Wake Me Up – Maxim Schunk's 2023 Avicii Tribute
Maxim Schunk's take on Avicii's Wake Me Up is a heartfelt tribute to one of EDM's greatest artists. Here's the story behind the cover and what it means to Maxim personally.
A Personal Tribute
Avicii's influence on Maxim Schunk's career cannot be overstated. From the earliest days of Maxim's journey as a producer, Avicii represented the gold standard — melodic depth combined with mass appeal, emotional honesty combined with dancefloor power. When Maxim decided to record his own version of Wake Me Up, it was a deeply personal decision.
The original Wake Me Up remains one of the most recognisable tracks in electronic music history, crossing genre boundaries and reaching listeners who had never engaged with EDM before. Covering it demands both respect for the source material and a genuine artistic perspective.
The Arrangement
Maxim Schunk's version preserves the emotional core of the original while reimagining the production through his own Progressive House lens. The acoustic elements that gave the original its unique character are retained, but the arrangement and energy are unmistakably Maxim Schunk.
The result honours Avicii's legacy while standing as its own artistic statement — a balance that is very difficult to achieve with a track this well-known.
The Response
Fans of both artists responded warmly. The track earned significant streams and served as a reminder of why Avicii's music continues to resonate years after his passing. Stream on Spotify. Follow @maximschunk on Instagram.