(Photos by Touelve)

Emerging from the electronic outback, Mano Le Tough and The Drifter, previously schoolmates, are firmly hitting their stride on the world stage. They’ve come a long way since their childhood endeavours to become the next U2; a change of heart we’re all very much thankful for, and if their work to date is anything to go by the Maeve enterprise has only commenced lift off.

Despite what some may think, the Maeve boys are by no means new on the scene. Their love for dance music has seen the pair smashing away, hammer and tongs, since their move some years ago from the idyllic locale of Greystones in the garden of Ireland to the burgeoning multicultural centre of electronic music that is Berlin. An extraordinary transition from an Irish pasture to the holy Mecca of the underground. It is now, after a steady build, that the outfit (a collaboration between the boys and counterpart Baikal) looks poised to seize a global appreciation for their art. 

For their recent showcase at Montréal’s Parc Jean Drapeau, Le Tough and The Drifter were given the honor of launching the 13th season of Piknic Electronik, something they did in record fashion with an attendance of over 11,000 sun-loving revellers. Symbolically, however, the jam-packed Maeve rave represented much more for the label and its artists. It’s a coming of age for the label outside of Europe’s techno-loving grip, where new directions of electronic music have traditionally taken time to grow. 

Piknic followed a DGTL Festival appearance for the duo and Maeve’s first ever showcase in Dubai, while it preludes a massive summer of festivals and appearances across the world. Sitting down to chat with Mark Flynn (AKA The Drifter), he summarised their ascent in one trivial anecdote… “I was actually here 9 years ago when me and my buddy went to Movement in Detroit and Mutek. We came here and went to two days of Piknic Electronik. It’s a lovely feeling to come back and play. I remember at the time, I was really enjoying it and I was thinking it’d be lovely to play here someday, and it actually happened. It’s a little milestone.”

Reacting to the huge summer ahead, he explained excitedly, “Things are really moving forward, we did some [showcases] last year and that was kind of our first real Summer of Maeve showcases and now this year there’s more, and people really seem to be open and excited about it, which is great. We’re delighted with how it’s all going, both the parties and the label. It’s lovely to be able to do both, where you’re releasing records you’re really positive about and then also you’re running a label with your best buddies and travelling around playing music.”

To those in the know, Maeve as an imprint is renowned for its fresh, forward-thinking and exhaustive approach. Pushing the creativity boundaries and refusing to tow the line. They’ve approached releasing records with a strict policy of quality over quantity. What’s more, the label heads have encouraged the family (now extended to the likes of Aera & Matthew Dekay) to push their creative limits. Both Le Tough & The Drifter have risen to the challenge of performing their own vocal recordings, something The Drifter has also undertaken for other artists including the likes of Baikal (on Maeve 001) and Delsin’s Erdbeerschnitzel, adding eagerly, “I’m hoping to have an EP out with more vocals on it by next Winter.”

Maeve has been thriving in the House & Techno Paradise of Berlin, the city has provided the ideal location for the crew both to hone their skills and to sow the seeds of their work, seeds which to date have sprouted and subsequently flourished wherever they’ve ventured. The early exploits under the monthly Passion Beat party banner circa 2012 enabled Le Tough and The Drifter to exhibit their tastes alongside titans like Âme and Axel Boman. Its success fuelled their drive for production, which in turn led to the creation of Maeve alongside the incredibly skilled Baikal. It’s now their excitable task to take these sounds to the farthest corners of the world; a challenge in teaching a lesson in cultured electronic music to traditionally less receptive audiences, which despite its developing scene still includes Montréal.

The Drifter, speaking frankly, detailed Berlin’s utmost importance to his rise, stating “at this moment in time, for what I’m doing and where I am, it’s perfect for me. There’s so much music there, there’s so many people living there that are in the music scene. For House & Techno, it’s the hub.” The German city’s openness and appreciation for all the individual facets of underground electronic music provided an incomparable petri dish in which the label and its artists could grow before putting its product to the test. Now it is time to try their hand in the more discerning cities of the globe, which won’t be plain sailing for the talented collective. Their latest adventures will take them far from their comfort zone, giving them the arduous task of winning over the hearts and minds of those new to the Maeve wave. Though, if one learnt anything from their sold-out exhibition in Montréal, a city where the brand’s proliferation has largely yet to commence, it’s that their firm footing and enthusiasm to be tested will see The Drifter and co. leaping confidently into challenges that lie ahead.  

More info : The Drifter // Maeve

Photos by – Touelve : Facebook // Instagram

Words by Dermot O’Sullivan