Artist Profile: Mala

Born and raised in South London, Mala has been an ambassador of UK Bass since the turn of the century. Stirring dubstep’s musical melting pot with its most primal ingredients before it even had a name, Mala was a founding member of DMZ, the crew behind some of the most prized 12s the movement has ever known. Almost 20 years later, his ideas and creations continue influencing and pushing electronic music to unchartered places. A producer, DJ, and label curator, Mala has long been at the intersection of sound system culture and deep bass experimentation with work studying the emotional and cultural weight of low frequencies. On February 22, 2025, he will join the first Black Rhino Residency of the new year at Control Club.

Mala emerged in the early 2000s. Alongside Dean Harris (aka Coki), he formed Digital Mystikz. At the time, dubstep was still undefined, existing between the garage's darker fringes and sound system culture's bass-heavy tendencies. Despite this external unfamiliarity, local tastemakers immediately knew something special was cooking, not least of which was famed BBC DJ John Peel. The duo's tracks like Left Leg Out showcased cavernous basslines, rolling percussion, and a deep atmosphere, while Anti-War Dub crossed over with an appearance in the critically loved film Children of Men.

In 2005, however, Mala helped shape dubstep’s identity beyond a niche sound. He co-founded DMZ, a Brixton record label and club night. It would become a pilgrimage site for bass devotees. Characterized by heavyweight dubwise production, DMZ releases provided the blueprint for what the genre would become, with records from Loefah, Skream, Kode9, and other era-defining artists.

Aside from the label, DMZ club nights were the stuff of legend, and Mala's sets were recognized as particularly immersive. Held at Brixton's Mass, both embraced the ‘meditate on bass weight’ ethos. If you listen closely, you'll oft hear stories of walls shaking, floors buckling, and queues stretching around the block.

Recognizing that dubstep was evolving, Mala launched Deep Medi Musik in 2006. The forward-thinking label fostered a new generation, including Skream, Silkie, Goth-Trad, Commodo, Kahn, Truth, and Sir Spyro's anthem, Topper Top. Unlike many dubstep imprints of the time, Deep Medi would consistently maintain its commitment to artistic integrity, championing compositional musicality, depth, and texture over trends or "brostep" hype.

Mala’s vision for bass music extends far beyond London, though. In 2012, he collaborated with Gilles Peterson on Mala in Cuba, a groundbreaking album blended Cuban percussion with rolling basslines. The project saw Mala recording with local musicians in Havana, translating their organic instrumentation into the language of dubstep. Following this, 2016’s Mirrors took him to Peru, where he explored Andean folk traditions, Afro-Peruvian rhythms, and the country’s indigenous sounds.

Beyond his albums and label work, Mala’s influence can be traced across the broader musical spectrum. James Blake has remixed his track Changes and sampled by artists disparate as The Game and XXXTENTACION. His remix work spans four decades of musical history, reinterpreting legends such as Grace Jones, Sade, Lee Scratch Perry, and Moritz Von Oswald.

Whether through DMZ, Deep Medi, or global collaborations, Mala continues to influence dubstep and the entire bass continuum, remaining dedicated to the foundations of sound system culture and musical authenticity. Whether putting the culture on the map on Mary Anne Hobb's seminal Dubstub Warz broadcast or lecturing young producers at Red Bull Music Academy, he ensures that bass music remains an ever-evolving movement.