“More I Let the World In, Less I Take It in” was both the starting point and the main feeling which kicked off the writing phase for this album.
What you going to hear is more like musical states, own little worlds, rather than compositions. Quite the opposite of trying to blend genres, which is so often done, Max lock himself in with pure, core ideas and start to dig deeper and deeper with what he already has. While exploring the ideas the form and dynamics gets created. In other words, the notes are already there and the structure is being improvised. The compositions becomes an emotional coherence and are full of inventive surprises that would be hard to get without this way of creating.
The track titles already hints that you are going to be in medieval times, on the moon and in Lisbon within the same album. So each composition travels to distinctly different places but is held together by the way of creation.
Max met Salvador on the bandstand at Fasching in Stockholm a few years ago and has since 2020 been a part of his band. In Max’s own words: ”I instantly found a communication within the music that felt very rare and I felt very early on that I wanted him to sing my music” Max and Nils are cousins and has played since childhood. Years of exploring ideas, practicing together and long philosophical talks about everything in life. This music is the result of that. ”The only drummer I feel this music fits for is Nils. He has a very strong personality and freshness that I only find in his way of playing.”
As always Max’s playing feels totally free of doubt which makes you concentrate on the mood and music directly. Both his motives and piano touch has a huge span of variations and always feels highly purposeful. This album is the result of three different personalities of Max.”I have always felt that my albums and music sort of spoke and lived by itself, and that I was the one responsible for it. But with this music, I feel it’s the first time I can say for sure that there is no boundary between the music and me as a musician and composer. The music sort of created itself as I was trying to get through difficulties with life.”
Already at the age of twelve Max Agnas received ”The Fasching soloist prize”,
being the youngest ever to receive the prize. The success has continued and now (eight years later) he has five published albums and played several Europe-wide tours.
Max’s compositions are of an exploring kind; he finds surprising, elegant and striking ways to express himself within traditional frameworks.
You’ll find captivating and atmospheric ballads next to rhythmical tunes with jingle-like melodies, more often than not with a twist that puts everything into a new light.
Although it’s paradoxical to say about a twenty-year-old, Max playing sounds remarkably refined and mature. Having the quality of very often saying more with less and always letting the music, as opposed to technique or ego, dictate what musical decisions are made.
Max Agnas Trio:
Max Agnas, piano and synthesizers
Sebastian Voegler, drums
Mauritz Agnas, double bass