we do.
I spoke to Max about latest single Ravage Music, his career to date and his Worship mix.
Hi Max
It’s a pleasure to talk to you today.
For our readers who may not have come across your music before please can you tell us who is who is Max Sināl?
I’m a DJ/Producer from East London who is also the co-founder of Soul Quest Records. I started out as a house and garage DJ in 1998, then moved in to Grime from it’s conception in around 2001 and was heavily involved in pirate radio until about 2005. Since then, I’ve worked under a load of different alias’s including being one half of 2fox (which is still active) M.A.X, Sinàl (Kincaid & Sinàl) and Rotate 38 amongst others.
Having already been around the scene for the nearly 25 years you recently adopted the Max Sināl moniker. What was behind the name change and do you think adopting a new persona has allowed you to achieve in the last year?
I felt that I had come to the end of the road with M.A.X and was getting pigeon holed with sounds and events that weren’t representing where I was at artistically. It was a decision that I was back and forth about for a while before taking the plunge. It was a bit daunting as I knew my bookings may slow down initially while starting something new from scratch but it’s a decision that I stand behind 100%.
It was important to me to start with a fresh identity and I feel like it’s allowed me to be received by my industry peers and audience with no pre-judgement. So far in my first year as Max Sinàl I’ve released an ep, 2 singles and 2 remixes, had one of my tracks synced with the video game Fortnite and I was named as one of DJ Mags ‘Best emerging artists’.
You have just released the brilliant Ravage Music on To The Rock. Please can you tell us about the release?
It was just an idea I started playing around with. I posted a short clip of it from the studio after I had been working on it for a couple of hours. Mitch from the label saw it and messaged me straight away that he wanted it for To The Rock. I finished the original and the dub mix a few days later and they went straight to work on the release. I’ve got a strong long standing relationship with the label and I’m good friends with the lads who run it. I have played at a number of their parties including when they linked up with Nervous records at The Lion and Lamb a few years ago where I had the honour of warming up for NYC legend Timmy Regisford. It’s also the 3rd name I’ve released with them under. First Gold Mine as M.A.X, then the 2fox reprises of House Gospel Choir a few months ago and now Ravage Music.
You can grab the EP HERE
Who are your greatest influences as a producer?
Kai Alcé Ft Kemi – Feeding
Long time fan and avid collector of Kai’s records. This is one of my favourites. It’s just laid and and as cool as it gets. Love that bassline and all the chords and the vocals are just the cherry on top.
Osunlade – Pride
Osunlade was one of the producers who originally made me fall in love with soulful house around 2007. Pride perfectly represents his sound. Love the groove, the bassline, the vocals, all of it!
Bah Samba – Reach Inside (Restless Soul Peak Time Mix)
You can’t underestimate the significance of the late great Phil Asher’s influence on the UK House scene. Whether it was under his name or Restless Soul, or any of his other alias’s, his catalogue speaks for itself. This one brings back very fond memories and will continue to stand the test of time for years to come.
You are based in London, please tell us about the electronic scene in the city right now, how it has impacted on your own career, which artists from your local scene past and present have inspired and encouraged you and what parties that you love going to have helped your musical evolution?
The musical output from London is up there with the best in the world. Just as it is a melting pot of different cultures, the same goes for all of the different scenes and evolving genres. There’s something for everyone. There’s a few local hero’s especially, who are a bit older then me who I look up to and who’s feedback I really treasure. People like Charlie Dark MBE, Zaf (Love Vinyl) and Johnny Reckless (BBE).
In terms of parties, events like Mulletover, Cubicle, Fuse and Love Bullets helped seduce me in to the London house scene.
Please can you tell us about your studio. What is your production set up, what is your indispensible piece of equipment or plugin that you use for your sound and what is next on your studio shopping list
I use Ableton 11 and a Push 2 at the centre of everything. I don’t actually use a massive amount of hardware anymore. Mainly just a load of plugins. Synth wise, i’m really into Diva, Khords and all the Arturia synths.
Next up i’m getting a Push 3. Looking forward to exploring the new features and getting stuck in.
Please can you give us your three favourite studio tips for up-and-coming producers?
When mixing down, turn the volume of your reference speakers all the way down until they are just about audible. At that volume, it is easy to hear if anything is jumping out louder then it should be.
Dont get caught in the loop. Once you’ve got something nice going, just get to work arranging it and build your tune. In my early days of production i had hundreds of 8 bar loops that never got developed because i took too long and got lost in them.
Just be you. Don’t try to fit in to anyone else’s mould.
For your worship mix you chose the Label Rhythm Section International, how did the label influence you personally?
I’ve ben an obsessive collector of their records for a number of years. The consistency of their output and roster is very inspiring. I initially fell in love with the Al Dobson Jr album’s. Collections of very short, super groovy tracks with really cool vocal samples. I have really loved watching the label grow in to what it is today and hold them in the highest esteem.
What are some of the key tracks in the mix which have really resonated with you?
Mallard – Verte is just brilliant. It’s got everything. Soft melodic sections, lovely breaky bits and a beefy bassline that helps you roll through the journey of it.
Chaos In The Cbd – Observe which is taken off the classic Midnight In Peckham ep, fuses jazz and house perfectly. I’ve also included part 2 which throws an alternative spin on it.
Henry Wu – Croydon Depot – Originally released on his Good Morning Peckham ep, Kamaal nails this one. Sexy jazzy keys, tight live jazz breakbeat and his distinctive south London spoken word.
What is your all time favourite release from that label and why?
Probably Chaos In The Cbd – Midnight In Peckham. It’s just an all round classic and one of my favourite records in my collection.
What else can we expect from Max Sināl in 2024?
Up next I’ve got a single called Waiting and a dub mix coming up on my label Soul Quest, following that a an ep, a couple of singles and some remixes. We’re also starting regular Soul Quest events. Starting off at the BBE store on March 22nd for our first birthday party.
And finally, please can you give us 4 tips for a great day out in London in 2024. A place to buy records, a place to eat, a place to drink and a place to dance.
All these tips are in about a mile radius of each other in my home town of Hackney in East London. First grab yourself some records at Love Vinyl and BBE, then grab some dumplings and sake at My Neighbour The Dumpling in Clapton. After that grab some drinks at Bambii in London Fields before heading over to the intimate Lion and Lamb for an dance and to enjoy their finely tuned Martin Audio system. Enjoy!
For more info on Max Sinàl & To The Rock please check:
Max Sinàl Facebook
Max Sinàl Instagram
Max Sinàl Twitter/X
To The Rock Instagram
Love this? Check out more from To the Rock HERE.