MAX MENAGED

REVEALING HIS CREATIVE UNIVERSE

By HQ

Photography: Sophia Leon @sophiia.leon // Lighting Assistant: Aastha Patel @_aastha.p

Max Menaged's journey from budding DJ to event planner extraordinaire is a testament to the power of passion and perseverance in the world of music and nightlife. But who is Max Menaged?

In his own words, he is a creative force that immerses himself in the world of DJing and event production, from intimate gatherings to large-scale parties in unconventional venues like graffiti tunnels.

Max’s foray into mixing and production began during his stay in Leeds, UK, in 2016, where he honed his skills in the vibrant underground music scene. His musical journey eventually led him to venture into other types of sounds. This later paved the way for the creation of MAX Presents.

MAX Presents came about organically, sparked by a transformative night at a London venue called Isabel. This pivotal moment marked the beginning of MAX Presents, a platform where music, people, and aesthetics converge to create unforgettable experiences.

From his beginnings in Isabel Mayfair to international parties in places like St. Tropez, Max’s journey is defined by resilience and commitment to authenticity.

As he continues to balance his DJ career with a growing interest in music production, Max remains rooted in his passion for creating memorable experiences for music lovers around the world.

Before diving into the musical aspect, we’d like to hear from your own voice, who is Max Menaged?

I’ll let you know when I have the answer... haha. In a sentence? I’m a creative who spends most of my time DJing or producing some sort of event, whether it’s an intimate invite-only party or a 1400-person show in a graffiti tunnel.

When did you start mixing and producing?

I learned to play properly when I was living in Leeds (UK) in 2016, something that not many of my friends even know about. I used to play a completely different genre from what I play now — Drum & Bass and other open-format stuff. I was playing at house parties. They’d go on for a couple of days or so, but I never made it past the afternoon. You wouldn’t believe the sound systems these parties had, it wasn’t a joke. I’m relatively new to production, in comparison. For now, I still prefer DJing, but I’m enjoying exploring music production.

Can you explain to us what MAX Presents is, when and why it emerged?

MAX Presents began organically a couple of years ago at a spot called Isabel. It  had this amazing interior with a crazy VOID sound system. Luciano and &ME even  played a private event there at the time. Through one of my older sister’s friends, I  got to know the guy running it, Ben von Hoad. We got on well, so he introduced  me to the music director, who was initially quite frosty, but eventually let me play a  few times.

One night in January 2022, he booked me, and I decided to go against the music  brief of Disco and play more afro-melodic and deep house, which wasn’t getting  much love in London at the time. Usually, January is the dead season, but the  room was packed, and people were vibing. It was crazy. It ended up being one of  their best nights. People still mention that party to me today.

After that, things changed. I started getting contacted by London bookers after  they saw the videos on Instagram. I noticed that these bookers didn’t care about  the music; they just wanted people to come to their club. A lightbulb kind of went  off in my head, and I realised that if I create my own party, I can actually throw  something that’s about the music as well as the people, instead of just caring  about the number of bodies in the room. So I came up with the logo, fleshed out  the concept, and MAX Presents was born.

I wanted everything to be over the top to the MAX, hence the name. Obviously, it  helps that my name is also MAX, but that was only an additional reason to name it  that.

It became a party where only three things mattered: the people, the music  (including the sound system), and the interior design. It sounds obvious, but  people overlook these and don’t care about the small details. Paying attention to  the small details is what allowed MAX Presents to grow into what it is. Seven  months after that January party, I quit my day job.

After growing from 80-person parties to events with over 500 people, it became  clear that a distinction was needed between the larger events and the smaller  ones. I was frequently playing for another event label, and after developing a  relationship with them, we decided that it made sense to collaborate and create  PALOMA. PALOMA will focus on hosting bigger parties featuring international  talent, while MAX Presents will maintain its intimate, small-room house party vibe  without compromising on the quality of music and sound system.

