MAXI MERAKI – Way Too Long (Spotify)
“"MAXI MERAKI" strikes with a dancing bomb. Are you into House? Be prepared to dive in a mix of wave vibrations, melodic atmosphere and strong emotions. The Belgian artist has given emphasis in his percussion patterns, edited vocals and sound effects, creating an addictive vibe.”
-Nagamag.com
Funky feels from Antwerp’s Maxi Meraki with his first release ‘Way Too Long’ on Dutch House label artwrk. Targeting the Balearic hot spots he’s become accustomed to with deep, focused house composing suave vocals and pianos striding about the place with a splash of salsa to them. While there’s plenty of groove as standard from the Roger Sanchez/Mark Knight-supported spinner - springy bass, a warm blast of synths on a breakdown of calming motivation - Meraki builds an aura and gives the track time and space to explore itself, as per the knowledge-of-self lyrics.
Antwerp resident Maxi Meraki grew up with music and started to play records at high end clubs in Belgium and Amsterdam. A first memorable highlight was noted during the summer of 2018 with a 4 hour set at the Pacha Destino in Ibiza.
Forward to the middle of 2019, the summer season residencies at the W hotel in Barcelona and Izakaya Ibiza set the tone for a bright summer. A sunny season filled with extra gigs: Soho House (Barcelona), Bagatelle (Ibiza), Plage Casanis (Marbella) and the absolute highlight playing on Ibiza’s most popular boat party “Pirata’s Ibiza”, warming up for Circoloco’s DC10 resident DJ Nathan Barato.
Reviewed by Nagamag on June 15, 2021