Mael
Through music, we produce a variety of emotions in all sorts of ways for different creatures. In a world where everyone wants to fit in a certain concept, why not be the rebel? When I first saw you I took a random photo of you and instantly felt like a friendly vibe, the one that you can’t hide because it’s pure. And after that, the connection happened with your music as well…
The catchy wordplay, mixed with the modern beats and gloomy lyrics, made my apathetic mind interested in getting to know you. Your curiosity takes you on different routes every time, and with that, we grow. The connection I felt with your music is something that can’t lie, because you’re not a walking contradiction. You want authenticity from people in a way that is not forced, so the energy around your aura can’t be fake and you proved that one time when our flight was too high so we had to sleep it off…
Sometimes we crave the numbing of the thing we don’t want to feel, so Mael has directed those strong emotions into his craft. Enjoy what you are going to step into with this interview, and enjoy it because, like reading a book two times, every interaction with this text will be different for you.
The text below was compiled after meeting Mael
What got you into music?
Well of course the passion for it, and then drugs and pussy. But as well it was a hobby for me from a young age, because I used to play piano and guitar. To be honest, music has always been my safe place, I have always been awkward or uncomfortable with people and situations, and music was and is my way to escape from those feelings and bad vibes, so I’ll say that music got me into music.
Which artists and in what way have they influenced your style?
Different varieties of artists to be honest… Some are Prozac+, Kate Bush, Achille Lauro and Yung Lean. In order by style, attitude, lyrics and art, so you could say I take in feedback from all types of music. If I think about it, maybe the album Army Dreamer by Kate Bush is the one that really pushed me to search for my own sound and my own art in so many ways.
How does your creative process go?
It’s different every time… Sometimes I get a word and it evolves into a full lyric, while sometimes I just think about chords and record them. It depends on my mood, my feelings, and even the action I’m doing. I think that creating a sort of process to follow each time in order to be creative kinda kills the idea of art in its purest form, but at the same time, chaos needs order to exist so I don’t blame people that do that.
How has your style evolved since you started making music?
It became more mature and introspective for sure. Also, the quality of the music, the mix, and the masters have developed a lot in the last 5 years. At first, it was literally me playing some guitar chords, recording them, and writing some basic ass lyrics to go with them. Then after a while I kinda stopped producing, I would use free-type beats on youtube and that helped me a lot to develop and increase my lyrics style. Now I still use many types of beats, but I change and rearrange them so much that in the end they are completely different and ‘mine’. While my lyrics became more complex and depressing at the same time, I’m pretty happy about the way I write and sing.
What instrument would you like to learn and why?
I’m pretty happy with the ones I already know, but I would like to improve my drums and guitar for sure. I’m a pretty average if not even basic musician and I regret not spending more time exercising to become better. Maybe in the future, I’ll start playing again and become more of a musician rather than a singer, who knows.
If you could choose one musician to tag along on a tour, who would it be?
Elisabetta Imelio, period. Amazing singer, great musician and overall a real artist. She left us too soon…
What was the first concert you ever went to and who was it?
Rock in Roma, 2010, Caparezza. One of the first rappers I actually listened to, so I asked my mother to go listen to him. At the time I thought that his concert was pretty mid, but I was literally a child and I don’t remember much of it. I also drank my first beer there.
Which of your songs is your favorite, and why?
I guess Givin’ Girls Cocaine RMX because it was the first song that I published that sounded different from the others. And I love Peep, so it was nice to make something that he actually worked on before.
How satisfied are you with the release of your first album?
It fucking sucked, but it was fun to make it since I had many collaborations. It was a full production album. No singers, no lyrics, just instrumentals with samples or voices that were already on the sample. My favorite song on that album is Abyss for sure. That track is a banger, maybe the only one on that album.
Do you see yourself mixing into other genres in the future?
For sure, I have already searched and mix many different sounds. My goal is to find my sound, and my slang and to get people to recognize me through that. Nothing more.
And with this foreign Spoznavanje coming to an end, hopefully, I gave you one more reason to enjoy Italy. These days it is hard for dreamers like us to enjoy every minute, but when people put you in a category just accept that maybe their reality is nothing more than a rotten caricature. The more you know who you are, the less you let things upset you, so reach for your imagination like it’s the ideal you’re searching for!
There is a saying that tragedy is a test of courage, and if you meet it bravely it will leave you bigger than it found you. Express yourself purely, because only you can play that role… Find what absorbs your attention enough, on the contrary, you could easily be stuck in the loop that you promised younger you that you wouldn’t walk into. Always remember to be kind to their perception, but don’t fit into it because more one speaks fewer words mean, right?
“I would really like, in fact, to be born again in another two hundred years' time”, but why live in a nostalgic denial that just wants to deny the painful present, the one we should face…
Of course if you have an artist you want to see Spoznaen contact us on: spoznavanjeb@gmail.com