Max Von Sternberg is a young Berlin-based DJ/Producer who has received support from esteemed artists like Sasha, Dubfire, & Joris Voorn most recently.
With an upcoming “Moving” EP coming out on Artminding, we spoke to him to find out how he got into electronic music and his ideas around how the EP come to be…
T.H.E – Hey Max, how are you, what’s good and bad in your world right now?
Max Von Sternberg – First of all thanks for having me! A lot is good at the moment. Being able to play my music in front of an audience after two years of the pandemic feels great. I’m also very excited about my upcoming projects and of course about my latest releases. So I can’t complain.
T.H.E – Introduce yourself and tell us how you’ve got to where you are today in terms of DJing and production?
Max Von Sternberg – I am Max von Sternberg. I love music and I am not that long in the field of production and Djing. In the first place, it’s my greatest passion and I adore spending every free minute in making, playing, and of course listening to dance music.
T.H.E – As a new school artist, how do you hope to stand out and make your mark? Do you trust that the music alone is enough or do you have to embrace social media too?
Max Von Sternberg – I think it’s important to be authentic. Music is the focus of my career. In my opinion, social media should be seen more as a tool to market my projects. So whether every DJ has to be somehow an influencer at the same time is a question of the individual ambitions of the artists. I like music way more than posting pictures and stories.
T.H.E – How much does Berlin life, the weather, landscape, and architecture impact the sounds you make?
Max Von Sternberg – Originally coming from Vienna I have been living in Berlin for the last nine years and now again I am traveling a lot. Berlin has inspired me a lot. I like the diversity, the thriving culture scene in this city and the extraordinary nightlife.
T.H.E – Tell us about your new EP on Artminding, the aim you had with it, and what you wanted it to say?
Max Von Sternberg – Artminding is the common project of Annett Gapstream and myself. She is a close friend of mine and we spend a lot of time listening to music together. We found we had a very similar taste in music and we share and speak about it a lot. So the release is a consequence of this bond between us and I am happy being part of the family of Artminding.
T.H.E – Do you make music with certain labels in mind, or certain parties, or certain DJs? Or is your creative process different to that?
Max Von Sternberg – Of course I have my ideas and wishes regarding labels and artists I want to work with, but the most important thing for me is still to assert my own style and not to have to adapt. I like to have close relations with the people I am working with, so I am having my artistic harbors with Artminding and New Tab Music as well. I am inspired by other artists a lot too and I think it is part of the creative process to listen to others and combine the experiences in the studio.
T.H.E – What gear did you use, is that important to you in any way whether in the booth or studio?
Max Von Sternberg – When it comes to DJing, I’m not very specific. CDJs and a DJM or Xone are my preferences. I like any kind of synthesizers, I have a lot of analogues in the studio and feel blessed to work with a Moog One 16 – an amazing synth. But even Plugins work, if it flows. I would say I am less into complex modular systems.
T.H.E – What do you have coming up?
Max Von Sternberg – First of all, a few exciting gigs that I’m really looking forward to. Also, of course, some music that will be released in the near future on New Tab. Another co-op with Alice Rose, and a contribution to Tenvins imprint, to be released this summer on vinyl as well. There is an EP coming on the Eleatics sublabel Aesthetika. I also sent out a couple of Demos and I am curious who is going to sign them.
T.H.E – What was the last amazing record you heard or bought and why did you love it?
Max Von Sternberg – Oh there’s a lot. The new label NewTab, on which I released my `Love is The Law`EP, has a really interesting and superb new EP by Argia that I can highly recommend. Also, something is in the making at Radikon by an artist I respect a lot. Unfortunately, I can’t say more about it, but definitely keep an eye on the label in the near future! And of course Annett Gapstream has a lot in the pipeline.
