Dublin’s Malaki is undergoing a transformation. But unlike a caterpillar’s metamorphosis, peaceful and quiet, his is a little more painful, and unapologetically loud. On his new limited edition vinyl, Chrysalis, he chronicles his own growing pains over eleven meticulous tracks, inviting some friends along to share the burden and lighten the mood. While it won’t be available until tomorrow, Nov 26th, its digital release is premiering exclusively on EARMILK today. Listen below.
The first half of the project borrows directly from his 2019 EP, Butterfly Boy, where his spoken word confessions collide with sophisticated, organic compositions. A brooding, introspective Malaki opens it up with “Paper Prophecies,” spilling his shame out on the mic, weaving tales of alcoholic self-destruction as a widening bass production attempts to get away from him, taunting him to raise his voice in the chase. When it finally does get away, breaking out into a drum-beaten sprint, it opens up a rift through which he walks, entering his own cocoon to start building his chrysalis.
While Malaki’s lyrics—often more aptly referenced to as poetry—tend to grow from a dark place, on Chrysalis, they are watered and fed by a rich, dynamic production inspired by contemporary influences and lounge/jazz elements alike (“Spreadsheets and Love Notes,” “Fair Play,” “You Told Me”). The addition of his 2019 releases to this project only amplifies the theme of change, adding currents to the calm water he’s found, signifying that any journey taken is never just a straight path, and sometimes it’s necessary to take the harder, but more scenic route.
Pre-order the limited edition vinyl here.
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