What specific lessons have you learned from your beginnings at Isabel Mayfair and being a BEAT London resident to your expansion to places like St. Tropez?

From an artist’s point of view: Do what is true to yourself and don’t listen to others too much. If you want to play commercial, play commercial; if you want to play underground, play underground; if you want to play every genre, play every genre. As an events organizer: The crazier the idea you want to bring to reality, the more obstacles there are. But if you love what you do, you’ll see them more as fun challenges rather than problems. If it was easy, everyone would do it.

With 130 sets in 10 countries, 15 cities, and 3 continents last year, what were some standout moments or experiences that left a lasting impact on you?

First off, not all of these were crazy sets or ‘shows’ as a lot of people say now, also these figures are rookie numbers for a lot of my peers.

Top 5

KOKO is my favourite place to play. Every time I perform there, it feels like a dream. It’s the perfect blend of decadence meeting music; I don’t think anywhere else in the world manages that crossover as well as they do. This particular KOKO show stands out because I was surrounded by people who supported me back in small 30-person clubs, and now we were vibing with thousands of other music lovers. Everyone was in the booth and there was this euphoric feeling that matched perfectly to the music I played. Even Camelphat, the headliner, came back out to boogie with us, which was cool of them. It was just a contagious happy vibe right up until the very end, with hundreds of people still left. Thanks, Marwan for that.

In Saint Tropez, I am an outsider, but I love that and am slowly getting accepted by the locals there. I’m not here to compete; I just want to have fun, and playing there is magical. With tropical backdrops and a feeling in the air you can’t really describe, there’s nowhere else like it. People stayed until the sun came out, and watching the videos back makes me smile every time.

You mentioned a growing interest in music production, despite a preference for being a DJ. How do you envision balancing these two aspects of your musical career in the future?

I was looking at production wrong. I saw it more as a necessity, rather than something I wanted to do, which was tripping me up. Now, I focus more on producing tracks at my own pace with other artist friends. The music we make now is way better; I actually want to play it, and that’s how it should be, instead of trying to make music for other DJs.

I think I prefer DJing because it’s quick and dynamic.

You can find a song on a flight to a set and play it out to a crowd that same day. You don’t really get that with production, or at least I don’t yet.

As for balance, I’m sure I’ll find a healthy middle ground.

With all this, it’s very clear that you’re an artist, but you’re also an entrepreneur, Max. How do you manage marketing to grow your brand and expand your presence to reach more people? We ask this because social media is essential for visibility nowadays.

To me, an entrepreneur is an artist. Figuring out how to do something or the journey itself is just as much art as the creative output itself, and I think that’s often overlooked.

I don’t worry too much about the numbers on socials. Being true to myself seems to be the best and most enjoyable approach. Social media is important, but word of mouth trumps any social media. I would rather people tell their friends, ‘I saw this guy play, you need to check him out’, versus being tagged in a video alongside the millions of other DJs out there. If you are making noise in real life, then socials don’t really matter. There are artists with more followers than me who haven’t been fortunate enough to play in some of the places I’ve been lucky enough to perform at, which says it all. The MAX Presents Instagram follows the same mantra: if it looks cool to me, I upload it. Simple.

What are your goals for the future as an artist?

I would love to play at EXIT Festival in Serbia and Circoloco at DC10. They are completely different parties, but both are amazing.

Putting out an EP this year is also a goal of mine. I’m working on this with a talented artist friend of mine, Matteo, so fingers crossed.

With all the work you do on a daily basis, how do you relax? What activities do you prefer to unwind?

What work? Joking…

When I am trying to relax, it would be walking in the park with my partner Kat and our dogs. It’s clichéd but any progress I’ve seen wouldn’t have been possible without them. Mundane housework keeps me grounded, especially after traveling. It’s good to foster some sort of connection to your home, which ultimately is a safe space and serves as inspiration for me. That’s why I wanted to do the shoot here.