Pierre Marmignon A.K.A Max M is a French music producer who creates upbeat and feel-good electro music. Max M has just released his latest single Imaginary Problems featuring French dancer Albane (who is just 14 years old and signed to Universal as Albane & Leo). We caught up with Max M and Albane to discuss Imaginary Problems, the official music video, their collaboration and future plans…
Hey Pierre, thank you for making such superb music which brings a smile to so many people’s faces during times when people need some positivity. Has COVID-19 effected your music lifestyle and work much?
Max M: Thank you very much, Ben! COVID-19 has definitely affected the way I produce music as I was doing a lot of on-site sessions at my (home) studio and we had to switch to virtual sessions. It has been a little bit less efficient mainly during the sound design and mixing / mastering phases as I had to do a lot of exports and share them with my arranger vs live feedback. However, we’ve discovered that virtual sessions can sometimes be really helpful as they give us more flexibility. We’re now back to on-site sessions in the studio, wearing a mask and keeping social distancing but sometimes we’re using virtual sessions when it’s more convenient.
The current situation has also obviously delayed the Imaginary Problems music video scoring but the Elokami team has done a fantastic job to finalise the video within a really short period of time.
I’ve been lucky enough to listen to your new music so I know what big plans you have; it’s really exciting to see! Your latest release: Imaginary Problems, has an upbeat, summery, pop feel to it – what is the inspiration behind this track?
Max M: It is definitely really exciting! I can’t wait to share them with your readers!
When I’m starting a new track project, I’m using a codename for the track. The codename usually reflects the mood that will drive the whole track creation process. For Imaginary Problems, the codename was “Freedom”. I really wanted to make a track that’d help you forget about your problems and smile while you’re listening to it.
I can envisage this song gaining you some serious traction and winning you a lot of new fans, not only because of how brilliant it is, but also because of the collaboration with professional dancer Albane who features in the video. How did you decide to work together?
Max M: Wow thank you very much, Ben! Albane is definitely killing it in the video! The Elokami team was in charge of the video production and the casting. They presented Albane to me, who loved the sound, and I loved her performances so that’s how we first got connected!
Albane, I understand you are a professional dancer, signed to Universal as Albane & Léo. And just 14 years of age. How did you first get noticed and land the contract with Universal?
Albane: I started dancing at 5 years old. I’m really passionate! At 10 years old, I entered Sabrina Lonis’ school. Thanks to that school, I got noticed by a producer working at Universal Music. He invited us to an event called “L’Esprit de Noël” with different artists. And then he asked me and Leo if we wanted to sing! We said yes… That’s how it all started!
At such a young age do you have a clear idea of what you want to do when you grow older or are you taking things as they come?
Albane: May I say “both”? I know I want to be a dancer, a choreographer, a singer, a dance teacher… I definitely want to spend my life in the artistic world, whatever the path is! I’m open to every opportunity.
You’ve also got your own single release and your first and only video ‘Albane & Léo – Señorita (Clip Officiel)’ has amassed a huge 650k views in just 4 months. How do you manage to juggle your music work with your education at such a young age?
Albane: Me and Léo are in the same class: we are in a sports study programme class, but we take our own dance and singing class in different schools, near Paris. Thanks to the sports study programme, we have more time to exercise and practice dancing and singing, but we also have more time to do our homework. It’s tiring and really intense, but again I’m passionate!
What was it like working on the Imaginary Problems video? It looks super cool and fun!
Albane: Oh thank you so much!!! It was really, really fun! It’s been a true honour to create the movements for the clip. It was the first time! It’s amazing. To create the movements, I do two things: first, I get inspiration watching dance videos. And second, I put the music, I improvise movements and I keep the ones I love the most.
Pierre, I do find it fascinating that you are producing such top-class music so early on in your musical career. It’s like you’ve already carved your unique sound and it’s just a matter of unleashing your work to the world – are you excited about the future and what kind of reaction are you expecting from Imaginary Problems?
Max M: Thank you so much, Ben! I’m working really hard to get the best result I can on each of my tracks. Sometimes I can spend hours and hours just because I feel the sound is not right yet. I’m already amazed to see that my work has been recognised as sounding professional so fast.
About the future – you never know in the music industry. It’s hard to predict if any track will take off or not and really difficult for a newcomer to get some attention.
It then truly depends on how many people love it and share it as much as possible. I hope it’ll be the case for Imaginary Problems!
Whatever happens I love making music and will continue to do so!
I really find it admirable about what you have created and I do not mean just your music. Musically, you clearly give great attention to detail to all the subtle and intricate sounds, breaks and vocals. Your music is a true masterpiece, but your attention to detail is also clear to see when looking at other aspects of your brand such as your artwork and videos. Everything is so professionally finished. How important are the videos to you and do you get as much enjoyment out of making the videos, as you do producing the music itself?
Max M: I’ve always been an hard worker and a perfectionist in everything I do (which could sometimes be boring for the ones around me TBH). To me it is really important to have a professional image and the videos are as important as the music. However, I’m a music producer and not a video producer so I’m working with professionals like Elokami for the video part. I’m involved in all critical steps (story, casting, editing, final reviews and adjustments). It is really exciting to work on a story around your music! Imaginary Problems was my very first scored music video and when I saw the final version I really got overwhelmed with emotions.
What’s next for Max-M?
Max M: I’ve just finished a remix that should be released shortly and I’m currently working on my next single and finalising my first EP that should be released in September.
Download or stream Imaginary Problems ➡️➡️➡️ https://bit.ly/3elTdf1
Follow Max M:
https://www.instagram.com/MaxMElectro
https://facebook.com/MaxMElectro
https://www.twitter.com/MaxMElectro
https://www.max-m.com
Follow Albane:
https://www.instagram.com/albanedanse
https://vm.tiktok.com/J87kuwV
