When we first viewed Maxi Jazz’s personal vinyl collection—recently acquired here at CarBootSoul.com—we expected plenty of Faithless-related house, trance, and dub plates. Yet nestled among the uplifting anthems and rare DJ pressings, we uncovered several cherished Todd Rundgren albums: Something/Anything?, A Wizard, a True Star, and Hermit of Mink Hollow, each lovingly preserved and annotated.
Many know Maxi Jazz best as the philosophical driving force behind Faithless tracks like “Insomnia” and “God Is a DJ.” His lyrical explorations of spirituality and social issues redefined the possibilities of electronic music. Todd Rundgren, on the other hand, emerged in the 1970s as a multi-instrumentalist, studio wizard, and fearless musical innovator. So, what could these two artists share?
According to an interview with the Independent Newspaper in 1999 Maxi Jazz cited Todd Rundgren as one of his earliest musical heroes from the age of 16. It’s worth including an extended quote here:
“Something, Anything” by Todd Rundgren was a great white soul record, which is the nearest you'd get to soul music growing up in Croydon. I had to move to Brixton to hear anything different. If people wanted to be derogatory, they'll call Rundgren blue- eyed soul - then I would say the honesty in the album is true soul. But I am quite eccentric. The album has a big effect on me to this day. It was a huge sense of relief to hear someone singing about himself, especially when you are 16 and going through all these changes and think you might be alone in experiencing them. And the compositions are fantastic.”
Then in Port Magazine in 2016 “‘It Takes Two to Tango’ on the first side is a brilliant song, specially with him being only 17-18 years old at that time, and I love ‘I Went to the Mirror’, on the second side. It’s a dark song that goes into a mad shuffle rhythm in the end with an amazing slide guitar. Also, the guitar in ‘Sweeter Memories’ is sublime, just beautiful. I think it’s a complete work of genius – I don’t understand why they all weren’t hits, personally.
The album is just one of those things you can play all the way through. It’s his attention to detail, all of those little elements that are going to make a great song; something that is so catchy, you are going to sing it time after time. Todd is the master of that. He is absolutely not afraid, and that’s the best thing about it.
Holding these LPs—some marked with notes feels like peering directly into Maxi’s thought process. At CarBootSoul.com, we’ve always believed in the power of music collections to reveal secret histories, shared inspirations, and the unifying spirit that ties one generation of artists to another.
This week we’ve curated a selection of songs from this Maxi Jazz’s Rock and Psyche records, diving deeper into how Todd Rundgren’s genre-bending style trickled into Faithless’s legendary sound. Here is the track list derived from records in Maxi Jazz’s collection. Listen online to our mix via Mixcloud.
1) Black & White - Todd Rundgren (Faithful 1976)
“I remember I was driving through the garden of my home in Jamaica, Todd’s CD was on in my car, and along comes this song called ‘Black and White’. I said to the guys “check this out, wait ’til the chorus comes in… it’s really fantastic”. Then, the chorus comes in, and we looked to each other and went “Oh my God”. The chorus in my song ‘Like a Samurai’ and in Rundgren’s ‘Black and White’ are exactly the same…but I didn’t steal it! It shows that when you emerge yourself in something, which is what I did with this album, the beats should come up at some point.” Maxi Jazz
2) Aja – Steely Dan (Aja 1977)
Widely admired for its polished production, Aja blends jazz harmonies with a slick pop-rock feel. Although Maxi didn’t cite Steely Dan publicly as often, he frequently spoke about drawing inspiration from eclectic, sophisticated songwriting, and Steely Dan’s meticulous arrangements and widely sampled breaks fit this description well.
3) Layla – Derek & the Dominos (Layla & Other Assorted Love Songs 1970)
Eric Clapton and Duane Allman’s guitar interplay on “Layla” is legendary. It’s possible Maxi was drawn to the emotive blend of blues-rock and the song’s reflective lyricism—elements that can also be found, in a different context, in Faithless’s introspective work. Maxi Jazz cited “Layla” as the first record he ever went out and bought.
4) Kevin Ayers – Irreversible Neural Damage (The Confessions of Doctor Dream 1974)
Kevin Ayers was part of the influential Canterbury scene, known for experimental rock. Maxi, with his open-minded taste, likely appreciated Ayers’s unconventional structures and willingness to push sonic boundaries—qualities Faithless also embraced in their electronic soundscapes. This collaboration with Nico is slightly bonkers but dark and arresting also. Well worth a listen.
5) It Takes Two to Tango - Todd Rundgren (Something/Anything? 1972)
Taken from Rundgren’s ambitious double album, “It Takes Two to Tango” epitomizes his knack for melodic pop with a twist. It aligns with Maxi’s penchant for genre-crossing, considering Faithless wove elements of house, folk, and orchestral flourishes into their tracks.
6) Dancing for Mental Health - Will Powers (Dancing for Mental Health 1983)
Will Powers was a project by celebrity photographer Lynn Goldsmith, featuring spoken affirmations over danceable grooves. Maxi’s fondness for positive messages and uplifting beats likely resonated with this record, given Faithless’s emphasis on social consciousness and personal introspection. Maxi’s notes on the front of the LP’s sleeve draw attention to 2 tracks; Dancing for Mental Health and Opportunity with their BPM (beats per minute) noted alongside suggesting he played these tracks out either privately or in a DJ set.
7) New Frontier - Donald Fagan (The Nightfly 1982)
Donald Fagen’s solo debut The Nightfly continued the jazz-infused pop style he pioneered with Steely Dan. “New Frontier” combines a futuristic sheen with nostalgic references—an approach not too far removed from Faithless’s blend of modern production and timeless thematic content. Maxi’s notes on the front of the LP’s sleeve draw attention to 3 tracks New Frontier, The Nightfly and I.G.Y. with their BPM (beats per minute) noted alongside suggesting he played these tracks out either privately or in a DJ set.
8) After Midnight - JJ Cale (Naturally 1972)
JJ Cale’s laid-back style influenced major artists like Eric Clapton. Known for its understated groove, “After Midnight” eventually became a hit in cover form. For Maxi, such smooth, bluesy songwriting was another avenue of inspiration, reflecting his belief in the power of a steady beat and thoughtful lyrics.
9) I Went to the Mirror - Todd Rundgren (Something/Anything? 1972)
An experimental cut from Rundgren’s same classic double album, this track blends playful pop with avant-garde elements. Maxi, who admired musicians willing to cross genres, would have found plenty to appreciate in Rundgren’s willingness to veer into the unconventional. Probably more than any other track on this list you can hear traces of Maxi Jazz / Faithless style that was to come.
10) Like a Samurai – Maxi Jazz & the E-Type Boys (Simple Not Easy 2016)
‘Like a Samurai’ – a song with a strong message and an abundance of groove from Maxi Jazz’s solo LP Simple..Not Easy has echoes of Todd Rundgren’s Black & White. A fitting tribute to his musical hero and the track Maxi Jazz & the E-Type Boys would close their live sets with.