Interview: Max Hefele debuts on MYR with new ‘Call Me’ EP

German artist Max Hefele makes his long overdue debut as a producer after several decades behind the decks. His inaugural studio appearance comes in the form of his new ‘Call Me’ EP, which arrives on Göran Meyer’s MYR imprint and includes four original productions.

We spoke to the Augsburg native to ask him why now is the right time to put out his first ever release, how he has found the experience so far, and what else he might have planned for the near future.

Your debut release, ‘Call Me’, brings four original tracks to MYR, talk us through the production process of bringing the EP together?

The production process was essentially the moment when all the experience that had built up over the years finally came pouring out. Having spent more than two decades behind the decks as a DJ, I already had a very precise idea in my head of how music needs to work on the dancefloor.

When I sat down in the studio, it was less about inventing sounds and more about uncovering my own musical voice. I started without a rigid concept or a master plan and the tracks grew organically. The ’90s house influences from my youth naturally blended with the modern melodic techno that I love today.

Each of the four tracks, from the driving vibes of the title track to the hypnotic moments of ‘Rabbit in the Cage’, emerged from this creative flow. Looking back, this process doesn’t feel like work to me at all, it feels more like writing down a story that has been waiting a damn long time to be told.

What made you decide to finally release original music?

It was the point when hiding it was no longer an option. As I mentioned, electronic music had been there in the background all those years while I was touring as a hiphop DJ. But at some point, I realized that my own musical vision had become too loud to keep them confined to DJ sets. I no longer wanted to simply interpret other people’s music, but to provide my own soundtrack for those nights.

Another part of the motivation came from the feeling that I had musically arrived exactly where I had always belonged. As the tracks for ‘Call Me’ started taking shape and I felt that they were carrying exactly the energy I look for in a club at two in the morning, I knew; now is the right time.

Which labels might we see you on in the near future? A return to MYR maybe?

MYR Records is very close to my heart and feels like a musical home to me. Göran Meyer and the entire team understood me from day one and gave me exactly the creative freedom you need for such a personal debut. So there will definitely be more music from me on MYR in the future, we’re already in close contact about it.

At the same time, I’m extremely active in the studio and currently producing a lot of new material. If I find the right partners who share this vision of driving sound with roots and character, I’m absolutely open to further collaborations and label opportunities. The coming year will definitely bring a lot musically.

Has the reception from DJs and listeners so far met the expectations you had of releasing your own tracks?

Honestly, my expectations were completely exceeded. I absolutely didn’t expect such a response. When you spend years working away in the studio and pour your own story into four tracks, you naturally wonder how people will respond, because music is ultimately something very intimate.

I was all the more speechless when the EP debuted at number 39 on the Beatport melodic techno releases. And when an absolute legend like Paul van Dyk played my track ‘Better Day of Life’ on his radio show VONYC Sessions, it was an absolute goosebumps moment. It’s an incredible honor to see artists you’ve admired for years taking your music out into the world.

And when listeners also write to say that the EP caught them in that exact, special club moment, that is the best confirmation possible. At the end of the day, the dancefloor doesn’t lie, and this response has shown me that taking this honest approach was exactly the right thing to do.

What are some tracks from other artists you’ve been playing in your sets recently?

My sets currently feature a fine mix of hypnotic grooves, deep elements, and driving melodies. For example I really enjoy playing tracks by Emanuel Satie, whose sound hits exactly the right spot for me. An absolute staple in my sets right now is ‘One More Night’ by Hardt Antoine, that track simply has incredible depth. Another absolute favourite is ‘Far Out!’ by Rex The Dog, that one just always works on the dancefloor.

I also regularly play tracks by Julian Koerndl, whose productions perfectly capture that spirit of club culture and character for me. I’m not looking for rigid genre boundaries. I’m looking for music that has soul, fills the room, and grabs people.

Is there anything else you want to plug before we go?

Absolutely! The journey is only just beginning. Alongside the new studio productions that are in the pipeline, my main focus is on my YouTube mix series ‘Rave in the City’, which comes out every two weeks. That’s where I bring the same energy to the screen that I bring to my DJ sets. The next gigs for the autumn are also coming up, and I can’t wait to share the new tracks and the vibes of ‘Call Me’ directly with people on the dancefloor. Keep your eyes and ears open, there’s more to come soon.

Max Hefele – Call Me EP is out now on MYR.

Visit the MYR website here.

40 Questions: Ramon Tapia