Forms of Life

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Max Peterson has been performing and releasing his unique brand of trance music under various project names since 1998. Max was born in San Diego, California in 1979, and spent most of his teenage years in France. He then developed his production and performance skills in California, Mexico, Spain, and every part of the planet with a vibrant trance scene.

Max’s passion for music began at a young age. Max’s father Gary Peterson is a highly accomplished composer, guitarist, and keyboard player. Gary was a member of influential 60’s-70’s cult band “Formerly Fat Harry”. His band played next to legends such as Pink Floyd, Roy Harper, Third ear band, King Crimson, Fleetwood mac, to name a few… Max’s first tracks were recorded and produced by Gary when Max was just 14 years old.

Upon moving to the U.S., Maxx joined the pioneering trance music collective and record store – The Ion Exchange in Santa Cruz - as co-owner and resident DJ. Maxx moved onto DJ’ing in San Francisco, playing for all the Bay Area's trance venues including the trance collective CCC. He also performed at all the underground warehouse and outdoor events in Northern California. Max quickly gained respect for his stomping deep psychedelic sets. At this time he also toured Canada and other cities in the USA.

In 2000, Max formed the seminal San Francisco trance project BIODEGRADABLE with Samy Guediche of CPU, and Nicolas Oesch of Mekkanikka. In 2001, they released their album Phaser which received great success at the time in the psychedelic scene and became a springboard for all members to launch their successful solo projects.

In 2001, Max joined up with Davina Elmosnino and formed the trance project Sirius Isness. Sirius Isness went on to release more than 150 tracks on prestigious trance labels. Sirius releases 3 full length albums “Resolution of Duality, Breaking the Matrix , Trancefusion” and 1 compilation. The first album was released on Moon Spirits records in 2004, the second on Mind Control Records in 2005, and the third was released in 2006 on Phantasm records, accompanied by their compilation, Mind Your Own Isness. Sirius Isness has traveled to almost every country where trance parties happen. Their most popular destinations are Japan, Brazil, Mexico, Portugal, Greece, Australia to name a few.

Max, then started in his solo project in 2007- MAD MAXX- the result of years of hard work, perfecting a unique sound, embodying all the travels, experiences and parties of the past 14 years. The music is a mix of trance, ethnic and deep sounds, with a strong kick and ominous bass line, an electro touch, emotional chants, and at times nostalgic atmospheres, with a BPM ranging from 140 to 145 in general. All of this sonic mayhem delivered in a whirlwind of psychedelia of course....

MAD MAXX has been delivering his live set to all trance freaks in the world on a weekly basis, and has collaborated with numerous artists…including JOHN 00 FLEMING, PIXEL, AVALON, MENOG, TRISTAN,  SPACE TRIBE, GMS, PAINKILLER , POLI, XSI , MASSIVE, S-RANGE, MADNETIC, PUZZLE, PUREPRESSURE, VOYAGER (aka Altom), BIO-GENESIS, MAD HATTER, AUDIO X, BIONIX, MEKKANIKKA , DIGITAL TALK, JOHN PHANTASM, AUDIO HIJACK and more....

The first MAD MAXX album "AFTERWORLD", was released beginning of May 2008 on PHANTASM records! The new MAD MAXX album was released in June 2011 on his new label, UNITED BEATS RECORDS. MAD MAXX 3rd album is coming in 2019….

Be ready for another mystical journey into the inner self...

Forms of Life

Mad Maxx