Maxim Reality
Encyclopedia
Keith Andrew Palmer known by his stage name Maxim Reality or simply Maxim, is an English
singer-songwriter
and MC, famous for his work with electronica
band The Prodigy
.
and verse and began MC-ing around the age of 14. He gained inspiration from his ten year older MC brother, Hitman, who introduced him into the Peterborough Reggae Soundsystem Scene. At the age of seventeen he had his first gig
in Basingstoke
. Ian Sherman, a fellow musician from Nottingham
teamed up with Maxim and they formed Maxim and Sheik Yan Groove, where Sherman made the music and Maxim contributed with lyrics. After recording some tracks together and not getting any attention from the record industries, Maxim decided to disband and went on a three month travel throughout Europe
and North Africa
. Upon returning to England he moved to London
to get more into the music and reggae
scene of the metropol. Through a friend, Ziggy, he was offered a gig with a band called The Prodigy, which he accepted. He was planning to do just a few gigs with the band, but he later decided to stay.
Originally joined The Prodigy
on their first ever show to make the live shows become more alive, Maxim's lyrical talents were later incorporated in the studio works of the albums after Experience from 1992 (although his vocal contributions were heard in the live track "Death of the Prodigy Dancers" on Experience). Maxim provided lyrics in the single "Poison" from Music For the Jilted Generation
(1994), as well as in the hit single "Breathe
" and the canned single release "Mindfields" both from The Fat of the Land
(1997). However, on the Prodigy album Always Outnumbered, Never Outgunned
from 2004, his vocal works were completely absent, apart from an appearance on the album's first single "Girls" in form of a remix called "More Girls" and the first song on the album, "Spitfire". He is still a full member of the band, though, performing in the live shows and, according to their official web site, recording material with Liam Howlett
.
, which also featured Howlett's "Dirtchamber Remix" of "Diesel Power" (from The Fat of the Land) and Maxim's cover version of the Rolling Stones
' "Factory Girl". On 9 August 1999 Maxim released the EP
My Web, which contained five tracks. In 2000 Maxim had a collaboration with Skin from Skunk Anansie
on the song "Carmen Queasy", which remains his biggest solo success. It peaked at #33 on the UK Singles Chart
in June 2000. A second single, "Scheming", was released 11 September and reached UK #53, and the album Hell's Kitchen
, was released on 2 October 2000. He is currently working on a new album with producer Machine
. Maxim's second solo album, Fallen Angel, was released in 2005 and spawned one single, "I Don't Care," which failed to chart. The album was released in multiple formats, including a limited edition CD.
English people
The English are a nation and ethnic group native to England, who speak English. The English identity is of early mediaeval origin, when they were known in Old English as the Anglecynn. England is now a country of the United Kingdom, and the majority of English people in England are British Citizens...
singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriters are musicians who write, compose and sing their own musical material including lyrics and melodies. As opposed to contemporary popular music singers who write their own songs, the term singer-songwriter describes a distinct form of artistry, closely associated with the...
and MC, famous for his work with electronica
Electronica
Electronica includes a wide range of contemporary electronic music designed for a wide range of uses, including foreground listening, some forms of dancing, and background music for other activities; however, unlike electronic dance music, it is not specifically made for dancing...
band The Prodigy
The Prodigy
The Prodigy are an English electronic dance music group formed by Liam Howlett in 1990 in Braintree, Essex. Along with Fatboy Slim, The Chemical Brothers, and other acts, The Prodigy have been credited as pioneers of the big beat genre, which achieved mainstream popularity in the 1990s and 2000s...
.
Pre-Prodigy history
Maxim was born in Peterborough, the youngest of seven children, and he attended Jack Hunt School, also in Peterborough. He enjoyed writing poetryPoetry
Poetry is a form of literary art in which language is used for its aesthetic and evocative qualities in addition to, or in lieu of, its apparent meaning...
and verse and began MC-ing around the age of 14. He gained inspiration from his ten year older MC brother, Hitman, who introduced him into the Peterborough Reggae Soundsystem Scene. At the age of seventeen he had his first gig
Concert
A concert is a live performance before an audience. The performance may be by a single musician, sometimes then called a recital, or by a musical ensemble, such as an orchestra, a choir, or a musical band...
in Basingstoke
Basingstoke
Basingstoke is a town in northeast Hampshire, in south central England. It lies across a valley at the source of the River Loddon. It is southwest of London, northeast of Southampton, southwest of Reading and northeast of the county town, Winchester. In 2008 it had an estimated population of...
. Ian Sherman, a fellow musician from Nottingham
Nottingham
Nottingham is a city and unitary authority in the East Midlands of England. It is located in the ceremonial county of Nottinghamshire and represents one of eight members of the English Core Cities Group...
teamed up with Maxim and they formed Maxim and Sheik Yan Groove, where Sherman made the music and Maxim contributed with lyrics. After recording some tracks together and not getting any attention from the record industries, Maxim decided to disband and went on a three month travel throughout Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
and North Africa
North Africa
North Africa or Northern Africa is the northernmost region of the African continent, linked by the Sahara to Sub-Saharan Africa. Geopolitically, the United Nations definition of Northern Africa includes eight countries or territories; Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Morocco, South Sudan, Sudan, Tunisia, and...
