Performance artist Maldar, a masked actor, as his fans call him, was a real discovery of last year – an extraordinary eccentric stirred up the country's music scene with sparkling hits and spontaneous performances at improvised underground venues in Moscow and the regions. Only on the site VKontakte, his album "Let them hate, if only they loved part 1" was listened to by a huge number of people in the first two days of release. Behind the mysterious pseudonym-abbreviation and mask hides the difficult personality of the author-headliner, which is not yet revealed to either fans or colleagues in the music department. We were able to arrange a meeting with the mysterious performer to find out who is hiding the famous mask from "Vanilla Sky".
-I share my perception of the world in the style of hip-hop and pop — punk and, hopefully, help my listeners cope with life's troubles and negative emotions a little easier, - began the conversation MALDAR — - We all look forward to peace and balance in life, and I try to bring a little emotional balance to our lives through creative diversity.
– What is your art about?
– Each song is a cry about the most important and even crisis moments of life. And the mask from "Vanilla Sky" reminds us that it is important to appreciate every moment, even if it is tragic, that you should not live your dreams and paint the world with unreal colors, and that the allegory of grief under a dry martini will definitely turn into a spicy vanilla fleur. This is the approach.
– When did you write the first song?
– The track ready for presentation, professionally recorded and mixed, appeared in 2018. Before that, there were self-made attempts and samples at home on the computer. Much remains in the old computers.
– Who writes your lyrics and music?
– I write the lyrics myself. Music is more difficult, but I have friends, my team, and my own studio, and it was their idea to transfer my desktop creativity to a professional beat. Usually, the design process goes like this: I listen to the beats, I can spend the whole day doing this, I select what I like, and what I liked, I put it in a "creative box" — I download it to my personal folders. The sound can lie idle for a very long time, and then, spontaneously, when the text comes to mind, a creative construction project is launched, and with the idea ready in my head, I rush to the studio, where we finish working on tracks and collect compositions.
– Which musicians left the most vivid impressions in your "album of creative life"?
- Undoubtedly, the artists of the new format are Machine Gun Kelly, his work is close to me, pop-punk artists, alternative oldies Green Day, Papa roach. Blink 182. Of the Russian artists, this is undoubtedly the Dolphin — his work is with me constantly, starting from early childhood, I really like to listen to him live, I often go to his performances.
– How do your friends support your creative process?
- A friend is a very serious concept, not every person can be called a friend, unlike friends. But a real friend is a real gem. Friendly creative evenings are mostly held in the studio with the team. When I was writing the album, we used to get together every day, spend a day in the studio, now less often, a couple of times a week: we create, play, communicate.
– What heights do you want to reach? Collect "Crocus", make a movie?..
- To be honest, I didn't think much about it. Creativity has been with me since I was a child: at first it was just poems, now songs. When I started writing the album, I just wanted to leave some kind of creative mark, but now I see how my music affects people and my hobby has grown into a professional story. So yes – first I want to collect Crocus!
– What famous person can you compare yourself to?
– At the moment, from the representatives of pop punk, this is definitely Machine Gun Kelly, his music is close to me. I love pop-punk, alternative, and music in general: hip-hop, pop, anything that fits the mood. I will definitely not compare myself with anyone, it is simply impossible, since today I am not a celebrity. I admire the Dolphin, his work has greatly influenced my personal development-childhood, youth and for life.
– How much time a day do you spend on social networks?
– I go in the morning to see what's going on in the world. I run my own social networks. When there is an informational occasion related to my work, then of course more often in groups and channels, and so-a couple of hours.
– How do you feel about hype in social networks, do you think that the easy way to fame is acceptable for an artist?
- Today, hype in social networks is an integral part of the world of show business, but this method is not close to me. I would like to be recognized not because of hype and "rubbing" dirty laundry, but because of a high-quality tvroch product, this is the most important thing.
– What are the most interesting apps on your phone?
– Mostly these are music apps, I listen to beats, look for something new for myself, then convert what I like into my own creativity. Beatstars, SoundClick, Airbit.
– What is the most difficult part of being a musician?
– I would not call creativity my profession, I am a lawyer by profession, and at this stage music is not my main income. In creativity, the most difficult thing is to catch the moment when the creative process sprouts wings. I don't write because I need to, but I write when I feel that it's here, and then the compositions turn out to be real, bright and emotional.
– How to find inspiration in a big city?
- Today, adaptability is important in all spheres of activity, because today neither the strong nor the fast survive. Today, the adaptive ones survive. Therefore, I advise you to learn how to switch off, relax and work on your inner world in a big city, stop being afraid of a dialogue with yourself. That's when you can become strong, and at the same time flexible, in the process of growth, sometimes through pain, the spirit is purified, and then you catch your personal exclusive wave, feel the beat of the city, pull the strings of the metropolis and really open up to creativity.
– What's your latest hit song about?
– This is the track "Don't get bored", which unexpectedly broke into the summer e-charts.
"Don't be sad, and I'll come back to you" is a classic, but at the same time timely message that is close to hundreds of thousands of Russian listeners today: it is a track about hope and feelings, about separation and return, and about stories with a happy ending.
– When will your new song be released and what will it be about?
– By spring, I plan to release several singles at once, both in the style of pop-punk and in the style of hip-hop. The first track from the set will be released at the end of February 2023. This track is an appeal to my son: now he is still small, but already the most important in my life!
- What is your strongest track?
– My most powerful song is "I will Stay" from my album "Let them Hate, if Only they Love", which began writing in February 2022. I very subtly experience the events of the last year, when thousands of people leave their Homeland, their land, their roots… I don't presume to judge the correctness of their choice, but sooner or later everything will fall into place. "I will Stay — is a track about choice and hope, about the long-awaited light at the end of a tunnel in a seemingly unfair world. Light will come, balance will be restored, and historical truth will surely prevail. And this audacious hit "I'll Stay" is just about it.
Interviewed by Alexey ANDREICHEV
