After recently following up his 2021 debut EP 'Lillies' with the stunning comeback single 'Colours' earlier this year, fast-rising producer Leonard Maassen has now returned once again to deliver his sprawling new effort 'Take Me To Space'.
Lifted from his upcoming debut album 'Inside Cycles', which is set to land in the coming weeks, 'Take Me To Space' continues that rich and enigmatic electronic aesthetic he has been building for himself. With its broad and technicolor textures, shining atmosphere, and dynamic energy layered throughout, he continues to ascend as one of the more distinctive names doing the rounds right now.
So with the new single available to stream now, we sat down with him to find out more about his origins and what has been inspiring him most lately.
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What was the first instrument you fell in love with?
The drums were the first instrument I fell in love with. I actually started to learn the piano first, but the physicality of the drums, the way they allow you to channel expression in a bodily way really captured my attention. My love for the piano is now equally as strong, but it took a little longer to develop. I really started to embrace it when I started to play more freely, rather than strictly learning classical pieces.
My experience exploring the combination of drums and piano definitely shaped the way I approach synthesisers and writing electronic music. For me, all sounds are melodic. Electronic instruments allow me to deeply explore this idea. I can constantly change the tone of the sounds I use, creating melodies not only with the notes I play, but also with the characteristics of the sound. This idea of sonic variation is why there are a lot of repeated lyrical and musical motifs in my music.
What kind of music did you love when you were younger?
Classical music formed a big part of my musical upbringing. This love developed as I grew up and understood how this tradition is evolving as a form of creative expression. Now I hear how intensely this music also speaks through our current music. In those early years I was also listening to rock and electronic dance music, which is where some of my early songwriting and production references come from. I really loved psychedelic rock. The sense of journey in that music really fascinated me. I love how it’s a human channeling something beyond our imagination. The textures are trippy and deep. When I was 15 or so I started to fall in love with jazz, especially freer improvisation stuff. The technical mastery and flexibility of expression that a lot of jazz musicians have is amazing. To improvise together you need to balance selflessness and ego, which really inspired me on a spiritual level.
What was the first album you remember owning?
The first album I remember having was a Queen Greatest Hits CD from 1981. I used to listen to it on loop in my room when I was around 6 years old. When I first got a drum kit (forever grateful to my parents for putting up with that) I would play along to it. I remember listening to Don’t Stop Me Now and feeling like I was flying, completely invincible. That was when I started to understand how intensely music can move us.
What is the one song you wished you could have written yourself?
Lindisfarne I - James Blake. I only heard this recently and wow. Just wow.
Do you have any habits or rituals you go through when trying to write new music?
When I was writing the music for Inside Cycles, I was also doing a lot of journaling. Writing down my thoughts allowed me to explore what my motivations were, and made it so much easier to get over blockages. Being in the habit of writing means I can just get things on the page (or into the microphone) and analyse them later. Suddenly I have a whole album recorded and it feels like I haven’t even done anything major! So journalling is definitely something I’ll be exploring more.
I also love going on long, slow walks. Sometimes I sit and just focus on my breath. If I’m somewhere private I’ll stretch a bit. Moving in fresh air creates an amazing clarity that helps me declutter and put everything in perspective.
Who are your favourite artists you have found yourself listening to at the moment?
Recently, I’ve been really inspired by Holly Herndon, Oneohtrix Point Never and Beverly Glenn-Copeland. I love the way those artists create unique textures with electronics and voices.
If you could open a show for anyone in the world, who would it be?
Björk.
What do you find is the most rewarding part about being a musician?
I love how music allows me to connect what I feel to the world around me. Through music, we can communicate things that come before or after words. Or that are within or beyond words. It allows us to learn about each other, our collective histories and imagine what kind of future we want to create. The most rewarding moments are when I feel that connection with other humans and the environment.
Being a music artist also puts you in conversation with so many different people. Some days I’m writing and producing with somebody, others I’m doing something really technical with an engineer, and others it’s about developing a sustainable strategy. It feels entrepreneurial and it encourages me to be genuine about who I am and what I want to contribute to the world. I have the freedom to be very extroverted or to explore something completely alone. Both are fine and equally important, and that’s really special.
And what is the most frustrating part?
The most frustrating part is probably social media. While social media is an incredibly valuable tool for artists, I often feel very torn about it. I notice how the apps mess with my brain, giving it little hormone boosts to keep me hooked. Using social media too much can make me feel like a zombie, and I end up finding it hard to connect meaningfully to anything that’s slower or more gentle. At the same time, social media allows us to develop and expand our collective consciousness, and resonate in synchronisation as a species. That’s something really valuable and inspiring. We need to manage our relationships with this technology so we can evolve alongside it in a positive way. It should be a helpful tool and not an energy-draining burden.
And what is the best piece of advice you have received as a musician?
The best piece of advice I have received came from one of my teachers at Guildhall. He told me to indulge in the artistry. I think it was just an offhand comment but it really stuck with me. Since I studied for an academic degree before going to music school, I wasn’t always confident in letting go of the need for things to be logical and polished. Understanding that making music is valuable and doesn’t have to proceed in a linear way really helped me to open up my expression with a new depth and focus on the process of creating.
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Leonard Maassen's new single 'Take Me To Space' is available to stream now. Check it out in the player below.