. Upon returning to England he moved to London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
to get more into the music and reggae
Reggae
Reggae is a music genre first developed in Jamaica in the late 1960s. While sometimes used in a broader sense to refer to most types of Jamaican music, the term reggae more properly denotes a particular music style that originated following on the development of ska and rocksteady.Reggae is based...
scene of the metropol. Through a friend, Ziggy, he was offered a gig with a band called The Prodigy, which he accepted. He was planning to do just a few gigs with the band, but he later decided to stay.
MC of The Prodigy
The Prodigy
The Prodigy are an English electronic dance music group formed by Liam Howlett in 1990 in Braintree, Essex. Along with Fatboy Slim, The Chemical Brothers, and other acts, The Prodigy have been credited as pioneers of the big beat genre, which achieved mainstream popularity in the 1990s and 2000s...
on their first ever show to make the live shows become more alive, Maxim's lyrical talents were later incorporated in the studio works of the albums after Experience from 1992 (although his vocal contributions were heard in the live track "Death of the Prodigy Dancers" on Experience). Maxim provided lyrics in the single "Poison" from Music For the Jilted Generation
Music for the Jilted Generation
Music for the Jilted Generation is the second album by English electronic dance music band The Prodigy. The album was released through XL Recordings in July 1994...
(1994), as well as in the hit single "Breathe
Breathe (The Prodigy song)
"Breathe" is a song by The Prodigy, released as the group's eleventh single on November 11, 1996. It was the second single from the album The Fat of the Land. The song became the group's second consecutive #1 on both the Finnish and the Official UK Singles Chart...
" and the canned single release "Mindfields" both from The Fat of the Land
The Fat of the Land
The Fat of the Land is the third studio album by The Prodigy. The album was released by XL Recordings on 30 June 1997 and on 1 July 1997 in the United States by Maverick Records...
(1997). However, on the Prodigy album Always Outnumbered, Never Outgunned
Always Outnumbered, Never Outgunned
Always Outnumbered, Never Outgunned is the fourth studio album by English electronic dance music group The Prodigy. The album was released in the United Kingdom on 23 August 2004 under XL Recordings, and in North America on 15 September 2004 by Mute Records and Maverick Records. It was the last...
from 2004, his vocal works were completely absent, apart from an appearance on the album's first single "Girls" in form of a remix called "More Girls" and the first song on the album, "Spitfire". He is still a full member of the band, though, performing in the live shows and, according to their official web site, recording material with Liam Howlett
Liam Howlett
Liam Paris Howlett known as Liam Howlett , is a member of the English band The Prodigy, occasional DJ, and a music producer.-Life and career:...
.
Solo projects
Due to the almost constant touring and recording with The Prodigy, Maxim rarely had a chance to make his own solo material. After the band started to take it easier after the intense touring to support The Fat of the Land in late 1998, he finally had the spare time to work and finish some of his projects. That year he released "Dog Day" on the XL promo Against the GrainAgainst the Grain
- Broadcast media :*Against the Grain , 1993 NBC drama series with Ben Affleck*Against the Grain , an interview program on Pacifica Radio station KPFA, Berkeley, hosted by C.S...
, which also featured Howlett's "Dirtchamber Remix" of "Diesel Power" (from The Fat of the Land) and Maxim's cover version of the Rolling Stones
The Rolling Stones
The Rolling Stones are an English rock band, formed in London in April 1962 by Brian Jones , Ian Stewart , Mick Jagger , and Keith Richards . Bassist Bill Wyman and drummer Charlie Watts completed the early line-up...
' "Factory Girl". On 9 August 1999 Maxim released the EP
Extended play
An EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact...
My Web, which contained five tracks. In 2000 Maxim had a collaboration with Skin from Skunk Anansie
Skunk Anansie
Skunk Anansie is an English rock band whose members include Skin , Cass , Ace and Mark Richardson .Skunk Anansie formed in March 1994, disbanded in 2001 and reformed in 2009...
on the song "Carmen Queasy", which remains his biggest solo success. It peaked at #33 on the UK Singles Chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
in June 2000. A second single, "Scheming", was released 11 September and reached UK #53, and the album Hell's Kitchen
Hell's Kitchen (Maxim album)
Hell's Kitchen is the debut album from Maxim Reality of The Prodigy. The album is somewhat different from his previous works with The Prodigy, as it features styles varying from Trip hop, RnB and UK garage...
, was released on 2 October 2000. He is currently working on a new album with producer Machine
Machine (producer)
Machine is an American music producer and engineer who has worked with many bands of many different genres.-Discography:Machine has worked with a number of artists on their albums:-External links:* * *...
. Maxim's second solo album, Fallen Angel, was released in 2005 and spawned one single, "I Don't Care," which failed to chart. The album was released in multiple formats, including a limited edition CD.
Albums
- 2000: Hell's KitchenHell's Kitchen (Maxim album)Hell's Kitchen is the debut album from Maxim Reality of The Prodigy. The album is somewhat different from his previous works with The Prodigy, as it features styles varying from Trip hop, RnB and UK garage...
(released 2 October) - 2005: Fallen Angel (released 29 March)
Singles and EPs
- 1994: "Grim Reaper EP" (only 500 copies made; white labelWhite labelWhite label records are vinyl records with adhesive plain white labels affixed. Test pressings, usually with Test Pressing written on the label, with catalogue number, artist and recording time or date, are produced in small quantities to evaluate the quality of the disc production...
) - 1999: "My Web" (released 9 August)
- 2000: "Carmen Queasy" (released 29 May)
- 2000: "Scheming" (released 11 September)
- 2005: "I Don't Care"