Tech house with grit
maxfishrr is a DJ and producer from Chicago who plays house, tech house and techno, and who came to the decks by way of a drum kit and a guitar.
The night it clicked
Ask maxfishrr for his best night and he does not hesitate. It was his first Bassment Beats show at Everything Bar. In his words: "My tracklist was so well put together and the energy on the dance floor was so high."
That line says a lot about how he works. The pride is in the preparation. The set was built before he walked in, and the room answered it.
It was also the first time Chicago saw him play in public, and his people came out. In his words: "Bassment beats was my first show to the public in Chicago and I had so many friends/people show up for support and got to meet so many new people." He had the last slot that night: "They loved the set I played and it really ended the night off on a high note since I closed."
How it started
He was a musician long before he was a DJ. In his words: "I’ve been a musician since a kid playing guitar and drums." Electronic music came later: "I fell in love with electronic music after hearing Skrillex for the first time."
The move to the decks was personal. "I wanted to DJ after my friend started mixing house." A friend at the mixer, a kid who already knew rhythm from the drum stool, and house music as the common ground.
His kit fills in the rest of the picture. He grew up on hip hop and R&B, and he folds those roots into his production and his sets. The aim is house grooves with drive and soul, and sets built to keep a floor moving.
Right now
Most of his time goes into the studio. He puts it simply: "I am working on original releases and a future single with Redlined Records." Between the originals he plans to cut edits.
The Redlined single is the one to watch. He describes the blend himself: "My single coming out with Redlined is still in the works but it will be my gritty tech house sound combined with Redlined’s UK house."
The goal is clear and local before it is global. "I want to play at clubs in Chicago and tour in the future."
What is next
The next date is already on the calendar: he opens for Kromi at Out Cold Vol. 8 at Basecamp in Lisle, Illinois, on Friday, November 6.
He also knows which booths he is aiming for. In his words: "I would love to play for Odd Mob, Fisher, and Hills."
Listen
https://on.soundcloud.com/XjN9uUuXkxlmitMAbE
Book maxfishrr through his press kit.