It’s the embodiment of exactly the rough-hewn low-rent aesthetic he’s come to embody – though he’s

It’s the embodiment of exactly the rough-hewn, low-rent aesthetic he’s come to embody – though he’s keen to look towards altogether wider vistas. In fact, his portastudio days may well be numbered.”To be honest,” he says, his eyes noticeably widening, “I’d be thrilled by the idea of being the commander in the middle of a huge orchestral battlefield, telling the strings what to do, and bringing on the horns Being, you know, the General.”. No matter how successful, how popular, there comes a time in every band’s existence when individual members no longer feel fully satisfied by the day job. Somehow the very sound that has helped them to establish themselves seems to turn into a creative straight-jacket. The problem, however, lies in the fact that giving up the cash cow for an unproven artistic muse would mean the removal of that all important safety net. Which is when the side project raises its all too often ugly head. No matter how successful, how popular, there comes a time in every band’s existence when individual members no longer feel fully satisfied by the day job.

Somehow the very sound that has helped them to establish themselves seems to turn into a creative straight-jacket. The problem, however, lies in the fact that giving up the cash cow for an unproven artistic muse would mean the removal of that all important safety net. Which is when the side project raises its all too often ugly head.
The side project, of course, smacks of both pure frustration and unparalleled ego. Without fail the dreaded side project finds lead singers exploring their hitherto untapped ability as a musician, guitarists revealing previously unheard vocal skills and rhythm sections exploring their long-held, but previously secret, love of techno and Afro-beat. Sadly, where each project may promise new perspectives on the band in question, more often than not the end product is simply indulgent. Put simply; the side project only manages to emphasise just how good the original band is. And if that’s not enough, from the moment the first extra-curricular product hits the shelves, you can never quite ignore the fact that certain members of the band are so unfulfilled that they need to keep a mistress.

The band subsequently turns into a marriage based on the lie of musical insincerity.Its a conundrum which has faced musicians from all walks of popular music. From Pink Floyd to Blur, Yes to Belle and Sabastien, no band it would seem is big enough to contain the rampant conceit of the musician on a creative journey.The Prodigy frontman, Maxim, however seems not to be governed by a frustration forcing him to indulge in sonic voyages into his hidden self. Maxim’s forthcoming début album Hell’s Kitchen is the complete opposite to the usual self-indulgent side project. The main motivational force behind his solo project is less an attempt to show off his hidden abilities, than a desire to discover his roots as a musician.”I don’t really see myself as a solo artist,” says Maxim in the offices of his record company “I’m not musically frustrated either I never was. I just see myself as being a part of a band, but I’m writing music as well. Obviously its more of an achievement to hear something that I’ve written all on my own being played on the radio or whatever. One of my main achievements when I joined The Prodigy 12 years ago was to have a CD in my hand, and that was it.

Now I’ve done something which has come from me.” Face to face Maxim is the complete opposite to the demonic contact-lens wearing rabble rouser that stalks The Prodigy stage. Where his performance may be openly aggressive, Maxim’s private self is laid back, humorous and surprisingly approachable. Similarly, his music may come as a shock to those who have him marked down as a bit player in The Prodigy game. The fact is, however, the Peterborough-born vocalist has a musical history which precedes the rest of the band.