There are few people who fully immerse themselves in a new country when it comes to recording an album as much as Mala does. Venturing from Cuba on his 2012 release Mala In Cuba, during which he collaborated with local artists and musicians, the DMZ co-founder now finds himself in Peru for his Brownswood Recordings follow up, Mirrors. As a man who continually pushes the boundaries of the dubstep sound pallet, Mala shares with i-D his inspirations on recording this forthcoming new album.
Did you have to get into a certain headspace for it to work and for the music to flow naturally?
I think a big part of being creative is to be open. I travel a lot and have been doing this for what feels like many many years now. So the process is 2nd nature. I flow naturally in these environments.
What was inspiring about Peru?
Peru is amazing. So diverse. The land, the people the food, music and culture. It really was like a new world of sound and colour opened up in front of me.
Did you travel alone? If so what was it like.
I have been to Peru four times. The first trip was with my partner and our two kids. We went for a month. We stayed mainly in Lima, Cusco and Urubumba (The sacred Valley). We have friends there, so we’re very lucky to get shown around some wonderful places. I would also go off on an adventure to look for musicians to record and worked with. I have some great memories.
Credits
Text James Hutchins