Brussels-based producer Maxi Meraki and Parisian producer Nico de Andrea make their debut on Insomniac’s imprint with their new single, a deep and soul-stirring house offering revolving around the iconic hook from The Gap Band.
Brussels meets Paris as Maxi Meraki and Nico de Andrea converge on “You Are My High,” an indie dance heater out now via Insomniac Records. Rooted in club functionality yet guided by emotional restraint, the collaboration distills both artists’ cross-genre fluency into a hypnotic, late-night statement built for modern dancefloors.
A reimagining rather than a revival, “You Are My High” draws from the enduring vocal hook of The Gap Band’s classic, translating its intimacy into a deeper, more tactile context. The refrain is pitched upward and stacked into a glowing chorus, floating above bright, circular piano chords and a warm, steady bass pulse. Glimmering atmospherics and a smooth, unforced percussive flow keep the groove locked while allowing the vocal to linger. The result is an indie dance cut that’s romantic, restrained, and quietly euphoric.
Speaking to the longstanding rapport that feeds into the seamless quality of their collab, Maxi Meraki says, “Nico and I have been friends for a long time so it’s really exciting to finally come together on a track, especially one with iconic writing like the ‘You Are My High’ vocal.”
Sharing his excitement around working with such a timeless vocal, Nico de Andrea shares: “‘You Are My High’ is a legendary vocal by The Gap Band and it’s an honor to do our own cover of this one. Releasing music that connects to my fans is one of the main pleasures of this career and passion; this record has always been that from the start.”
The pairing feels natural: Maxi Meraki’s Brussels-bred sensibility has carried him across melodic house and techno, deep house, indie dance, and globally inflected rhythms, churning out releases alongside Alex Wann, Antdot, Idd Aziz, Samm (BE), and Coco, plus remixes for RÜFÜS DU SOL, Monolink, and WhoMadeWho.
Support from Adriatique, Keinemusik, Black Coffee, and Solomun has followed, as has a packed touring slate thanks to momentum cemented by his recent ‘The Drip’ World Tour. Upcoming stops include Papaya Playa Project, Bonbonniere Tulum, Bijou Nightclub, La Mangeoire, Spin Nightclub, Boris Club in Spain, and SXM Festival.
Nico de Andrea brings two decades of evolution to the table, a Parisian architect of emotive club music whose sound bridges afro house, techno, deep house, and melancholic pop undercurrents. Named as one of DJ Mag’s ‘Artists to Watch’ for 2024, Nico de Andrea has amassed over 40 million Spotify streams and consistent radio support from BBC Radio 1, SiriusXM, and Radio FG.
His catalog has been championed by Black Coffee, Pete Tong, Keinemusik, Solomun, Diplo, BLOND:ISH, MK, and more. Fresh off his debut album ‘Love Therapy’ and a No. 1 Beatport ‘Afro House’ anthem with Ethnica, Nico continues to expand his global footprint with performances at SXM Festival and beyond.
“You Are My High” positions Maxi Meraki and Nico de Andrea at a shared intersection of emotional depth and club-ready precision. Blending indie dance sensibilities with a modern, hypnotic groove, the single reflects both artists’ ability to reinterpret timeless songwriting through a contemporary electronic lens. Their collaboration underscores their growing global momentum while offering a refined addition to Insomniac Records’ growing catalog.
Maxi Meraki’s entry into the Melodic House scene might seem sudden, but his rise since 2019 to become one of the most acclaimed artists of today is anything but accidental. His success rests on a solid foundation of releases, collaborations and remarkable performances. Projects like ‘Dare Your Move’ marked essential moments in his artistic evolution, paving the way for an impressive catalog of globally celebrated hits.
Releases such as ‘If You Need It’, ‘Everybody Get Up’ and ‘Nothing On Me’ – have garnered support from industry heavyweights worldwide such as Adriatique, Keinemusik, Black Coffee and Solomun. His remix of Rüfüs Du Sol’s ‘Music Is Better’ and Mahmut Orhan’s ‘Pangea’ further solidified his reputation as a creator of undeniable floormaterial. Maxi’s desire to succeed and unwavering passion have positioned him as one of the most original and inspiring figures in the electronic music scene, as he continues to captivate audiences worldwide.
Nico de Andrea is a French producer, musician and Dj with a signature sound defined as a mix of emotional, melancholic pop music combined with afro house and techno rhythms. After 20 years in electronic music, his most known tracks including Disappear, Hold Tight, Monster or Wish We Could have been supported over years by the like of Black Coffee, Pete Tong, Keinemusik, Solomun, Diplo, Blondish or MK, cumulating more than 40 millions of streams on Spotify plus heavy rotations on radios like Sirius XM, BBC1 and Radio FG.
On top of that, he recently celebrated 1,000,000 of listeners on Spotify and has been added into ‘2024 Artists to watch’ by DJ Mag USA. Nico has recently collaborated with BLOND:ISH, Eli & Fur, Themba and remixed Grammy Nominated artists like RAYE, Ten City or David Guetta. All along his career, he has been remixed by some of the leaders of the afro/tech scene like Pablo Fierro, Black Circle, Kasango, Francis Mercier, Notre Dame, Sparrow & Barbossa, Dombresky, Andrea Oliva, Franky Wah or Hugel to name a few. In January 2024, Nico released his debut album Love Therapy, including club banger “Ethnica” and many more with several collaboration (Eli & Fur, Tensnake, Dorian Craft and more).
“Ethnica” is for sure one of the Summer 2023 Anthem that charted on the Beatport Afro House top #1 and received a global entry on the TOP 50 overall. The Deluxe Version of the album has been released on April 5th including the club banger ‘Kingston Groove’ with DJ and producer Baron (FR), that has already been supported in clubs and festivals by Dombresky, Blond:ish, Amémé and more. But it includes also his first collaboration with former NBA player Rony Seikaly, called “Lose Your Love” and amazing remixes from Birds of Mind, Harry Romero, Bohemian and more. Nico is a globe-trotter with shows in more than 40 countries including legendary venues like Pacha Ibiza, Ministry of Sound London, Palais de Tokyo in Paris, Cafe Del Mar Phuket, Bâoli Cannes or Cassio Hong Kong.
Headlining or supporting act for icons like Black Coffee, Rüfüs du Sol, Bedouin or Camelphat, he started to conquer the American continent with shows in Zamna Miami (Basel Edition), SXM Festival Saint Martin, Piknic Electronik Montreal, Gospel New York, Flash Washington DC, Sound Los Angeles, Halcyon San Francisco, Bonbonnière Tulum or Dinsmoor Mexico…
But he doesn’t forget his french roots this summer as he played in Delta Festival Marseille, Les Plages Électroniques in Cannes and had a residency in Saint Tropez. This year again, Nico de Andrea is for sure the one to have in your radar after opening for Black Coffee during Miami Music Week and doing his first North American tour, he will perform EMF in Port Barcares, Abracadabra Mykonos next summer, with more to come!
Maxi Meraki and Nico de Andrea’s new single “You Are My High” is available on all platforms via Insomniac Records.
UFO Network brings you music news daily! See more news here
Listen on Spotify
Connect with Maxi Meraki
Connect with Nico de Andrea
