HE'S best known as one third of British electronic dance icons Faithless.
But Maxi Jazz is mixing it up at Isle of Wight Festival this weekend with his own band Maxi Jazz & The E-Type Boys also making an appearance at Seaclose Park.
"Two entirely different shows is what you can expect," laughs the 58-year-old rapper, who retains his South London accent and down to earth nature.
"There's a world of difference between the genres and techniques involved and I'm enjoying having a brand new band playing all the stuff I like - blues, funk, rock and reggae.
"After Faithless finished I decided to take a year off and it was during that time that the guitar music started coming out.
"I was spending winter in my mum’s house in Jamaica and have got a studio there and I was just firing songs off the production line for my own amusement and playing them to mates.
"When I got back I played them to my old keyboard player Chris Jerome and he loved them so we thought let's start a band!
"I didn't want to do another electronica album, I thought that's enough of that so I did a record and hoped for the best.
"It's completely different and can't really be compared. You couldn't compare an apple and an orange, so I made an orange!"
When the other members of Faithless with Sister Bliss and Rollo wanted to reform for a 20th anniversary tour last year, recreating club classics like Insomnia and God is a DJ, Maxi was initially sceptical.
"My original response was actually I don't have the time, I'm busy rehearsing with my band, but they said bring them along! So it’s a bit of a double shift but its great as the E Type Boys get to do festivals in the summer that we wouldn’t otherwise get to play, being an unknown band."
Despite his double shift, Crystal Palace fan Maxi is looking forward to seeing some of the other bands on the 2016 line up, particularly Saturday night headliners The Who.
"I'm just so happy to see my two bands right in the middle of some of these. The Who, Jesus.
"I saw them play at Charlton in 1976 and it's still one of my best moments ever.
"They were the last dates with Keith Moon and it's a night I'll never forget."
As one third of Faithless, Maxi Jazz toured the globe for twenty years selling over 15 million records worldwide. During the group's hiatus, he enlisted the help of some of his favourite musicians who he’d met throughout his career:
- Martin Carlin on drums (Groove Armada, Morcheeba, Neneh Cherr)
- Basil Isaac (Underworld, Des’ree, Basement Jaxx)
- Chris Jerome on keys (Tom Jones, Lionel Richie and Mica Paris)
- Leigh Kenny aka LSK on vocals (Fatboy Slim, Stereo MCs, Status Quo)
- Jack Libretto on guitar
- Alexis Countouris on bass (Imagination, Gwen Dickey)
- Chris Dover on slide guitar
They formed a powerful live band to perform alongside him known as The E-Type Boys.
Maxi Jazz & The E-Type Boys play The Big Top tonight at 7pm.
Faithless headline the Main Stage at 10.40pm tonight.
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