Music interview: Max Chapman

On March 29 he will be playing a show with Gorgon City at The Church in Leeds.

Great to have you back in Leeds – what are your memories of playing here?

Pretty hazy to be fair – I’ve not played in Leeds for years so I’m really looking forward to coming back.

There’s plenty going on for you at the minute, in the next few weeks alone you’ll be visiting Frankfurt, Amsterdam, Milan, Miami and London. How are you finding the travelling aspects of it all? How do you fill in time spent in the air or on a train, for example?

I love the fact that my job takes me to so many amazing places, but it’s definitely tough when you’re living out of a suitcase for most of the year! I try and use flights as an opportunity to sleep to be honest, although I’ll always take my laptop with me so I can keep on top of producing at the same time.

You’ve been playing a lot of shows in the US and Europe recently, do you get much time to find new music on the road? What can we expect to hear from you in Leeds?

I get so many promos it’s actually a bit daunting when you look at the inbox! Having said that, I’m playing more and more original material in my sets these days, I’d say 80-90 per cent of what I play is my own music, so that makes it a bit easier. As for my Leeds set, expect plenty of groove and you’re on the right track.

Gorgon City’s Kingdom Tour has so far been a huge spectacle. You’ll be playing a huge part at Church and you’re also supporting them at their Brixton Academy show. A 4,000 capacity venue – will you have a set planned for that one or go in with a more spontaneous approach?

I always just wing it – it’s all about reading the crowd and working out what it is they want to hear. You know what you need to do by about three or four tunes in, so hopefully it’ll flow nicely – that’s the plan at least! That show is going to be a big one, it’s such an iconic venue so I can’t wait to tick it off the list.

Finally, you’ve just had a track out with Jacky – ‘Addicted’ is a sound that people aren’t used to hearing from you. You clearly know your way around a studio – what can we expect to hear from you in the future? Any surprises planned?

Well we never set out to make a track like Addicted, so who knows! I’m not going to be changing my style any time soon, but it’s always good to experiment and try new things in the studio, and that’s what Addicted was. I’ve got some huge club records on the way – remixes for Gorgon City and Disciples, a collab EP on Toolroom with Leftwing & Kody, Eps on Solá, Elrow and more. It’s going to be a busy year for sure!

Max Chapman and Gorgon City play at The Church in Leeds on March 29. www.facebook.com/Chapman.Max/