Back in November we teased a new release from Mal Not Bad (AKA LA’s Mal Hauser) with the single ‘AP’. A track which “display[ed] a newfound depth within the [project’s] sound,” as we put it, “leaning further into electronic sensibilities while simultaneously interrogating the impact of technology, resulting in a nuanced exploration of the human experience within the digital present.” The album, This Is Your New Life, will be the debut full-length from Mal Not Bad and continues this style, expanding the sonic palette introduced with previous EP Continuous Short Feature Film with a mix of sampled and live instruments and probing to the heart of the contemporary moment.
Take latest single ‘No Worries’. With its careful balance of lush and glitchy tones, the song not only reflects on the pressing issues of our times, but pushes further to investigate the effects of being exposed to a constant stream of bad news. “‘No Worries’ is this convergence of a protest song and a reflection of the difficulty of communication,” Hauser explains. “I wrote it around mid-pandemic during the chaos of our previous presidency, police brutality, riots, and the pandemic itself—this constant cycle of horrible headlines and events that always exists, though the landscape/names might shift.”
Only faced with this deluge of violence and injustice, we risk becoming desensitised, or else our ability to show our anger is attenuated by the sheer force of repetition. “[The song] points to the disarray that happens when words and photos/documentation lose their power and meaning,” as Hauser continues, “an intense cycle that feels almost impossible to shake and can be dwindled down to everyday conversations we have with the people immediately around us. Understanding this hopefully can slow ourselves down to listen and speak with intention and patience.”
Watch the video co-directed by Mal Hauser and Seannie Bryan below, which features performances created by dancer and choreographer Alyssa Allen:
‘No Worries’ is out now and available from the Mal Not Bad Bandcamp page. This Is Your New Life will be released later this year.
Photo by Jacob Bell