Faithless talk honouring Maxi Jazz and the future: “It’s been emotional and a gift”

nme.com:

Faithless spoken to NME about new single ‘I’m Not Alone’ – a tribute to late singer Maxi Jazz – as well as being in a “hugely creative mode” for their next album, ‘Champion Sound’.After announcing new album ‘Champion Sound’ with the lead single ‘Find A Way‘, the recently-released new track marks the dance pioneers’ first new music since 2020’s ‘All Blessed’ and their first release since the passing of frontman Maxi Jazz back in December 2022.‘I’m Not Alone (Rest Well Maxwell)’ features one of Jazz’s closest friends, Leeds-based artist LSK, who has featured on all of Faithless’ albums and toured with the band.“We wanted to create a track that hit the sweet spot in the rave, between melancholic and euphoric,” said band member Rollo. “The result was ‘I’m Not Alone (Rest Well Maxwell)’, a tribute to some of the greats who have passed, including Maxi himself”.Talking about the band’s recent live dates – which included stops across Europe, one at Glastonbury, an acclaimed Wilderness set, and a headline show at London’s Roundhouse on what would have been Jazz’s birthday, Sister Bliss said: “It’s been emotional and a gift.

It’s been a mixture of feeling really sad and really grateful, and wishing Maxi was enjoying it as well.”Bliss described being on stage without him as “like going out there and just pulling your pants down.“It’s a very vulnerable experience because Maxi was so iconic and so powerful and so compelling and charismatic as a frontman,” she said. “You couldn’t not get involved when he’s there being the remaster of it all, and bringing that extra dimension – that philosophical, anarcho-Buddhist-punk vibe – to the live shows.”Recalling shows when Jazz was alive, Bliss said “fans would regularly come up to us.