Maze – IWD 2025 interview

Life on Permanent Vacation

Verity Mayes AKA Maze is a house head at heart, but plays a wide variety of sounds that include spaced-out prog, classy deep house and slamming rhythms. She can be witnessed in action both in her adopted home of Berlin – she’s a Berghain regular – and in the UK, as well as making music for the Permanent Vacataion label.

Here, she tells us more…

FIRST OF ALL, TELL US WHO YOU ARE, WHAT YOUR ROLE IN THE MUSIC INDUSTRY IS AND WHAT KIND OF MUSIC YOU LOVE?

I’m Maze, and I’ve called this special and transformative but sometimes challenging and lawless “industry” home since I started handing out club flyers (yes, actual bits of paper) on the streets when I was pretty young. Since then have worked as a promoter/organiser/strategist for independent electronic brands including parties/clubs, labels and products, whilst DJing most weekends.

I love sophisticated deep and prog house diggers from the likes of Love on the Rocks (shouts to female label boss Paramida), Slow Life (shouts to Laurine), n DJ Gregory-esque “high house”. I’m inspired by long and playful journeys/sets, and of course that unique slammin queer energy from artists like Grace Sands and David Elimelech. See, womxn are class as fuck.

WHAT DOES INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY MEAN TO YOU?

A glaring reminder that womxn need to be raised and empowered every other day of the year.

WILL YOU BE DOING ANYTHING TO CELEBRATE?

Even though Germany is a political shit show right now, Berlin still celebrates IWD as a public holiday, and takes the opportunity to celebrate by dancing, so there are loads of FLINTA* parties to choose from. I’ll be locked in the studio with an overdue deadline but I hope to get to one and fangirl some ace womxn selectors.

WOMEN’S RIGHTS SEEM TO BE UNDER ATTACK RIGHT NOW, WHAT CAN MUSICIANS DO TO DEFEND THEM?

I suffer from what I think is a common feeling of helplessness against the “man” that we’ve come to see regularly in today’s political climate, so it’s quite hard to muster up positive and enlivening advice. Especially today, when I’m watching the US Government take away trans women’s rights to be women in their passports, putting their lives in danger before our eyes.

But I sometimes do see rays through the clouds, like the amazing things that my queer family worldwide do to uplift each other and even just be bravely visible. So if anyone feels the way I do, I would suggest to try and widen your mindset from thinking only big impactful events can make a difference, to what are the ways you can contribute to incremental change – if if that’s just sharing content online or speaking your mind irl, It may make a difference to one person, and lots of one people have the power to change a lot. There are also some great organisations to get involved with, I’m on the advisory board of In Place of War and they make me feel like collective and thoughtful action is possible.

CAN YOU NAME A FEMALE ARTIST WHO HAS HAD A SIGNIFICANT EFFECT ON YOUR CAREER, EITHER ON A PERSONAL OR MORE ‘ROLE MODEL’ LEVEL? WHAT’S SO GREAT ABOUT THEM AND HOW DO YOU FEEL THEY’VE CONTRIBUTED TO YOUR DEVELOPMENT?

I’d like to share some love for Sophia Kearney of He.She.They. here. I’ve watched her and the crew give so many different types of bodies a platform and visibility in spaces previously closed to them. It’s been beautiful to see undervalued genders-abilities-backgrounds-and body types on the world’s most prominent club and festival stages, even the Radio 1 Residency. She’s a queer ally, and she chose this fight. I’ve seen her give away sleep and tears to make an impact for us all.

WHAT’S NEXT FOR YOU IN THE SHORT/MEDIUM/LONG TERM?  WHAT ARE YOU HEARING THAT’S INSPIRING YOU? ANY MORE LIVE/RELEASE WE SHOULD KNOW ABOUT?

I hear so many womxn DJs that inspire me regularly – way too many to list, but sets I’ve heard really recently include Shanti Celeste at False Idols in London and THC at Adonis in Berlin. I also wish to have been at Hannah Holland’s sound experience at Fabric recently, as I love the power of musical journey as a method to experience the deepest self. Some of my most present and affirming experiences have been when playing at Dose of Pleasure, a connected dancefloor activation practice and community of dancers in Berlin – but the moments are too fleeting – so I’m working with their incredible activator Alvin Collantes on how to make them more – more news on that soon!

I’ll also drop some upcoming sets here in case any readers can join to dance – NAR in Utrecht, Power Dance Club in Berlin, Queerpool in Hamburg and Body Movements in London.

Photo courtesy of Raphaelle Girardin