Gilles Peterson’s Brownswood label has announced ‘Mala in Cuba’, by dubstep pioneer, one half of Digital Mystikz.
“This is the record that reevaluates and realigns the dubstep movement within sound system culture.”says Peterson.
Due to drop on 10th September, Mala travelled to Havana with Peterson to record and collaborate with local musicians – Mala In Cuba, a full-length album, documents the results of this unlikely culture clash.
The first two tracks ‘Cuba Electronic’ and ‘Calle F’, drop together on a 12″, before the album, on 6th August.
“I was a little bit unsure about it, to be honest with you,” Mala . It felt way out of my comfort zone. You must understand – I’m pretty low-key, I do my thing in a particular way, and I’m happy doing things that way, because it’s right for me. But when Gilles approached me it did seem like a serious offer – you know, I’ve had many offers over the years from a vast range of many different people and companies to do all kinds of projects, but usually I shy away them because they don’t feel right. Something about this felt right.”
“You have to do these things in life to change and grow, to learn about yourself and to learn about other people as well.” said Mala on the recent project.
Mala was heavily inspired by Havana culture, having an instant connection with the musicians, despite still being unsure what direction the project would ultimately take.
“We just kind of jammed,” he recalls. “I was totally out of my element, but you have to do these things in life to change and grow, to learn about yourself and to learn about other people as well, you know. I knew from the start it was going to be a real learning experience – when we first went out there we didn’t even have a concept for what we were going to do. The plan was literally just go to Cuba, link up with some musicians, check out the vibes, and then see what happens.”
The planned formed with some jamming and other sessions with Roberto Fonseca and his band. It wasn’t until the very morning that they went to the Havanan studio that the concept came about Instead of recording traditional Cuban rhythms, Mala took samples home to London to start writing with the samples at 140bpm.
Mala had alot of good things to say about the skill and passion of his fellow musicians:
“Just watching them attack that tempo with what they do was just…it’s just something you can’t put into words. I’ve never been around musicians of that calibre – all of them were phenomenal. They’d set up, literally practice for five minutes and then bang, knock out a five minute improvisation for me to take home. I ended up coming home with about 60GB worth of their playing, just from the first trip.”
“It’s Havana meets South London, you know?”
Mala in Cuba tracklist:
01. Introduction
02. Mulata
03. Tribal
04. Changuito
05. Revolution
06. Como Como feat. Dreiser & Sexto Sentido
07. Cuba Electronic
08. The Tunnel
09. Ghost
10. Curfew
11. The Tourist
12. Changes
13. Calle F
14. Noche Suenos feat Danay Suarez
Find out more at: http://malaincuba.com/