Max Vangeli and AN21 at Electric Zoo 2011: the photos, the interview, the experience
It’s not every day we get to see Max and AN21 take to the stage, even in light of their primetime touring schedule. At this year’s Electric Zoo Festival in New York, they did exactly that. DA asked Max a few questions as well – check it all out only on Dancing Astronaut.
The highlights: The guys certainly did what they’re known for, offering a solid mid-afternoon set with all the tunes we’ve come to know and love, and then some. They started their set with the techy Riva Starr mix of their Steve Angello & AN21’s hit “Valodja”.
Steve Angello & AN21 – Valodja (Riva Starr Remix)
Speaking of Steve Angello, they quickly switched gears into Mescal Kid’s “I Need You” – a tribal-tinged jam we’ve been fiending for for a while now. If you haven’t heard this track yet, check out what you’ve been missing. Just remember your helmet.
Mescal Kid – I Need You (Original Mix) [Preview]
Other memorable moments included the fabulously on-point East & Young mashup of “Fix You” vs. “Pressure” – there’s something about those Coldplay vocals that make it no wonder why Alesso would want to work with them.
Starkillers, Alex Kenji, Nadia Ali & Alesso ft. Coldplay – Fix You(r) Pressure (East & Young Mashup)
The rest: A minority of listeners lamented a prosaic tracklist.
The interview:
DA: Your album with AN21, titled “People of the Night” is slated for release soon. How far do you and AN21 go back? What happens when both of you sit down to compose a track together?
Max Vangeli: We have been working together about 2 years now, I think. Before it was all through the Internet, but now we travel together so much that we get to be in the same place. Hotel rooms, studios, airport lounges, you get the point!
DA: You did your first Reslive show a while back, and you recently did a second one. What’s it like for you to put on a virtual show? And how did the second time compare to the first?
MV: It was weird to be honest with you, but it gives a lot of fans a chance to come out from places they normally can’t see my shows live. The second one was 2-3 times bigger – we are growing it fast!
DA: Having had the chance to see yourself in your own mini-documentary, what thoughts come to mind? Would you have done anything differently?
MV: I never ever doubt my life choices, because if you start doubting things life will become a bit hard and unpleasant.
DA: With your newest tracks “Whisper” and “People of the Night” do you find yourself going in a different direction than, say, a track like “Swedish Beauty”?
MV: Hm, we never really had a formula to be honest with you, it’s always something new. It’s just the way you feel in the studio, sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t…but as long as it’s not all the same.
DA: Tons of festivals from coast to coast, you’ve played at many of them. What is the most DJ friendly festival? Why?
MV: One of my favorites is Creamfields because all my boys are there! It was an honor to do it for the first time last year, and this time we did it bigger!
DA: Who would you say is the top producer to look out for in the near future?
MV: I’d say Third Party, as well as our good friend Sebjak.
