Faithless

"I would've loved to have had an alternative career as a porn star. Maybe in my next life."

Maxi Jazz, lead singer of the band Faithless, is simply saying what we're all thinking. While his day job is still pretty enviable, it seems Maxi has other ideas. "I'm really respectful of those boys, because of the battering they take. They're unsung heroes of the adult world."

While adult entertainment remains a possibility, Maxi's focus is new album The Dance, which is being touted as a spectacular return to the bands dance floor roots.

"It's less of a return to dance floor roots and more of an acknowledgment that we have easily the best fans a band could ever had. We know that the majority of Faithless fans love the dance tracks, and it's only due to them that we're still here making records, so why don't we make the record as a thank you to them? So instead of the normal two or three dance tracks, there's six or seven."

As well as having the best fans, Faithless seemingly has the most varied. Some are eighteen, others eighty. Whether the crowd are taking pills to dance or to regulate their blood pressure, the band has seen it all.

"It just blows me away, I look out into the crowd and you see eighteen year olds there. They would've been five when we started, and you'll see sixty and seventy year old people."

It's no surprise that Faithless appeal to different generations, given that their music is wildly dynamic. It's not just about dropping beats dirtier then a Bristol back alley, but also making a comment on society. Maxi is a Buddhist, and is known for his deeply philosophical approach to life, which is reflected in his lyrics.

"It's so important to me, it's always been a feature of mine, that if you're going to write lyrics, make them mean something. When you go to a house night, people are so receptive, they're ready for whatever you give them, so at that point you should tell them something that is useful, instead of ‘look at my gold chain, aren't I wicked?"

Since Maxi is admittedly a pretty deep guy, it seems like there is more then meets the eye with the album title, The Dance. I'm thinking the dance of life; perhaps The Dance is a metaphor. Maxi gives it to me straight up.

"You know what? I can'tstand that album title. That's Rollo's album title, we had a big fight over that, I think its one of the most tedium album titles ever. It's like writing a book and calling it The Book.

"I know what Rollo was trying to say with that title, but for me you'd call it Life is not a Dance, I can't lie, and say it's a great title. I think it's shit. We argue about things, but that's life. The thing about being in a band is that you don't always get your own way, because that's not a band, that's a dictatorship."

The album does have an interesting Australian angle, courtesy of an appearnace by Dougie Mandagi from the Temper Trap. Faithless are known for collaborating with interesting artists and after hearing Dougie's voice, he got the call up.

"We always look for, what Blissy calls ‘an authentic voice' if we want to work with them. What it means is someone who sings from the heart about things that mean something, Dougie has that and his track is wicked. I'll be giving him a high five at Glastonbury."

The Dance is sure to be a hit with the Faithless faithful, and new fans alike, but if not then there's always that other career.

"That'd be banging," says Maxi.

Literally.

The Dance is out on Fri 21 May through Liberation

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