Get to know: Mason Maynard

At just 21 years old, Mason Maynard is the most recent of emerging talent to make his mark on the vast electronic music scene of Manchester, earning recognition as a prominent producer and DJ on the rise. Having already released on the likes of Cajual, Defected and Solä, the young Mancunian also has a Solardo Sessions under his belt, rapidly boosting his profile as a spirited selector throughout the UK.

Gaining support from house music heavyweights like Pete Tong, Green Velvet, Skream, Richy Ahmed and lots more, it was only a matter of time before Maynard caught our attention as a fitting support for the Repopulate Mars boss, Lee Foss, coming up in Egg on 13th April. Ahead of the show, we chatted to Maynard to delve into the foundation of his sound and why it’s made him stand out in today's saturated market of dance music creators, the music scene in Manchester and more…

What’s the electronic scene like in Manchester at the moment and are there any Mancunian artists who’ve caught your attention recently?

Electronic music is really thriving here in recent times and the power is sort of shifting back up north, I feel with Manchester being at the helm of it. There’ re so many artists making really good records quite consistently which keeps the spotlight on us.

Tell us the about the foundation of your sound and how you fell into dance music before pursuing production and DJing?

The foundation of my sound would definitely kick, bass & vocal. I have a folder now of sounds I have fallen in love with like kick drums and hi hats etc and then I have two plugins for bass lines and also a Moog Slim Phatty that I try to incorporate for lead synths. I also use sub basses as the sound is so rich! I fell into dance music by going to Parklife Festival for the first time. I wasn’t really into house or techno but went along for the first time with about 20 mates and had the best time of my life getting completely involved for the first time too. Never looked back or listened to anything else since.

Describe the sound of Mason Maynard in your own words.

Mason Maynard songs have peculiar yet groovy/funky bass lines, swung percussion mostly alongside solid drum programming and most vital piece are the vocals. I find that a lot of the music in the “Tech House” scene is very repetitive with little to no vocals, which is absolutely fine but I like my music to stand out and be memorable. If I can find a really slammin’ catchy vocal or sample a powerful diva from back in the day (i.e Dajae or Ultra Naté who I’ve been honoured to work with), it sets my songs apart from the next producer - of course using my own little tricks, processing and arrangement styles to make it complete.

It’s easy to get caught up in the less serious side of DJing - the afterparties, 3 day benders and and a slight inflation of ego is sometimes inevitable… How do you manage to stay grounded amongst the hedonism?

I think it’s all personality based with that sort of thing. I’m not a necessarily loud or outgoing person and haven’t been my whole life so with the added attention it doesn’t make my head blow up one bit. As far as managing your ego, I think you should be proud of your work and confident in your work but that should never lead you to think you’re any more than the ravers stood on the other side of the decks. It is quite cool being recognised for my music though as I literally don’t do anything but make new music and DJ, so it’s nice for people to support you with it - I still find it odd but cool that people ask to take pictures with me, I just think it’s mad! I’m all for an afterparty and think it’s a really cool way to let the night fizzle out after raving in the club, plus you never know who you can meet at an afterparty so I don’t think there’s any negative to staying out an extra few hours, playing some tunes you maybe didn’t get to play in the club and chill with the people who are putting you in such a fortunate position.

You’ve released on a slew of labels including Relief, Repopluate Mars and Sola, what’s the label at the top of your list that you’d love to release on?

Yeah I’ve managed to release on most of the top labels really early on in my career and I’m really grateful for those people trusting and pushing my music! The labels that are still on my hit list are Hot Creations, Desolat, Play It Say It and Drumcode (a few years down the line for that one yet!).

Finally, what’s the item that you’d love to have on your rider but are too hesitant to ask for?

I’m a really needless person to be honest but my perfect rider would probably include a BBQ Meat Feast from Pizza Hut and the biggest bottle of Lemon Volvic available. But I just get Vodka and stuff so my mates can get smashed lol. Maybe that’s the most dangerous part of DJing - fast food.