Where would Max be today if he didn't meet Denniz

[Dagge]

I wonder what would be a life path for Max if he wasn't introduced to Denniz Pop. He was a record seller at an age when people usually start a more serious career path (I think he was 24 or something). There were no similar capable production studios to work for, he wasn't very skilled (he admitted it), with no social connections in the music business.

Sure he was talented but I have a feeling he would probably end up at an ordinary job after a few more years of being into music. I wonder what do you think about that.

Besides, it is a bit strange how all those guys working for Cheiron had such a big success, while many other talented Suedes outside Cheiron weren't even close to being that successful. Is it a coincidence that only Cheiron guys were so much more talented than other Swedish wannabe producers at that time?

[AlexanderLaBrea]

I don't think he necessarily would have been as successful as he is today, but I think he'd still be working actively with music. For one, that was his passion and he would probably not have given it up. Don't know in what for though. Then you say he didn't have any connections in the business which isn't all true. He did go to school, and was close friends with, Alexander Kronlund and Klas Åhlund (who made it big without ever working at Cheiron). Stockholm isn't that big of a city either so "everybody knows somebody" sort of.

I think Denniz really had an eye for talent, or maybe hard workers, or both. And having the initial hits, and in a sense creating a new sound in the 90's meant everyone came to them instead of the other producers in Stockholm, but that doesn't mean the others were bad. Half of the guys from Cheiron haven't had that successful international careers afterwards. Herbie, John, David, Per etc. have just had minor success outside Sweden. A lot of other Stockholm producers from the same era have been equally or more prominent on the music scene. Seems like Denniz really found the golden nuggets in Max, Rami, maybe Andreas and to a degree Jörgen and I think almost most importantly created a superior environment to work in.

Same goes for Wolf Cousins I feel. Listen to the pre-Wolf Cousins songs from Mattman & Robin, Ilya, Struts. They are good, but there are thousands of other writers and producers, only here, that were equally as good. But they had the drive obviously and Max + Shellback managed to create an environment once again that was immensely creative. Then obviously, the best way to learn is to work with real projects - and having the most successful songwriter of "modern times" there to keep you in proximity of all the biggest artists in the world doesn't exactly make the situation worse...

[j.fco.morales]

Actually, what's really cool, is that Max is mentoring swedish talent just like Denniz did with him.

Very inspiring.

[Dagge]

@AlexanderLaBrea I would agree about Max, Rami, and Andreas Carlsson being the best ones. I also wonder how come that this highly interconnected Swedish music scene didn't throw some other composers of equal talent/success. I am sure they knew the inner workings of those top guys, yet they weren't able to coin such hits.

Is it so rare even in Sweden, to have such a talent for melodies.  I remember hearing It's Alive melodies,  I immediately felt it was written by a highly talented melody writer. The same feeling was there when I first heard Max songs in a TV movie during the '90s (N'Sync or BSB), I immediately felt it was a top-class talent even I never heard about Max and Cheiron. There are only a few notes in a typical melody line but you simply hear it. Go figure