Paul Maxwell is a genre-defying artist with a sound that echoes a number of styles: from pop-punk, blog-era indie, SoundCloud rap, and lo-fi electronica, his music offers an aggressive and rhythmic mix of distorted hooks, pitched-up vocals, and fractured pop structures. "Year of the Dog" is the title track and second single from Paul Maxwell’s upcoming EP, offering a vibe that taps into the raw immediacy of Y2K, presented with a futuristic twist.
An overdriven melody from the synthesizer channels a sense of controlled chaos, as the frantic loop-driven energy rises and falls in a circular daze. A sparse, but effective use of percussion offers another kind of energy, while the lyrics speed by in a cloud of distortion. "Year of the Dog" feels like a long night that you might not remember, where you were just a little bit out of control. Warped and emotionally raw, we explore what it means to come of age under constant digital pressure.
"Year of the Dog" is shaped equally by rebellion, yearning, and a refusal to self-censor, as this up-and-coming DJ shows us why his sets just keep getting better. Paul Maxwell is feeling pretty good right now, because his latest single is a banger. You should listen to it.
A one-man creative engine, Paul Maxwell writes, produces, and directs most of his work, recently expanding his sonic palette through some new collaborations.
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