Not many people can say they've had an experience quite similar to Maxum. At eleven years old he was DJing local parties and getting into the Portugal club scene. How many people do you know who've been clubbing at eleven years old? Within the first week of releasing his EP, Aces, it reached the 14th spot on Beatport's 'top 100 progressive house' chart and was featured on Thomas Gold and Eddie Halliwell's radio shows.We had the chance to sit down with the young DJ so he could introduce himself, while premiering his new remix of Sgt Slick's "Everyday."Tell us a bit about yourself? Why electronic music?Maxum: Well, I'm 16, and I'm in my second last year of high school. I also just got my G2 drivers license! I have been musically trained in piano and guitar. I've been producing music for about four years now. What else? I also love surfing.Since DJing at age 11 for local events in Portugal, what are some changes you've seen in the club scene there and performing here in Toronto?The Portugal club scene and the Toronto club scene are very much alike. I don't find that there is much of a difference in terms of the parties and the mindset of the people. When it comes to the actual music, the North American EDM wave never hit there as hard as it did here in Toronto. I find that the Portuguese have more of a taste for the underground styles.Do you think there's more of a struggle to get your name out there with your current age?No, because the music will speak for itself. I like making very melodic and emotional music and I feel like people won't care about my age if the music is good.Thoughts on the Toronto electronic music scene?When it comes to music producers, Toronto has a lot of talent and it's inspiring to have all these guys be extremely open minded and accessible. Unfortunately not a lot of that talent gets to be showcased at events because most promoters are booking opening DJs solely on how many friends they can bring or how many tickets they can sell and not based on their music and ability to DJ.What are your future plans as of right now? Any major goals once you reach legal age of status?I have decided to develop a new sound while still maintaining my love for emotional melodies and I am also implementing a lot of my musical training into my new sound. There is a huge disconnect between "EDM" and some of the real sounds of house music. My age never really affected me and I don't see that changing. I think the most important thing that I've learned is that I have time on my side, I'm about ten years younger than the average touring DJ which gives me so much time to learn and perfect my music.Tell us about your new remix "Everyday."Since hearing this track for the first time in 2010, I was absolutely in love with the vocals. I was reminded about it a few weeks back and it gave me the idea to write an instrumental for it with an Ibiza vibe, just in time for the summer.
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