Brooklyn-based singer/songwriter/musician Max Bouratoglou began singing and playing a red ukulele when he was two years old, and received his first guitar at 10. Now, at only 16, he has already released two EPs and recently released his debut full length album, Idle Intuition, through CEN/RED Distribution, a division of Sony Music. Joe Wawrzyniak from "Jersey Beat" reviewed the album and raved, "...an impressive and engaging feature length album debut with this utterly delightful pop-rock treat. For starters, Bouratoglou possesses a remarkable knack for crafting extremely catchy and sunny melodies. Secondly, his reassuring voice and smart songwriting make for a strong double whammy. An excellent album."
Max began writing songs at the age of 7, but in his words, "I only started to really mature and develop full songs at around the age of 11-12". Mentored from a young age by acclaimed singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, arranger, and producer
Ken Stringfellow (The Posies, REM, Big Star), who worked with Max on "Idle Intuition", as well as his previous EPs, 2014's "Mid-Teen Crisis" (which he recorded before entering ninth grade) and 2015's "Average Euphonies", this time Ken took a step back and let him take more initiative in the process. Ken says, "Max's songwriting was strong from day one. I can see his confidence building, and his intuition sharpening." Max adds, "He has given me many ideas which have enhanced my music as a whole. His approach is also really inspiring, he puts so much effort into every little detail, and it's definitely something that has rubbed off on me."
One of the highlights of "Idle Intuition" is the track "Contagious". "'Contagious' is actually one of the final additions to the album," Max says. "I wrote it last summer while I was at camp. I was sitting underneath a tree looking out on the beautiful landscape with a guitar in hand, and I just started jamming. I was overcoming a rough patch, and I think the lyrics really evoked my emotional state and helped the healing process."
Here's a link to stream "Contagious":
https://soundcloud.com/adampnyc/01-contagious-1/s-YA495?in=adampnyc/sets/max-bouratoglou/s-VlqDS
Max recently filmed a video for the album track "'Reminisce", which, in his words, is "about a soiled relationship in which the broken hearted protagonist tries to come to grasp with reality, while simultaneously reminiscing of a more cheerful past." "Letting the lyrics lead, and the music accompany, the focus is put on the true emotional rawness. It's a simplistic song in terms of the structure, but I think that simplicity really enhances the feeling of reminiscence, which is a rather evasive yet relatable way of dealing with reality,"
You can check out the video for "Reminisce", directed by David Doobinin, here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oXlDc8dc1DU&feature=youtu.be
With "Idle Intuition", Max continues to grow as a songwriter and musician with a collection of songs that is emotionally mature and honest beyond his years, and he is developing into an artist with an exceptional ability to connect to listeners and live audiences. As "Musoscribe"'s Bill Kopp proclaimed in his review, "...well-crafted pop with a level of musical sophistication one wouldn't necessarily expect from a 16-year-old....his tunes are sturdy and packed with requisite hooks. Though his name doesn't roll off the tongue, Bouratoglou is one to watch."
"I'm just excited to keep learning", Max says. "There's so much left to explore!"
http://www.maxbouratoglou.com
https://www.facebook.com/maxbouratoglou.music/
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC0w352yUnw-9h2csJHAtL4w
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